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Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Concepts tested here: Idioms

• “not only A but also B” is the correct, idiomatic usage; A must be parallel to B.
• “not only A but B” is a correct idiom; A must be parallel to B.

A: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A (“were able to transform the gas into a solid”) and B (“they also created a semiconductor similar to silicon”) in the idiomatic construction “not only A but B”; please remember, “not only A but B” is a correct idiom; A must be parallel to B.

B: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A (“were able to transform the gas into a solid”) and B (“creating a semiconductor similar to silicon”) in the idiomatic construction “not only A but B”; please remember, “not only A but B” is a correct idiom; A must be parallel to B.

C: Correct. This answer choice correctly maintains parallelism between A (“to transform the gas into a solid”) and B (“to create a semiconductor similar to silicon”) in the idiomatic construction “not only A but B”.

D: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A (“to transform the gas into a solid”) and B (“creating a semiconductor similar to silicon”) in the idiomatic construction “not only A but B”; please remember, “not only A but B” is a correct idiom; A must be parallel to B.

E: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A (“able to transform the gas into a solid”) and B (“they were also able to create a semiconductor similar to silicon”) in the idiomatic construction “not only A but B”; please remember, “not only A but B” is a correct idiom; A must be parallel to B.

Hence, C is the best answer choice.

Additional Note: Please keep in mind that “not only A but B” is considered inferior to the construction “not only A but also B”, but it is not incorrect and can be used in a correct answer choice.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

'not only ... but also' in generally preferred, but gmatprep has featured at least one problem featuring 'not only ... but' in the correct answer

the correct answer is c, the only choice that features proper parallelism. it omits the word 'also', but it's still correct.

Thanks for your reply.

I have also seen NOT ONLY....BUT THEY ALSO.... in some other correct question.
What do you think about that?

Not only x but also y is a correlative conjunction. A correlative conjunction joins two equal elements. In the sentence above, the elements, to transform the gas and created a semiconductor, are not equal hence the reason "not only but also" is not correct.

According to whatever little bit knowledge I have, I don't think NOT ONLY... BUT THEY ALSO can be correct. What I have read is correct idiom should be NOT ONLY X .... BUT ALSO Y, where X and Y should be parallel. Can you provide some examples or source?

Thanks.

Hey noboru,

In my opinion its not correct; May be the sentence you encountered is using "NOT ONLY....BUT THEY ALSO" in some context.

But its not the correct idiom.

Thanks

Here is an example:

Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the United States
create farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively
inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also caused erosion and very
quickly deforested whole regions.
A. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the United States create
farmland (especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively
inexpensive houses and furniture, but it also
B. Not only did the systematic clearing of forests in the United States create
farmland (especially in the Northeast), which gave consumers relatively
inexpensive houses and furniture, but also
C. The systematic clearing of forests in the United States, creating farmland
(especially in the Northeast) and giving consumers relatively inexpensive
houses and furniture, but also
D. The systematic clearing of forests in the United States created farmland
(especially in the Northeast) and gave consumers relatively inexpensive houses
and furniture, but it also
E. The systematic clearing of forests in the United States not only created
farmland (especially in the Northeast), giving consumers relatively inexpensive
houses and furniture, but it

What is your take?

According to my understanding, the following construcions are...

NOT ONLY X BUT ALSO Y: CORRECT
NOT ONLY X BUT IT/THEY ALSO Y: INCORRECT
NOT ONLY X BUT Y: CORRECT
X, BUT Y: CORRECT
X, BUT ALSO Y: CORRECT

If I go with idiom (Not only ... but also): then I'm goona choose B.

But, some how D looks good to me as compared to B.

not only X...but Y is ALSO an idiom

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

I would have chosen "D" first, but i noticed that "creating" is not parallel to "transform", so that only "C" is correct. Even though it is "not only X" .. "but Y" without also. Thanks for the questions and explanation

Got to say good question went for E but realized on close inspection C is right. This construction is something you don't see very often

Not only X but Y

There is a way to check in not only X but also Y or not only X but Y construction whether selected choice is correct.

<Modifier>....., scientists not only were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they also created a semiconductor similar to
silicon.

So, scientists were able to do two things which should stand independently by themselves.

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 not only able to transform the gas into a solid, but they were also able to create

Choice C:
Scientists were able not only to transform the gas into a solid.
Scientists were able but to create a semiconductor similar to silicon.

Both are independent sentences that can stand by their own.This method has helped me quickly eliminate choices in this type of construction.Like in this sentence, choices B & D can be eliminated easily. Hope it helps you too!

In what way is parallelism missing in E?

The option says "the scientists were not only able to transform..., but also able to create..." which seems parallel to me (or am I missing something?)


Thanks in advance!

"Scientists were" is OUTSIDE the parallelism structure and hence covers both NOT ONLY.... and BUT ALSO.....

Thus using "they were" within the second element (BUT ALSO) is wrong. If "they were" is to be used within the second element (BUT ALSO), then "scientists were" should also be brought WITHIN the first element (NOT ONLY). Then the sentence would be:

..not only scientists were able to transform the gas into a solid, but they were also able to
create....

So, just because E has 'they' in between the not only... but also construction, it is incorrect? How should we look at it so we don't get confused ?? Thanks!!

OK, let me try to explain a bit more elaborately. Consider this way:

Parallelism marker: NOT ONLY (X), BUT ALSO (Y).
X and Y should be parrallel.

Correct: Scientists were NOT ONLY ( able to transform), BUT ALSO ( able to create).
able to transform and able to create are parallel.

Correct: NOT ONLY (Scientists were able to transform), BUT ALSO ( they were able to create).
Scientists were able to transform and they were able to create are parallel.

Wrong: Scientists were NOT ONLY ( able to transform), BUT ALSO ( they were able to create).
able to transform and they were able to create are NOT parallel.