Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, e

Question

Project SC Butler: Day 180: Sentence Correction (SC2) 
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Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist  is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so .

A) is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so

B) is not able to be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do that

C) is not to be denied, even though many critics have attempted doing so

D) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do it

E) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do so

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION Project SC Butler: Day 180: Sentence Correction (SC2) • HIGHLIGHTS This question tests the correct way to "repeat a predicate" without actually repeating the whole thing. Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. A simple predicate consists of just a verb: He laughed. A "complete" predicate consists of the verb and a verb phrase—everything that is not the subject: He laughed at the comedian's joke. The predicate is laughed at the comedian's joke . Often in English we do not repeat the whole verb phrase, but we do use "substitution." WE repeat a short version of the verb. Some form of the verb TO DO (usually do, does , or did ) can substitute for almost any verb in English. In addition, the word SO can substitute for almost any verb phrase. Substitution involves subtleties, a few of which have been missed. Simplify things: (1) DO and DO SO almost always work. (2) DO IT works in only one situation: the verb that is being repeated is TO DO verb. (3) DO THAT never works. THAT is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT. DO often works. -- we cannot use DO or DO SO with TO BE verbs (is, are, were, was) We cannot use DO or DO SO for HAVE as an auxiliary. The word SO in DO SO is a lot like a pronoun. The word So stands for a whole verb phrase, and not just in this situation. Correct : The teacher told him to explain his answer, and he did. Correct : The teacher told him to explain his answer, and he did so. Correct : Did he explain his answer as the teacher instructed? Yes, I think so. SO = explained his answer as the teacher instructed him to do. Bottom line: this question tests the way in which we use the verb DO or the verb phrase DO SO as a substitute for another verb or verb phrase . After the POE I explain under what circumstance we are allowed to use DO IT (rarely) and under what circumstances we are allowed to use DO SO (often). • Meaning? People should not deny Fanny Burney's historical importance as a novelist because she was hugely influential, but many critics have tried to deny Burney's historical importance. THE PROMPT THE OPTIONS • Incorrect. "Undeniable" is not a verb for which DO SO can stand in. • the sentence is incoherent. Many critics have tried to deny Burney's historical importance as a novelist, but no verb deny exists — DO SO cannot stand in for undeniable, which is an adjective. A verb phrase, do so , cannot replace an adjective. Eliminate A • is not able to be denied is awkward. • we cannot say critics have attempted to do THAT . for two reasons (1) that is not a standalone pronoun (2) the verb able to be is not a TO DO verb, so we cannot use DO + PRONOUN • We need DO + SO Eliminate B • is not to be denied is a mouthful. This awkwardness is not enough to eliminate this option. • attempted is idiomatically followed by the infinitive TO VERB, not a gerund Eliminate C - or hold and compare to E • we can use DO IT only when the first verb is a TO DO verb and the object is a noun that can be captured by "it." • be denied is not a to do verb, so we cannot use do it Eliminate D • the action is that her importance cannot be denied (even though people have tried to deny it) • we can use DO SO to take the place of that action The correct answer is E • NOTES DO IT is allowed only if the first verb is a to do verb. -- DO IT absolutely can stand in for a verb + an object. Sabrina and Tess do the biology experiment. John and Daniel do it , too. DO SO is required if the first verb is anything BUT a TO DO verb (or TO BE or HAVE as auxiliary) (1) If the verb is a to do verb, we can use a shortened form of the verb phrase by using (1) just DO, DOES, or DID, or (2) DO + pronoun, including DO + IT When the verb is a to do verb, we can repeat it with --(1) DO, DOES, or DID and nothing more Anne wants to do Pilates and her sister wants to do Pilates. → Anne wants to do Pilates and her sister does , too. --(2) DO + PRONOUN (almost never DO + NOUN) Reva did her chemistry homework and math problems before Vivek did his chemistry homework and math problems. Reva did her chemistry homework and math problems before VIvek did his. -- DO + IT is an example of DO + PRONOUN Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did her chemistry experiment. Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did it . -- not DO + THAT THAT is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT. That is a relative pronoun. I cannot say: Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did that.

