Many employees in the energy sector must choose between jobs that offe

The idiom tested here is "between X and Y".

With this simple rule we can eliminate A B and C.

D) that pay substantially higher but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, relocating to remote or sparsely populated areas, and lower-paying jobs that are less physically intense
e) offering substantially higher pay, but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, or relocation to remote, sparsely populated areas, and less physically intense, but lower-paying, jobs


I think that this is enough, and in D the X and Y parts are not parallel (pay-requiring). Moreover D does not make sense with the not underlined portion:
D)and lower-paying jobs that are less physically intense in larger metropolitan areas
it seems to say that the jobs are less intense in metropolitan areas (when done there, if it's clear what I mean).

I think in your proposed structure 'Less physically intense and lower-paying jobs' the contrast is omitted, something that will affect the meaning of the sentence.

Moreover if you are adding that before higher paying jobs then you should also add the same before lower paying jobs so that both phrases will be parallel.
between jobs that offer substantially higher pay and that less physically intense, but lower-paying

As for your query, whether the construction 'that X but that Y' would be correct or not, I think it will depend on the sentence structure.

Hope that helps.
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Experts please help me understand how option E) is correct

'But' is a co-ordinating conjunction which requires either an Independent clause following it or a verb in parallel. Here in E) the expression that follows "but" is a modifier and I believe it is incorrect. My another question is did we ever see an official question(GMATPrep/OG) in which we have such a "but +< MODIFIER>" construction.

but can link two IC, and is one of the FANBOYS.

However this does not mean that this is its only possible usage.
"You can't do anything but wait " is a legit sentence, and "but" does not connect two IC.

Consider this Official question:
The first trenches that were cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar. Svria. have yielded strong evidence for centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East that were arising simultaneously with but independently of the more celebrated city-states of southern Mesopotamia, in what is now southern Iraq.

(E)cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence that centrally administered complex societies in northern regions of the Middle East arose simultaneously with but

simultaneously with but independently they both modify "arose ".

Does this make sense?

(D) that pay substantially higher but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, relocating to remote or sparsely populated areas, and lower-paying jobs that are less physically intense
Error : That ... but -ing such parallelism is not allowed.
(E) offering substantially higher pay, but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, or relocation to remote, sparsely populated areas, and less physically intense, but lower-paying, jobs
-ing... but -ing parallelism maintained. second half of the sentence is inverted noun is placed after adjectives.

E is the best among all.

Clear E, in 25 seconds.

First, we split answer choices based on idiom "between x AND y" - A,B, and C are out since they use OR when introducing alternative jobs ("or less physically intense....")
Second, in D "..requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, relocating to remote or sparsely populated areas..." looks like these jobs require all conditions to be met, this changes intended meaning. Clearly should be ".. requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, OR relocating to remote or sparsely populated areas..'

Only E has it all

At first, this is a test of idiom --- ‘between …. and’ --- hence we should reject A, B and C forthwith and focus only on D and E.

A fan boy such as ‘but’ can co-ordinate

1. Two ICs,
2. Two parallel verbs
3. Two parallel nouns or noun phrases
4. Two parallel adjectives or adjectival phrases
5. Two parallel adverbs or adverbial phrases.

In E, we may observe, ‘less physically intense’ is an adjectival phrase linked to ‘another adjectival namely, ‘lower paying’. So both are parallel linked by 'but'

In D, the placement of ‘in large metropolitan areas’ is dubious. This phrase should be placed just after the ‘jobs’, so that we know for certain that theses jobs are available in metros rather than in other areas. Otherwise, it will be misconstrued that these jobs are less physically intense only in metros.

Probably because it is from the MGMAT stable, I am led to believe that there is more than what meets the eye and MGMAT may be testing some more subtle issue. What MGMAT is really up to, may be the forum can expose
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

On one hand, energy-sector employees can choose high-paying jobs, but must then face the prospect of several negatives (long hours, demanding physical labor, or relocation to remote rural areas). On the other hand, they can opt for less physically demanding jobs in cities, but those jobs don't pay as much.

