Answer should be "E"
The correct choice asks for parallelism between verb forms "stigmatized & encouraged"
(A)The sentence wrongly uses passive voice for the second part...also it is not clear that "It" refers to what??
(B) Wrong use of gerund..
(C) Verbs are not parallel
(D) "It" does not have clear reference
(E) Best choice



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A: Unsymmetrical construction - 'stigmatized selfishness' is in active voice, and 'voluntary cooperation was encouraged' is in passive voice. should be 'encouraged voluntary cooperation. 2nd error - use of 'also' with 'whether'

B: Again, 2 errors: use of encouraging is un-parallel. secondly,use of 'but also' with 'both' . 'But also' has to follow 'not only' type of construction
C: Wrong use of 'encouraging'
D: Redundant use od 'they' before encouraged, and, use of 'also' with 'whether'

The answer is E - Parallelism and Not only but also idiom.
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Ancient hunter-gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or also with outsiders.

(A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or- stigmatized not parallel to cooperation, whether...also is not idiomatic
(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but
"encouraging..." is modifying the main clause, therefore changing the meaning
"both..but..also" is not idiomatic
(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and
-encouraging (not a verb) is not parallel to stigmatized
(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or
ambiguous antecedent for "it"
(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group but
stigmatized || encouraged, not only..but also is idiomatic, within the group|| with outsiders

E is the only answer choice that is parallel. (stigmatized - encouraged)

Ancient hunter-gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or also with outsiders.

(A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or
(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but
(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and
(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or
(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group

An attempt to identify the errors:

Parallelism: stigmatized-encouraged
Idiom: not only, but also
the ancient hunter gatherers did two things: stigmatized selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation
use of whether: diction

Yes I agree. This one was not that hard.
Easy to get to the correct answer E by maintaining proper parallelism between the past tense verbs and the "not only...but also" idiomatic construction.

parallelism. Not only --but also. E is the best choice.

i pick E. subjunctive was not tested here so A and are out, both.....with wrong idiomatic expression so B is out, the meaning of C is just convoluted

E- is the best Answer
* A- faulty bze not following Not only...but also....Which is correct way to tackle this question.
* Same thing is repeated in option C and D.
* B is using gerund, while original sentence is in Past tense which is Wrong

** E is only best choice following Not only...but also... format and parallel one.

Can any Expert clear my doubt on the use of they in option D
it should refer to Huntergathers if i am not wrong we say it as ambigous because instincts which is also plural is present.....I am bit confused with the usage of they when two plural noun is present in the question.
Thanks in advance

The correct construction is "not only x but [also] y"

In this problem, answer choice "e" uses the correct idiomatic construction and is grammatically correct.

Ancient hunter-gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or also with outsiders.

(A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or
(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but
(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and
(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or
(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group but. Parallel: that stigmatized and (that) encouraged voluntary cooperation. Also parallel here not only....but also

A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or

1. Parallelism error: Stigmatized Selfishness "Active Voice" and Voluntary Cooperation was encouraged as well "passive Voice"
2. whether it be within the group or - sounds wordy and awkward.

(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but

the list requires "and", ungrammartical.

(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and
Parallelism error: Stigmatized and Encouraging; missing contrast word like however, but, rather in the part within the group.....

(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or

They makes it unparallell

(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group but

Parallelism correct, right idiom "not only....but also..." and contrast word but
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if sc test meaning and logic, the analysis of meaning will be key to success on sc and, of course, most difficult on sc.

"and" on gmat is most difficult word to learn because it requires us to understand parallelism in meaning. do should 2 ideas be parallel?

in choice A, we have to realize that ' voluntary cooperation was encouraged " is not parallel with " gatherer developed instinct" . though these two clauses are parallel gramatically, they can not be parallel logically. so, choice a is wrong.

this realization of meaning parallelism and the need of 'and" are hard but this realization is key to writing a good sentence and, so, a focus of gmat test.

Ancient hunter-gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or also with outsiders.

(A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or
No antecedent for it.
Wrong usage of "as well"

(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but
Test for geround? - usually by answering "What"

as well .. wrong usage
both ... but also .. wrong idiom

(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and

And allows writing two individual clauses like:
gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness
gatherers developed instincts that also encouraging voluntary cooperation - This doesn't make sense

within the group and also with outsiders - wrong idiom.

(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or
And allows writing two individual clauses like:
gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness
gatherers developed instincts that they encouraged voluntary cooperation - This doesn't make sense

Ambiguous antecedent of it - instincts or cooperation or none?

(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group but
stigmatized selfishness, encouraged voluntary cooperation - Parallel
not only ... but also ... - Right idiom

Can any Expert clear my doubt on the use of they in option D?????
should refer to Huntergathers or instincts ??? boh are plural .....I am bit confused with the usage of they when two plural noun are present in the question.
Thanks in advance

Hi AbhishekDhanraJ72,

Generally speaking, there is no way to be absolutely sure about pronoun reference. When we see that a pronoun could point to multiple nouns, we should consider that pronoun ambiguous. This doesn't mean that an option with an ambiguous pronoun cannot be correct, but if we see a better option, we should mark that (better) option.
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Ancient hunter-gatherers developed instincts that stigmatized selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or also with outsiders.

(A) selfishness, and voluntary cooperation was encouraged as well, whether it be within the group or Use of "as well" for "encouraged" does not show similarity with the earlier use of "stigmatized", "or also" does not convey that cooperation was encouraged with insiders and outsiders. Eliminate.

(B) selfishness, encouraging voluntary cooperation as well, both within the group but Same error as in (A) with the use of "as well". "Both" shows similarity between two things whereas "but" shows contrast - a contradiction. Eliminate.

(C) selfishness and also encouraging voluntary cooperation, within the group and Use of "also" produces the same error as use of "as well" in (A) and (B). Eliminate.

(D) selfishness and they encouraged voluntary cooperation, whether it be within the group or Antecedent of "they" is ambiguous. Eliminate.

(E) selfishness and encouraged voluntary cooperation, not only within the group but Correct answer.

Hope this helps.
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