Dear zoezhuyan,

How are you, my friend? I'm happy to respond.

I assume you know about the Magoosh GMAT Idiom flashcards.

This is a tricky one. Choice (A) is very good---if (D) didn't exist, I could imagine that (A) could be a right answer. This is a rare case of an official question having an incorrect answer that is so good.

Version (A):
In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
This is 100% grammatically correct. I think the rhetorical emphasis on the subject makes it clear who will do the marrying. Let's say this one is 90% clear.

If we didn't mention the queen, that would be 100% correct:
Version (A1):
In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
Now, that's 100% clear, but poor Queen Catherine of Aragon was ignored.

Version (D):
In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so that he could marry Anne Boleyn.
This is also 100% clear, absolutely no ambiguity imaginable, and we get to keep the queen. This is win-win.

Choice (A) is not wrong. Choice (A) is very strong, AND it is not as good as Choice (D), which is above all reproach. Once again, it is rare that an official question has this pattern.

Does all this make sense? Have a good day!
Mike
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Radhika11 thangvietnam divineacclivity aielman SudiptoGmat

> What I noticed is below. The issue is between A & D .

Q:-In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.

(A) so as to marry - This choice is ambiguous and suggests two statements.

1.He himself is not marrying Anne but to marry Anne to someone else he annulled.
2.He himself is marrying Anne


(D) so that he could marry - Unambiguously tells that King annulled so that he himself could marry Anne

To be married to is unidiomatic. Though we use it often, it should be avoided. 'To marry' is slightly different in meaning from 'so that he could'. So that he could marry means that the annulment of earlier marriage allowed him to marry Anne Boleyn.

D
Idioms
So as to cannot be used to replace in order to

So that is a correct replacement.

e would have been correct if it said. in order to

Here in order to in option e is correct but would should be could.
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in "so that" and "in order that" clause , subjuctive mood is required , and, so, only "may,might, can, could+infinitive" is used. "would do" is incorrect in "so that", and "in order that" clauses

this case is called quasi-subjuctive mood.

l understand D is the correct answer here, but why is answer choice E incorrect? Could someone let me know whether "in order that" an incorrect idiom?
Regards.
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In order that. So that, to the end or purpose that, as in In order that Bob can meet my husband, we've come early. [Early 1700s]
In order to. For the purpose of, as a means to, as in We'll have to hire more help in order to finish on time. This usage always precedes a verb, such as finish in the example.

Correct answer will always be easy to understand,concise and will have clear meaning. hope it helps.

"So that" in D is certainly simpler and more direct than "in order that" in E, but as usual, there's another reason.

If we're going to say "in order that," we shouldn't also add the conditional "would." We might get away with "could," which introduces a possibility (as in ynk's present-tense example above: "in order that Bob can meet my husband."). However, "in order that he would" is never going to be correct. If we're going to start with "in order," why not just say "in order to marry"?
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SO THAT = Shows Purpose

In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so that he could marry Anne Boleyn.

The green part shows the purpose for the Blue part...

He = Correctly refers to King Henry VIII

Could = Refers to Past tense of Can

Thus option (D) is correct in all respect and without doubt the correct answer for this question....
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Hi mikemcgarry and other experts
although I picked up D, I have no idea why A is incorrect.
What's the difference between "so as to" and "so that"

OE makes me confusing as well.
So as to marry is not idiomatically correct; it does not identify who will marry

Why so as to is not idiomatically correct, why it does not identify who will marry, IMO, it does identify King Henry VIII

Please help clarify,

Thanks in advance
Have a nice day

>_~

A student asked me to comment on A and C.

For A and C, it is unclear who is going to marry Anne Boleyn.
Is it King Henry or Queen Catherine?

Answer choice D has no such ambiguity.

Cheers,
Brent
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In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.

(A) so as to marry - correct ideom - so X as to Y
(B) and so could be married to - doesn't make sense
(C) to be married to - wrong use of to be
(D) so that he could marry - correct answer
(E) in order that he would marry - correct ideom - in order to

hi egmat , AjiteshArun GMATNinja and other experts can you please explain why A is incorrect.
Though I was confused between A&D ,but I went ahead with A.
Thanks in advance.

In 1527 King Henry VIII sought to have his marriage to Queen Catherine annulled so as to marry Anne Boleyn.
(A) so as to marry
(D) so that he could marry

According to OE, the problem is meaning. It doesn't specify who is going to marry Anne Boleyn. One wonders how one can use "so as to" legitimately in a sentence. The takeaway: choose the clearest version.
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But I'm still not convinced! Queen Catherine (a female) marrying another female (Anne Boleyn) in royal world is just as unlikely as "he" in D might refer to Queen Catherine rather than to King Henry. D could still be ambiguous if "he" referred to Queen Catherine - you never know, just as you never know whether a Queen might marry an Anne Boleyn??!!?