In the examples above, we have repeated the first verb, the "predicate," by using a form of TO DO—either just the verb, or the verb plus a pronoun . The pronoun stands in for the noun that is the object of the first verb. We can add a pronoun (including IT) to DO, DOES, or DID only if the first verb is a to do verb. As soon as we change to any other verb , we must use DO do SO rather than do IT (or do pronoun). -- SO is a lot like a pronoun. -- SO stands in for entire verb phrases. -- Some linguists and grammarians call "so" a "pro-verb" because it is the only verb that can stand in for another verb, in the same way that a pronoun can stand in for a noun. Do not worry about the name. I give it to you so that you will remember that the little word "so" can do a lot. (2) If the verb is not a to do verb, we can use DO or DO + SO Kenya completed a triathlon before Omari completed a triathlon. Correct : Kenya completed a triathlon before Omari did. Correct , more formal: Kenya completed a triathlon before Omari did so. Exceptions: we cannot use a TO DO verb to stand in for a TO BE verb, or for HAVE when HAVE is a helping verb. -- Exception: TO DO cannot stand in for TO BE verbs Celeste was excited about the trip to North Africa and Pierre did too. was, too. I am very hungry and you do, too.

-- Exception: TO DO cannot stand in for have when have is an auxiliary (helping) verb I had been at work for hours and he did, too.

I had been at work for hours and he had, too. -- TO DO can stand in for HAVE when HAVE is not an auxiliary and means "possessed, owned, etc." I had 10 dollars and you did, too. But: She has gone shopping as has he. Takeaways: 1) if the verb we want to repeat is a to do verb, we can use DO or DO + PRONOUN, including DO + IT 2) we cannot use DO + THAT. That is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT. -- that can be a relative pronoun: The dog that barked all night long. -- that can be a determiner, something that points to a noun: Please sit on that red chair over there rather than on this brown chair here. -- But that has not been a standalone pronoun (such as in DO THAT or DID THAT) on the GMAT. Avoid the construction. 3) if the verb is not a to do verb, we cannot use DO + pronoun . But we can use either DO or DO SO . "Do so" is sort of a magical little phrase. It is very versatile. It is the only phrase that can stand in for a whole verb phrase in any tense, and even if the tenses shift in the same sentence . Correct : I leave earlier for work than you usually did. DID = LEFT FOR WORK COMMENTS I want to get this OE up . . . we have some misconceptions, I think. EDIT: I am glad to see the exchange and discussion! I am even more glad to see the goodwill.

If you got the right answer and explained well, you get kudos.

JonShukhrat · Answer

Hi zhanbo , Above all, congratulations on such great achievements in both GMAT and GRE!

It’s kind of interesting that, right from the start, I knew do so is what we are tested on here. However, your question made me think about the exact reasons for eliminating D. So, I did some research, and let me share what I inferred from it. We know that do it doesn’t work when it doesn’t have clear referent (noun), for example: I wanted them to leave, and politely asked them to do it/so. Here, there is no noun for it to refer to, so we definitely need so . However, as you pointed out, in D it can refer to Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist (when it stands for a noun to which essential mods are attached, it must stand for the noun + all essential mods). Additionally, in D do can stand in for deny . As a result we have: D. FB’s historical importance as a novelist cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do (deny) it (FB’s historical importance as a novelist). Quite a legitimate sentence, isn’t it? What I have found out is that out of do so/ it/ that the first one is the most academic and the least ambiguous one. i.e. in colloquial English, when someone asks us “Send them a fax!”, we are used to answer “I’ll do so”, “I’ll do it” or even “I’ll do that”. But the latter two seem to be too informal for GMAT. RonPurewal says: 'do it' is not always wrong. However, our research has shown that very few GMAT problems, if any, contain 'do it' in their correct forms, whereas 'do so' has been the crux of several problems. Remember, it's not just the correct grammar that matters - it also matters how likely it is that each particular concept will show up on the test. Although MGMAT provides an example for do it , in its example do stands for do itself: Quinn failed to do the homework, but her brother did it. For verbs other than do , MGMAT prefers to repeat that verb again: Quinn did not eat the soup, but her brother ate it. MGMAT prefers to do so because in some cases using do it for other verbs may create ambiguity: The police have significantly reduced violent crime and are pleased with themselves for doing it. Here it clearly refers to violent crime . However, doing is ambiguous because it may stand for reducing or just mean doing , as is. In the first case we have pleased with themselves for reducing (doing) violent crime (it) . Makes sense if a person reading this sentence somehow already knows what the author is going to say. But in the second case we have pleased with themselves for doing violent crime (it). That’s nonsense because original meaning is - police didn’t do violent crime but reduced it. A person who reads the above sentence for the first time most probably will understand it this way. By using do so instead, we can avoid this ambiguity. Small conclusion: In everyday life, I think D would be just fine. However, for the sake of clarity and GMAT’s high standards, we better do what MGMAT does – to repeat the exact verb + it instead of do + it : Quinn did not eat the soup, but her brother ate it. Just wanted to share my findings, your comments are welcome.

