Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 05:57 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 05:57
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
   1   2 
avatar
RiseAndShinee
avatar
Joined: 08 May 2020
Last visit: 22 May 2021
Posts: 41
Own Kudos:
11
 [2]
Given Kudos: 54
Posts: 41
Kudos: 11
 [2]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 26 May 2020, 09:29
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AbdurRakib
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2018
Practice Question
Sentence Correction
Question no. 220
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

A. not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction
B. as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion, and it was a construction
C. not only as a laxative but also as a skin-softening lotion and as a construction
D. as not only a laxative but as a skin-softening lotion and in construction, as a
E. not only as a laxative, but a skin-softening lotion and in construction, a
Show more

GMATNinja
Please help. How is C. better than B.?
I felt C. better demonstrates how bodily uses of the oil are different from the use of a construction lubricant.
User avatar
GMATNinja
User avatar
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 7,443
Own Kudos:
69,783
 [6]
Given Kudos: 2,060
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Posts: 7,443
Kudos: 69,783
 [6]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 08 Jun 2020, 12:09
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
RiseAndShinee
AbdurRakib
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2018
Practice Question
Sentence Correction
Question no. 220
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

A. not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction
B. as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion, and it was a construction
C. not only as a laxative but also as a skin-softening lotion and as a construction
D. as not only a laxative but as a skin-softening lotion and in construction, as a
E. not only as a laxative, but a skin-softening lotion and in construction, a

GMATNinja
Please help. How is C. better than B.?
I felt C. better demonstrates how bodily uses of the oil are different from the use of a construction lubricant.
Show more
In choice (C), it is clear that castor oil was used as a (1) laxative, (2) skin-softening lotion, (3) construction lubricant IN EARLY MESOPOTAMIA. In other words, the opening modifier clearly applies to all three things listed after it.

However, choice (B) is broken up into two parts separated by a comma+conjunction:

    (A) In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion

    , and

    (B) [castor oil] was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

The ", and" separates two complete, independent thoughts. So, does "In early Mesopotamia" apply to both parts or only to the first part? Was castor oil used as a construction lubricant in early Mesopotamia or in some other time/place in the past? You could make a case for either interpretation.

Choice (C) avoids that ambiguity, so that's our winner!
avatar
jaisonsunny77
avatar
Joined: 05 Jan 2019
Last visit: 25 Aug 2021
Posts: 459
Own Kudos:
381
 [1]
Given Kudos: 28
Posts: 459
Kudos: 381
 [1]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 08 Jun 2020, 21:12
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

A. not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction - ''it'' has two possible antecedents: ''civilization'', ''castor oil''.
B. as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion, and it was a construction - ''it'' has two possible antecedents: ''civilization'', ''castor oil''.
C. not only as a laxative but also as a skin-softening lotion and as a construction - has no error. Hence, (C) is the right answer choice.

D. as not only a laxative but as a skin-softening lotion and in construction, as a - does not have the complete ''not only...but also..'' structure.
E. not only as a laxative, but a skin-softening lotion and in construction, a - does not have the complete ''not only...but also..'' structure.
User avatar
MHIKER
User avatar
Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Last visit: 24 May 2021
Posts: 942
Own Kudos:
5,645
Given Kudos: 690
Status:No dream is too large, no dreamer is too small
Concentration: Accounting
Posts: 942
Kudos: 5,645
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 24 Dec 2020, 14:11
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AbdurRakib
The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review 2018
Practice Question
Sentence Correction
Question no. 220
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

A. not only as a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction
B. as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion, and it was a construction
C. not only as a laxative but also as a skin-softening lotion and as a construction
D. as not only a laxative but as a skin-softening lotion and in construction, as a
E. not only as a laxative, but a skin-softening lotion and in construction, a
Show more

Not only ...but also idiom is used in the sentence. Not only and but also must be followed by the same construction sentence. A, D, and E are eliminated. Option B has another problem of parallelism. "The castor oil was used as not only a laxative but also a skin-softening lotion" is good but " and it was a construction sliding giant" is not parallel in describing three uses of castor oil. The option should have said a construction sliding.
Option C has the parallelism. Not only as a .... but also as a .. and as a. The answer is C.
User avatar
gmexamtaker1
User avatar
Joined: 16 Jul 2018
Last visit: 13 Feb 2023
Posts: 210
Own Kudos:
79
Given Kudos: 261
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 210
Kudos: 79
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 28 Dec 2020, 04:49
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello experts,
A prompt question, I thought that the "not only x but also y" idiom connects two elements but in this case we have not only x but also y and z" so could someone verify whether "not only .. but also.." can take as many elements as we want or is it something that I have misunderstood ?
User avatar
MartyTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 24 Nov 2014
Last visit: 11 Aug 2023
Posts: 3,476
Own Kudos:
5,579
 [3]
Given Kudos: 1,430
Status:Chief Curriculum and Content Architect
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 3,476
Kudos: 5,579
 [3]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 28 Dec 2020, 06:01
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
UNSTOPPABLE12
Hello experts,
A prompt question, I thought that the "not only x but also y" idiom connects two elements but in this case we have not only x but also y and z" so could someone verify whether "not only .. but also.." can take as many elements as we want or is it something that I have misunderstood ?
Show more
If you think about it, "not only ... but also" merely means that there is not only something but also something.

Those somethings can be one item or multiple items.

So, the following is correct.

    In the room was not only a bed but also a desk.

The following is also correct.