(A) The structure between X or Y is unidiomatic; the correct idiom is between X and Y. The construction jobs that X (offer) but Y (requiring) should be parallel, but offer is not parallel to requiring.

(B) The structure between X or Y is unidiomatic; the correct idiom is between X and Y. What was a list of three things (long hours, physical labor, or relocation) in the original sentence turns into a list of four things here (long hours, physical labor, relocation, or lower-paying jobs). Because of this, there is no longer an and Y element to complete the between X and Y idiom. The sentence says, in effect: between X that offer A, but that B, C, D, or E.

(C) The structure between X or Y is unidiomatic; the correct idiom is between X and Y. In addition, this choice places pay that is substantially higher in parallel with (pay) that requires long hours, etc. The job requires these things, not the pay. The word relocating is not parallel to the two earlier nouns on the list (hours, labor). Finally, the modifier in larger metropolitan areas illogically modifies are less physically intense; the jobs are not less physically intense only when performed in larger metropolitan areas.

(D) The construction jobs that X (pay) but Y (requiring) should be parallel, but pay is not parallel to requiring. What was a list of three things (long hours, physical labor, or relocation) in the original sentence turns into a list of four things here (long hours, physical labor, relocating, and lower-paying jobs). Because of this, there is no longer an and Y element to complete the between X and Y idiom. (Note: you could also interpret and lower-paying jobs to be the and Y portion of between X and Y. If so, however, then the three item list A, B, or C is missing the word or.) Finally, the modifier in larger metropolitan areas illogically modifies are less physically intense; the jobs are not less physically intense only when performed in larger metropolitan areas.

(E) CORRECT. The idiom between X and Y is used properly. The construction jobs offering but requiring is parallel. The three possible drawbacks of the higher-paying jobs (long hours, physically taxing labor, and relocation) are also properly parallel. The modifier in larger metropolitan areas correctly modifies jobs.
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I eliminated E because of comma before jobs in the latter part. What is the significance of this comma, does removing the comma still make it the correct choice?

Basis of elimination is the core.

Ditto. I also eliminated E because of the comma before jobs.
Could someone please explain?

bb
daagh
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The comma before jobs is a typo. One should ignore it.
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"Between" / "and" construction is missing in A,B and C. Hence eliminated.

Between D&E, remote and sparse do have have the same meaning therefore "or" is eliminated. Leaves us with choice E which should be the answer

A X "offering" and "require" aren't parallel. "THOUGH" means happening at the same time and is wrong, should say "BUT lower paying" to highlight contradiction
B X should say "BUT lower paying" not "AND lower paying" as we want to point out a contradiction. "I got into a car accident BUT managed to make it to work on time" has different meaning than "I got into a car accident AND managed to make i to work on time (illogical)"
C X job is plural so "requires" is wrong. "I have three clients to visit who NEED me to call them" not "I have three clients to visit who NEEDS me to call them.
D X bad list "and lower paying" is part of list rather than a second option. "pay...but requiring" these verbs go to same subject but are not parallel
E CORRECT verbs sound strange to me but OK

(A) that offer substantially higher pay, but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, or relocation to remote, sparsely populated areas, or less physically intense though lower-paying jobs

(B) that offer substantially higher pay, but that require long hours, physically taxing labor, relocation to remote or sparsely populated areas, or less physically intense and lower-paying jobs

(C) offering pay that is substantially higher, but that requires long hours, physically taxing labor, or relocating to remote, sparsely populated areas, or lower-paying jobs that are less physically intense

(D) that pay substantially higher but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, relocating to remote or sparsely populated areas, and lower-paying jobs that are less physically intense

(E) offering substantially higher pay, but requiring long hours, physically taxing labor, or relocation to remote, sparsely populated areas, and less physically intense, but lower-paying jobs

Why say jobs that offer ? would be much more concise to say "jobs offering" and GMAT like concision. ABD out

Then it's between C and E, the problem with C is "that requires" seems to refers back to pay, but it is none sense.

E is perfectly clear as it dont has this problem that C has, plus it is the only option left so ^^