Shivan21 · Answer

1.  Cannot be denied/undeniable/is not to be denied/ is not able to be denied 
Cannot be denied is the best expression out of these since the 2nd part of the sentence says that many people have attempted to "deny it". If we use "undeniable" as in A then we cannot use "do so" or "do it/that" in the 2nd half. B & C use the wordy/ungrammatical expressions "is not to be denied/ is not able to be denied" to convey the same meaning.
So we can take out A,B & C

2.  Do So/Do it 
"Do it": "It" has to refer to a noun
"Do So": "So" refers to an action or a clause

Option D: "even though many critics have attempted to do it"
- the "it" in option D doesnt have any noun referent for itself.
- If we take "historical importance" as its referent then the sentence becomes
- "even though many critics have attempted to do historical importance"

The "do so" in E stands for "deny his historical importance"
- "even though many critics have attempted to do so"
So the sentence without ellipses is"
"even though many critics have attempted to deny his historical importance"

So E is the correct answer IMO.

Lampard42 · Answer

A) is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so  - Do so - tried to un-deny it?

B) is not able to be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do that  - "is not able to be denied" long and awkward construction

C) is not to be denied, even though many critics have attempted doing so  - " doing so" is incorrect. requires a verb "do so"

D) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do it  - " do it" - incorrect, what does it refer to

E) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do so  - Correct.

chaitralirr · Answer

Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so.

A) is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so  usage of undeniable makes the sentence awkward

B) is not able to be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do that  the use of that is incorrect

C) is not to be denied, even though many critics have attempted doing so  use of doing makes the sentence a fragment by omitting a verb

D) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do it  there is no antecedent for pronoun it

E) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do so  begins with cannot and correct comparison used leaves no ambiguity.

IMO E

eakabuah · Answer

Do so, known as a pro-verb is used to replace a verb in a sentence to avoid repetition. Do it is used when the verb has an object which can be replaced by the pronoun it.

Option A: Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist   is undeniable  , even though many critics have attempted   to do so  .  to  do so   suggests that the verb   is   should be in the bare infinitive form   be  , and this also signals that it requires a modal verb   can  . Even if the verb is  can be , substituting to  be deniable  in place of to  do so  still doesn't make much sense.  ..even though many critics have attempted  to be deniable  . I believe a verb that expresses the action   undeniable   will be appropriate. A can be eliminated.

Option B: Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist   is not able to be denied  , even though many critics have attempted to do that.   is not able to be denied   is grammatically awkward at best. A better form of expressing the action can be   cannot be denied  . B can be eliminated.

Option C: Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist   is not to be denied  , even though many critics have attempted   doing  so .
  is not to be denied   is wordy, so not concise compared with   cannot be denied  . In addition, I am not sure if   doing  so  is appropriate in the context.   to do  so  is more appropriate in my view because it explicitly expresses the purpose 
or the intention of the critics better. We can eliminate option C.

Option D: Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to  do  it  .
There is no logical antecedent for the pronoun   it  .  do so  is required. Eliminated option D.