    In the room were not only a bed and nightstand but also a desk, an office chair, and a computer.
User avatar
MartyTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 24 Nov 2014
Last visit: 11 Aug 2023
Posts: 3,476
Own Kudos:
5,579
 [1]
Given Kudos: 1,430
Status:Chief Curriculum and Content Architect
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Posts: 3,476
Kudos: 5,579
 [1]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 28 Dec 2020, 06:01
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
UNSTOPPABLE12
Hello experts,
A prompt question, I thought that the "not only x but also y" idiom connects two elements but in this case we have not only x but also y and z" so could someone verify whether "not only .. but also.." can take as many elements as we want or is it something that I have misunderstood ?
Show more
If you think about it, "not only ... but also" merely means that there is not only something but also something.

Those somethings can be one item or multiple items.

So, the following is correct.

    In the room was not only a bed but also a desk.

The following is also correct.

    In the room were not only a bed and a nightstand but also a desk, an office chair, and a computer.
avatar
AmarpreetK
avatar
Joined: 05 Jun 2020
Last visit: 27 May 2022
Posts: 15
Own Kudos:
7
Given Kudos: 170
Status:Preparing for Gmat Exam
Location: India
Concentration: Nonprofit, Sustainability
Schools: ISB'22 INSEAD Sept'21 Intake LBS '23 Wharton '23 SSE MBM "23 HKU MBA "22 XLRI
GPA: 2.54
WE:Project Management (Non-Profit and Government)
Schools: ISB'22 INSEAD Sept'21 Intake LBS '23 Wharton '23 SSE MBM "23 HKU MBA "22 XLRI
Posts: 15
Kudos: 7
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 05 Jan 2021, 23:08
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
If B was -
'as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction"
would B be considered correct then?
In this case now, but also is not being compared to a clause.
Also, what are the ways in which B could have been a correct answer here?
User avatar
svasan05
User avatar
CrackVerbal Representative
Joined: 02 Mar 2019
Last visit: 24 Feb 2023
Posts: 269
Own Kudos:
302
 [1]
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 269
Kudos: 302
 [1]
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 20 Jan 2021, 01:00
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
AmarpreetK
If B was -
'as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and it was a construction"
would B be considered correct then?
In this case now, but also is not being compared to a clause.
Also, what are the ways in which B could have been a correct answer here?
Show more

Hi Amarpreet

This too would be incorrect.

The sentence follows the structure "not only X but also Y and Z", where X = laxative, Y = skin-softening lotion and Z = construction lubricant. In this, Y and Z need to be parallel since they form a list of what castor oil is "also". In your construction, "a skin-softening lotion" and "it was a construction..." are not parallel to each other, making the sentence incorrect.

(B) would have been correct if worded as: as not only a laxative, but also a skin-softening lotion and a construction

Hope this helps.
User avatar
shikhasing4
User avatar
Joined: 15 Sep 2018
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 183
Own Kudos:
30
Given Kudos: 131
Location: India
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 183
Kudos: 30
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 20 Jan 2021, 02:40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
This questions tests the concepts of Idioms

Not Only X but also Y
So C fits the above idiom construction, hence is the correct answer
User avatar
Dinesh654
User avatar
Joined: 08 Jun 2021
Last visit: 11 Aug 2024
Posts: 155
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 217
Status:In learning mode...
Location: India
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
Products:
My Reviews
GMAT 1: 600 Q46 V27
Posts: 155
Kudos: 9
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 03 May 2022, 03:09
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
hello experts,
need an expert opinion on this,
I have seen many responses for this as why C is better than B, because "but also" has a clause and its not parallel with "not only". I don't think thats the right reason. there is an "and" and it is perfectly parallel with castor oil. so there is no clause in "but also"
I just dont like the later part-- and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

for sliding souds awkward here, is it ok to use for? i think 'to slide' would have been better.
I missed it completly. B is a nice trap.
How to attempt this question and why exactly B is wrong?
User avatar
PyjamaScientist
User avatar
Admitted - Which School Forum Moderator
Joined: 25 Oct 2020
Last visit: 05 Nov 2025
Posts: 1,118
Own Kudos:
1,307
Given Kudos: 633
Schools: Ross '25 (M$)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42 (Online)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: Ross '25 (M$)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42 (Online)
Posts: 1,118
Kudos: 1,307
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 03 May 2022, 03:36
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
dcoolguy
hello experts,
need an expert opinion on this,
I have seen many responses for this as why C is better than B, because "but also" has a clause and its not parallel with "not only". I don't think thats the right reason. there is an "and" and it is perfectly parallel with castor oil. so there is no clause in "but also"
I just dont like the later part-- and it was a construction lubricant for sliding giant stone blocks over wooden rollers.

for sliding souds awkward here, is it ok to use for? i think 'to slide' would have been better.
I missed it completly. B is a nice trap.
How to attempt this question and why exactly B is wrong?
Show more
(B) falls to (C) on the grounds of mainly "redundancy". Though Mikemcgarry in this post has explained very nicely why (B) is preferred over (C). You can also check this explanation by GmatNinja. There's no other way then to look for redundancy when come across such a question on the real test.
I personally fare not so well with this error type. Redundancy is something that almost always gets me, and if the sentence is doing a fair enough job of conveying the meaning and is grammatically correct, I find it tough to eliminate. So, there's no one "method" to catch redundancy. Only thing you can do is- Check which one of the two grammatically correct choices conveys the intended meaning more concisely. That's the perhaps only way my friend.
User avatar
Dhirendar
User avatar
Joined: 06 Dec 2022
Last visit: 10 Sep 2025
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 6
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
In early Mesopotamian civilization, castor oil served not only as a la 31 May 2023, 08:25
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sir please tell me why 'c' is correct?
   1   2 
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7443 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
231 posts
miag
188 posts