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Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi

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Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   08 Aug 2010, 12:16
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Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal backing for his voyages, finally receiving approval and financing from King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492 after several rejections.

(A) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

(B) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, also pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia; he finally received

(C) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, but he pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, and finally receiving

(D) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

(E) Not only refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, Christopher Columbus, finally receiving

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:oops: I thought that not only - but also is right without exceptions.
Is there an official question with modified idiom?
Pls let me know
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   09 Aug 2010, 17:09
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Hey All,

I see you complaining about the MGMAT guidelines. How dare you! : )

But seriously, this is NOT a definite idiom. You do NOT have to say "but also" when you say "not only". If you had it correct, it would have been preferable to this, but it's not a hard and fast rule. In fact, GMATPrep (the test that GMAT gives out) has featured a question that uses this variation on the idiom, which is how we KNOW it is not hard and fast:

By pressing a tiny amount of nitrogen between two diamonds to a pressure of 25 milliion pounds per square inch, scientists not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created a semiconductor similar to silicon

A. not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created
B. not only were able to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
C. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but to create
D. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
E. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but they were also able to create

The correct answer is C, which uses "not only...but". This is another legit way to phrase it as is:

Not only X, but Y, too.

Not only do I want X, but so does Y.

Hope that helps!

-t
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   13 Oct 2010, 23:11
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a) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving - misses the contrast conjunction but after flat and makes the sentence a run-on


b) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, also pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia; he finally received - misses the contrast conjunction but

C) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, but he pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, and finally receiving - conjunction and is wrong usage, making the sentence non-parallel

d)Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

correct version using but and dropping the and after Asia

e) Not only refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, Christopher Columbus, finally receiving

This sentence is a fragment just using some participles with out a proper verb for the subject Columbus

D is the choice
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 09 Aug 2010, 02:38
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May I assume that if all answer choices are wrong, I have to choose the least wrong one?

the question is whther this is idiom may appear in GMAT or it is just a MGMAT's trick?

thanks

Originally posted by PTK on 08 Aug 2010, 23:10.
Last edited by PTK on 09 Aug 2010, 02:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   08 Aug 2010, 23:23
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Tailspin ! I don't know what should be done if GMAT answer itself breaks any idiom. Idioms are not suppose to be broken.
not only.....but ------> is still workable. D gets as far as this.
not only ...... (no but) ----> is unacceptable. ---> A completely breaks the idiom.

But breaking idioms is like breaking the rules of English. I could as well write dictionary of my own than follow Oxford then.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   09 Aug 2010, 04:11
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As per the MGMAT SC guide..
1. Not only but also
2. Not only, but also
3. Not only, but..

All are acceptable..
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   10 Aug 2010, 00:46
Tommy

In the example you gave - E is wrong because of repetition? Correct?

thanks

TommyWallach wrote:
Hey All,

I see you complaining about the MGMAT guidelines. How dare you! : )

But seriously, this is NOT a definite idiom. You do NOT have to say "but also" when you say "not only". If you had it correct, it would have been preferable to this, but it's not a hard and fast rule. In fact, GMATPrep (the test that GMAT gives out) has featured a question that uses this variation on the idiom, which is how we KNOW it is not hard and fast:

By pressing a tiny amount of nitrogen between two diamonds to a pressure of 25 milliion pounds per square inch, scientists not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created a semiconductor similar to silicon

A. not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created
B. not only were able to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
C. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but to create
D. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but also creating
E. were able not only to transform the gas into a solid but they were also able to create

The correct answer is C, which uses "not only...but". This is another legit way to phrase it as is:

Not only X, but Y, too.

Not only do I want X, but so does Y.

Hope that helps!