Option E: Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist   cannot be denied  , even though many critics have attempted to   do so  .   do so   rightly replaces   deny Fanny Burney's historical importance  .  Cannot be denied  rightly replace   is undeniable  .

snoep · Answer

Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so.

A) is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so
'to do' so requires an action to refer back to, attempted to do what? "to deny" ...here undeniable is noun

B) is not able to be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do that
is not able to be denied - too wordy and 'that' should refer to singular noun or clause, here it refers to ->not able to be denied ... sentence doesn't make sense

C) is not to be denied, even though many critics have attempted doing so
critics have attempted doing not to be denied -> too wordy

D) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do it
it should refer to noun, it cannot refer to action..

E) cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do so
denied is an action and so refers to denied.

E is better!

zhanbo · Answer

OK. So the correct answer seems to be E.

But in D, we can successfully find an antecedent for it: Fanny Burney’s historical importance.
So, "Do it" = dispute Fanny Burney’s historical importance.

What is wrong with that?

mykrasovski · Answer

I wanted to write an explanation, but then saw a great explanation by Shivan21 . Good job!

Shivan21 · Answer

mykrasovski Thanks buddy for your kind words

Cheers!

zhanbo · Answer

You deserve it!

Though, regarding your comment that 'If we take "historical importance" as its referent then the sentence becomes "even though many critics have attempted to do historical importance"', I have a different idea: do can stand for verb "argue", so the sentence becomes
- even though many critics have attempted to argue his historical importance.
That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

mykrasovski · Answer

Hi zhanbo , I do not think it is legit to substitute verbs in this particular problem, i.e. replace do by argue

And clearly, the blue part in option D "Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do historical importance " has no sense... One cannot attempt to do a historical importance

while it is possible to argue against a historical importance, discuss it, consider it, evaluate it, and so on...

joohwangie · Answer

Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so.

A)  is undeniable , even though many critics have attempted to  do so  -- "is undeniable change meaning of the context.

B)  is not able to be denied , even though many critics have attempted to  do that -- is not able to be denied is awkward
 
C)  is not to be denied , even though many critics have attempted  doing  so -- is not able to be denied is awkward

D)  cannot be denied , even though many critics have attempted to do  it  -- it is ambiguous, what is "it" referring to

E)  cannot be denied , even though many critics have attempted to  do so

Therefore, E

SonGoku · Answer

Here do so implies undeny so wrong meaning.Eliminate A.

that is a relative pronoun that can refer to noun only.here it's referring to deny which is a verb.so eliminate B.

so when we have to be, the So cannot change the tense. here so is referring to denied ie., wrong so Eliminate C.

same as B.it can only refer to nouns not verbs.Eliminate D.

Perfect.

satya2029 · Answer

Attempted to do so/Attempted to deny/ Attempted to criticise
Generally,You do criticise those things which can be criticised. We hardly go to criticise facts set. 
Historical importance as a novelist is undeniable- fact. So you need to look for those options where Historical importance can be/can not be criticised.
D and E are the two options where meaning is clear, but in D there is no logical antecedent of pronoun "it".
E is perfect
E:)

generis · Answer

I have posted the official explanation  HERE

generis · Answer

JonShukhrat  , you have stated the issue very diplomatically.
Now, let me be the bad cop because there is no SEEM on the GMAT. 
Those two constructions do not  seem  to be too informal for the GMAT.
Those two constructions  ARE  too informal on the GMAT.
In fact, in this question neither is grammatical.
I do not recall a single question in which the correct answer contained  do it,  a fact that confirms what Ron P says below.

DO SO and DO are possible.
DO IT is not at all likely.
DO THAT is never correct.

Nice catch.
In other words, the only time that we can use DO + PRONOUN is when we have already used a TO DO verb.
The pronoun takes the place of the object of the verb (the object that was a noun).

JonShukhrat  — Bravo.
This analysis is very good.

I refined just a little bit of what you wrote. Your work is excellent.
Well done.

JonShukhrat · Answer

Dear generis , Thank you very much. You are awesome, as always

VerbalBot · Answer

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Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, e

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, e

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