A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select sc

mykrasovski , if you only knew what a hotbed of crazymaking controversy this issue were.
Part of the issue is that "few" has positive and negative connotations, so without the idiomatic "a select few," we could be in trouble. HERE is a discussion that you do not need to read unless you are extremely curious about language.

This question seems unfairly tilted towards native speakers.
I think that GMAT would put one more error in D. Just my opinion.

As you did, I would decide this question based on D's use of [i]selected.
It does not mean "select," exactly. Selected interrupts the emphasis of the sentence.

• Only a select few is idiomatic and means small and exclusive or elite group
-- "Select" does mean "chosen," but the emphasis is on elite or exclusive and small, not on who did the choosing.
So yes, only a select few means very few, with hints of elite, exclusive, or special.
• only very few has some issues. Its use seems to have cropped up here and there, but the phrase is not nearly as common as only a select few.

• the word "selected" creates the issue that you identify.
--selected only occasionally means "small, elite, special, or exclusive." More often it means opted-for, designated, or chosen.
Example: You may choose from among the options selected. (Of 20 options, 8 have been marked. You may choose from among those 8.)
Example: The selected sample population is statistically significant.

• selected in D interrupts the rhetorical emphasis of the sentence. Why are those scientists and entomologists "selected"? By whom? How?

I read (E) with this emphasis: A swarm of honeybees is rarely seen by human beings.
I read (D) with this emphasis A swarm of honeybees is seen by only a few scientists who have been chosen.

The correct idiom is "a select few,"** not "a very few selected."

The answer is E.


**See the entries HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, for example.
Idiomatic: As noted, a select few is a small, special (maybe elite) group.
Only a select few is a more emphatic way to say a select few. This phrase, too, is idiomatic.

(A) few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave
A swarm (singular subject).......occurs (singular verb) A portion (singular)........leaves(singular verb)


(B) a select few scientists and entomologists, only occurs when portions of the colony leaves
portions(plural).......leave(plural verb)

(C) very few selected scientists and entomologists, occur when only portions of the colony leave
same as A
(D) only very few selected scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves
only- used to show that there is a single one or very few of something, or that there are no others.
here use of only very few is redundant

(E) only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves
correct s-v error fixed ..........only is correctly modifying a select few scientists and entomologists

generis, wow thanks much for the reply! I made a mistake and picked D, and only then realized that E is likely the correct option. Hopefully GMAT will not offer such subtle things without any other, more concrete, markers.

Nice question. The easiest path to narrow down the answer options is using the verb splits "occur/occurs" and "leave/leaves".

"A swarm of honey bees" is the subject which is a collective noun and has to be considered singular. Hence choose "occurs".
That eliminates A and C.

Option B has "portions of the colony leaves" where portions is plural and does not have S-V agreement. Eliminate B.

Between D and E, "select few scientists" and "few selected scientists" have huge meaning difference between the two. These scientists were not selected based on some qualifying criteria (at least as per what the sentence is conveying). Thus Eliminate D.

Hence Option E is the correct answer.

A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave the current nest to find a new home.

(A) few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave - SV error

(B) a select few scientists and entomologists, only occurs when portions of the colony leaves -SV error

(C) very few selected scientists and entomologists, occur when only portions of the colony leave - SV error & selected scientist meaning error

(D) only very few selected scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves - Selected scientist meaning error

(E) only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves - correct