manimgoindowndown wrote:
Florida’s Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, a mixed-use recreation trail paved over an old rail bed, is a curious paradox: it is not only completely man-made but also designed exclusively for human use, yet is classified as a state park.
(A) is not only completely man-made but also designed exclusively for human use, yet is
(B) not only is completely man-made but also exclusively designed for human use, yet it is
(C) is completely man-made but also exclusively designed for human use, yet
(D) is completely man-made but also has been designed exclusively for human use, yet is
(E) is not only completely man-made but also is exclusively designed for human use, yet
I'm happy to help with this.
This is a great question ---
MGMAT really writes good questions!
The basic issue in this one is --- where the common words fall when you have parallel elements in a "
not only ... but also" structure. Here's a blog that addresses this issue:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/common-par ... orrection/Consider the following abstract structure involving "
not only ... but also" or any similar correlative structure.
blah blah blah not only blah blah blah but also blah blah blahI am going to call the purple part "outside" the "
not only ... but also" structure, and the green part "inside" the structure. The BIG IDEA is that any common word that applies to both the parallel terms inside the structure can appear
(a)
one outside the structureor
(b)
twice inside the structure, once before each termFor example, this is legal:
blah blah blah COMMON not only blah blah blah but also blah blah blahThis is also legal:
blah blah blah not only COMMON blah blah blah but also COMMON blah blah blahBut this is illegal:
blah blah blah not only COMMON blah blah blah but also blah blah blahand this is similarly illegal:
blah blah blah not only blah blah blah but also COMMON blah blah blahThose have the common term once inside only. A favorite illegal pattern, very common the GMAT SC, is this:
blah blah blah COMMON not only blah blah blah but also COMMON blah blah blahthe good old "once outside, once inside" mistake --- they love this one!
In this
MGMAT SC question, the simple word "is" the common word that applies to both parallel terms.
(A) correctly has the word appear once outside the "
not only ... but also" structure --- this is correct.
(B) has the word "is" once inside, in front of the first term, omitted from the second term
(C) &
(D) don't have the
not only at all, just the
but also --- the structure is incomplete
(E) ah, the classic "once outside, once inside" mistake
Here's another practice SC question exploring some of the same ideas:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/3290When you submit your answer to that question, the next page will have a full video explanation.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Mike
Thanks for the explanation Matt. However, in choice A not only preceedes an adverb (completely) while but also preceedes a verb (designed). Doesn't it make the sentence structurally not parallel. Please help