-t
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   10 Aug 2010, 01:03
nusmavrik wrote:
Tommy

In the example you gave - E is wrong because of repetition? Correct?

thanks




no, in E " a solid but they were also" - but also is interrupted by they were , but the idiom must be solid.
Am I right Tommy?
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   14 Oct 2010, 02:18
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mrinal2100 wrote:
Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving approval and financing from King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492 after several rejections.

a) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving
'not only..also (no but)...' Incorrect idiom...
b) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, also pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia; he finally received
Same as A.
C) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, but he pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, and finally receiving
Two errors here ... first one same as A/B (not only...also)
Second one:
The second part of the sentence introduces an independent clause (thanks to COMMA AND)...but the independent clause has no verb...

d)Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving
'not only...but'....correct idiom... clauses correctly formed...

e) Not only refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, Christopher Columbus, finally receiving
This clause has no verb



"Not only...but" is the idiom used in this case...
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   20 Oct 2010, 08:40
I struggled with this one on the MGMAT practice test and still don't like the answer. Isn't D a run-on?
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   20 Oct 2010, 08:45
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No D is not a run on; neither a punctuation nor a conjunction is missing.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2015, 19:56
the correct forms of the idioms:
not only X but also Y
not only X but Y
X and Y should be parallel. only answer choice D maintains the parallelism.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   24 Feb 2016, 23:59
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Hey all,

Clearly the answer choices can be shortlisted to Option A & Option D. There is one subtle mistake in option A. Look at the two verbs : 'Refuse' & 'Pressed'. The tenses differ and breaks the parallelism and changes the meaning of the sentence.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   02 Mar 2017, 13:58
Hi daagh

could you help me out on this one ?
I narrowed the Answer Choices down to A and D. I wonder if A is wrong because it is a run one. Am I correct to say that ?

Hope to hear from you!
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   12 Mar 2017, 07:29
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asdfghjklasdfghj wrote:
Hi daagh

could you help me out on this one ?
I narrowed the Answer Choices down to A and D. I wonder if A is wrong because it is a run one. Am I correct to say that ?

Hope to hear from you!


here are the three correct forms:

1. Not only..
2. Not only.. but
3. Not only.. but also.

In A, we have the form Not only.. Also, which is incorrect. Hence, A is incorrect.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   23 Oct 2018, 00:45
All people in this answer have blindly rejected the answer choice based on idiom - "not only, but also"
What about the below sentence which has been marked correct by OG:

As criminal activity on the Internet becomes more and more sophisticated, not only are thieves able to divert cash from company bank accounts, they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell the data to competitors.

There is no 'but'. Hence, a sentence can't be rejected plainly because of idiom. That's why people choose the wrong choice in actual test by rejecting an answer choice based on idiom.

-NonPlus

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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   25 Dec 2019, 12:04
Please explain what type of variations in NOT ONLY X, BUT ALSO Y are possible. I was confused between option A & D. Please explain why D is OA.
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Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   25 Dec 2019, 12:07
mrinal2100 wrote:
Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving approval and financing from King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492 after several rejections.

a) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

b) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, also pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia; he finally received

C) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, but he pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, and finally receiving

d)Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

e) Not only refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, Christopher Columbus, finally receiving


mrinal2100 Please explain your reasoning.
Bunuel bb Please explain why this reply was considered "MOST HELPFUL COMMUNITY REPLY"?
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   25 Dec 2019, 12:14
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Kinshook wrote:
mrinal2100 wrote:
Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving approval and financing from King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492 after several rejections.

a) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, he also pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

b) Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, also pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia; he finally received

C) Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat, but he pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, and finally receiving

d)Christopher Columbus not only refused to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressed relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, finally receiving

e) Not only refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that the earth was flat but pressing relentlessly for royal support for his westward voyage to Asia, Christopher Columbus, finally receiving


mrinal2100 Please explain your reasoning.
Bunuel bb Please explain why this reply was considered "MOST HELPFUL COMMUNITY REPLY"?

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That post is removed. Thank you.
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink] New post   26 Dec 2019, 01:13
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Marty Sir,

MartyTargetTestPrep

I would appreciate if you could shed light upon the answer choice A. This MGMAT question is quite old and probably outdated. MGMAT experts wrote that A misses a conjunction but after the comma and therefore is run-on and incorrect. However, there is a structurally similar OA to another OG 2020 question that is correct without but:

- As criminal activity on the Internet becomes more and more sophisticated, not only are thieves able to divert cash from company bank accounts, they can also pilfer valuable information such as business development strategies, new product specifications, and contract bidding plans, and sell the data to competitors.

So, do we actually need a conjunction here? If not, why A is incorrect?

Thank you very much for your response in advance.

(Hi Bunuel, I'm posting the above second time. Let me ask: why did it get removed yesterday? Did I violate any forum rule?)
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Re: Not only did Christopher Columbus refuse to accept the conventional wi [#permalink]
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