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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
souvik101990 wrote:
The largest of all the planets, not only is Jupiter three times so massive as Saturn, the next larger planet, but also possesses four of the largest satellites, or moons, in our solar system.
(A) not only is Jupiter three times so massive as Saturn, the next larger
(B) not only is Jupiter three times as massive as Saturn, the next largest
(C) Jupiter, not only three times as massive as Saturn, the next largest
(D) Jupiter not only is three times as massive as Saturn, the next largest
(E) Jupiter is not only three times so massive as Saturn, the next larger
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that Jupiter is the largest of all the planets, and not only is it three times as massive as Saturn, which is the next largest planet, but it also possesses four of the largest moons in our solar system.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Grammatical Construction + Comparison + Idioms• “as A as B” is the correct, idiomatic usage.
• “not only A but also B” is the correct, idiomatic usage; A must be parallel to B.
• The comparative forms are used to compare two elements and superlative forms are used to compare more than two elements.
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses "The largest of all the planets" to modify the clause "not only is Jupiter...", leading to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that Jupiter is the largest of all the planets. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "so A as B"; please remember, “as A as B” is the correct, idiomatic usage. Additionally, Option A fails to maintain parallelism between A ("is Jupiter three times so massive as Saturn") and B (" possesses four of the largest satellites...") in the idiomatic construction "not only A but also B"; please remember, “not only A but also B” is the correct, idiomatic usage; A must be parallel to B. Besides, Option A incorrectly uses the comparative adjective form "the next larger" to compare more than two elements; please remember, the comparative forms are used to compare two elements and superlative forms are used to compare more than two elements.
B: This answer choice incorrectly uses "The largest of all the planets" to modify the clause "not only is Jupiter...", leading to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that Jupiter is the largest of all the planets. Further, Option B fails to maintain parallelism between A ("is Jupiter three times as massive as Saturn") and B (" possesses four of the largest satellites...") in the idiomatic construction "not only A but also B"; please remember, “not only A but also B” is the correct, idiomatic usage; A must be parallel to B.
C: This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; "The largest of all the planets", "not only three times as massive as Saturn", and "but also possesses...solar system" are all modifiers, so there is no active verb to act upon the subject noun "Jupiter".
D: Correct. This answer choice acts upon the independent noun "Jupiter" with the active verb "is" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Moreover, Option D correctly uses "The largest of all the planets" to modify the noun "Jupiter", conveying the intended meaning - that Jupiter is the largest of all the planets. Further, Option D correctly uses the idiomatic construction "as A as B". Additionally, Option D correctly uses the superlative adjective form "the next largest" to compare more than two elements. Besides, Option D maintains parallelism between A ("is three times as massive as Saturn") and B ("possesses four of the largest satellites...") in the idiomatic construction "not only A but also B".
E: This answer choice incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction "so A as B"; please remember, “as A as B” is the correct, idiomatic usage. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the comparative adjective form "the next larger" to compare more than two elements; please remember, the comparative forms are used to compare two elements and superlative forms are used to compare more than two elements. Additionally, Option E fails to maintain parallelism between A ("three times so massive as Saturn") and B (" possesses four of the largest satellites...") in the idiomatic construction "not only A but also B"; please remember, “not only A but also B” is the correct, idiomatic usage; A must be parallel to B.
Hence, D is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team