OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Day 180: Sentence Correction (SC2)
This question tests the correct way to "repeat a predicate" without actually repeating the whole thing.
Every sentence has a subject and a predicate.
A simple predicate consists of just a verb:
He laughed. A "complete" predicate consists of the verb and a verb phrase—everything that is not the subject:
He laughed at the comedian's joke.
The predicate is
laughed at the comedian's joke.
Often in English we do not repeat the whole verb phrase, but we do use "substitution."
WE repeat a short version of the verb.
Some form of the verb TO DO (usually
do, does, or
did) can substitute for almost any verb in English.
In addition, the word SO can substitute for almost any verb phrase.
Substitution involves subtleties, a few of which have been missed.
Simplify things:
(1) DO and DO SO almost always work.
(2) DO IT works in only one situation: the verb that is being repeated is TO DO verb.
(3) DO THAT
never works. THAT is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT.
DO often works.
-- we cannot use DO or DO SO with TO BE verbs (is, are, were, was)
We cannot use DO or DO SO for HAVE as an auxiliary.
The word SO in DO SO is a lot like a pronoun.
The word So stands for a whole verb phrase, and not just in this situation.
Correct: The teacher told him to explain his answer, and he did.
Correct: The teacher told him to explain his answer, and he did so.
Correct: Did he explain his answer as the teacher instructed?
Yes, I think so.SO = explained his answer as the teacher instructed him to do.
Bottom line: this question tests the way in which we use the verb DO or the verb phrase DO SO as a substitute for another
verb or
verb phrase.
After the POE I explain under what circumstance we are allowed to use DO IT (rarely) and under what circumstances we are allowed to use DO SO (often).
• Meaning?People should not deny Fanny Burney's historical importance as a novelist because she was hugely influential, but many critics have tried to deny Burney's historical importance.
THE PROMPTQuote:
Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is undeniable, even though many critics have attempted to do so.
• Incorrect. "Undeniable" is not a verb for which DO SO can stand in.
• the sentence is incoherent. Many critics have tried to deny Burney's historical importance as a novelist, but no verb
deny exists — DO SO cannot stand in for undeniable, which is an adjective. A verb phrase,
do so, cannot replace an adjective.
Eliminate A
Quote:
B) Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is not able to be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do that.
•
is not able to be denied is awkward.
• we cannot say critics have attempted to
do THAT. for two reasons
(1)
that is not a standalone pronoun
(2) the verb
able to be is not a TO DO verb, so we cannot use DO + PRONOUN
• We need DO + SO
Eliminate B
Quote:
C) Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist is not to be denied, even though many critics have attempted doing so.
•
is not to be denied is a mouthful. This awkwardness is not enough to eliminate this option.
•
attempted is idiomatically followed by the infinitive TO VERB, not a gerund
Eliminate C - or hold and compare to E
Quote:
D) Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do it.
• we can use DO IT
only when the first verb is a TO DO verb and the object is a noun that can be captured by "it."
• [cannot]
be denied is not a to do verb, so we cannot use
do itEliminate D
Quote:
E) Fanny Burney’s historical importance as a novelist cannot be denied, even though many critics have attempted to do so.
• the action is that her importance
cannot be denied (even though people have tried to deny it)
• we can use DO SO to take the place of that action
The correct answer is E
• NOTESDO IT is allowed
only if the first verb is a to do verb.
-- DO IT absolutely can stand in for a verb + an object.
Sabrina and Tess do the biology experiment. John and Daniel do it, too. DO SO is required if the first verb is anything BUT a TO DO verb (or TO BE or HAVE as auxiliary)
(1) If the verb is a to do verb, we can use a shortened form of the verb phrase by using (1) just DO, DOES, or DID, or (2) DO + pronoun, including DO + ITWhen the verb is a to do verb, we can repeat it with
--(1)
DO, DOES, or DID and nothing more
Anne wants to do Pilates and her sister wants to do Pilates. →
Anne wants to do Pilates and her sister
does, too.
[the verb attached to Anne and to her sister is a TO DO verb.]
--(2)
DO + PRONOUN (almost never DO + NOUN)
Reva did her chemistry homework and math problems before Vivek did his chemistry homework and math problems.
Reva did her chemistry homework and math problems before VIvek
did his. [the verb attached to Reva and to Vivek is DID, a TO DO verb, so we can add a pronoun]
--
DO + IT is an
example of DO + PRONOUN
Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did her chemistry experiment.
Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did
it.
[the verb attached to Phillip and to Anne is DID, a TO DO verb, so we can add the pronoun IT, since an experiment is an IT]
--
not DO + THAT THAT is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT.
That is a relative pronoun.
I cannot say: Phillip did the chemistry experiment before Anne did that.
In the examples above, we have repeated the first verb, the "predicate," by using a form of TO DO—either just the verb, or the verb plus a
pronoun.
The pronoun stands in for the noun that is the object of the first verb.
We can add a pronoun (including IT) to DO, DOES, or DID
only if the first verb is a to do verb.
As soon as we change to
any other verb, we must use
DO do SO rather than do IT (or do pronoun).
-- SO is a lot like a pronoun.
-- SO stands in for entire verb phrases.
-- Some linguists and grammarians call "so" a "pro-verb" because it is the only verb that can stand in for another verb, in the same way that a pronoun can stand in for a noun.
Do not worry about the name. I give it to you so that you will remember that the little word "so" can do a lot.
(2) If the verb is not a to do verb, we can use DO or DO + SOKenya completed a triathlon before Omari completed a triathlon.
Correct: Kenya completed a triathlon before Omari did.
Correct, more formal: Kenya completed a triathlon before Omari did so.
Exceptions: we cannot use a TO DO verb to stand in for a TO BE verb, or for HAVE when HAVE is a helping verb.
-- Exception: TO DO
cannot stand in for TO BE verbs
Celeste was excited about the trip to North Africa and Pierre
did too. was, too. I am very hungry and you do, too.
-- Exception: TO DO cannot stand in for
have when have is an auxiliary (helping) verb
I had been at work for hours and he did, too.
I had been at work for hours and he had, too.
-- TO DO can stand in for HAVE when HAVE is not an auxiliary and means "possessed, owned, etc."
I had 10 dollars and you did, too.
But: She has gone shopping as has he.
Takeaways:1) if the verb we want to repeat is a to do verb, we can use DO or DO + PRONOUN, including DO + IT
2) we cannot use
DO + THAT. That is not a standalone pronoun on the GMAT.
--
that can be a relative pronoun: The dog
that barked all night long.
--
that can be a determiner, something that points to a noun: Please sit on
that red chair over there rather than on this brown chair here.
-- But
that has not been a standalone pronoun (such as in DO THAT or DID THAT) on the GMAT. Avoid the construction.
3) if the verb is not a
to do verb, we cannot use DO +
pronoun.
But we can use either
DO or
DO SO.
"Do so" is sort of a magical little phrase. It is very versatile.
It is the only phrase that can stand in for a whole verb phrase
in any tense, and even if the tenses shift in the same sentence.
Correct: I leave earlier for work than you usually did.
DID = LEFT FOR WORK
COMMENTSI want to get this OE up . . . we have some misconceptions, I think.
EDIT: I am glad to see the exchange and discussion!
I am even more glad to see the goodwill.
If you got the right answer and explained well, you get kudos.
close
20 Oct 2019, 01:08
25%
(medium)
31%
(01:02)
wrong 
