Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, not only

Think about the logic on this question. If you perform two actions simultaneously, you do two things at the same time.

For example, "I fed my baby a bottle and simultaneously watched an episode of Breaking Bad, activities that do not go together well." That's logical: I fed my baby and at the same time, I watched a show that is not appropriate for young viewers. Just because "and" is connecting two actions, that doesn't mean that both actions have to be modified identically. In fact, "simultaneously," by definition, must refer to multiple activities, so it might be confusing to include a second adverb here. If I wrote, "I clumsily fed my baby a bottle and simultaneously watched an episode of breaking," it kind of sounds as though "clumsily" describes how I fed the baby, and "simultaneously" describes how I watched an episode, when what I wish to convey is the time period when I performed both actions.

The takeaway: don't get carried away when it comes to parallel construction. Conjunctions such as "and" must connect like forms, but those forms don't have to be identical in every way. (The other takeaway: don't allow your children to watch Breaking Bad until they're at least in pre-school.)

I hope that helps!

IMO E. For a second I was tempted by C, BUT "Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying" someone is doing something so this phrase is modifying space shuttle astronauts, hence the answer is D or E. Between those two E is better because it has a parallel structure "retrieved...... and.... avoided".

I am not an expert but will have a look at it anyways :D

A. Incorrect. As a rule"Not Only" has to be followed by "but also". This option is loaded with errors. I just spotted 1 and eliminated this answer choice.
B. Incorrect. Changes the voice to passive.
C. Incorrect. Same error as option (B)
D. Incorrect. "Simultaneously while avoided" is very awkward.
E. Correct. Has correct modifier placement and correct parallel structure.

Answer E.

Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.

A. not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding - opening modifier issue - who performed the risk maneuver

B. not only was an orbiting satellite retrieved by space shuttle astronauts, but they also simultaneously avoided - opening modifier issue

C. an orbiting satellite was retrieved by space shuttle astronauts who also avoided simultaneously - opening modifier issue

D. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding - it says that the astronauts did one thing 'simultaneously' . 'simultaneously' makes no sense unless two or more things have been mentioned. (if 'simultaneously' is stuck on the second thing, then 'simultaneously with the first thing is implied.)

E. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided - Correct

Answer E

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-



Choice A: This answer choice fails to employ the correct idiom structure "not only...but also", omitting the phrase "but also". Moreover, as the adverb "simultaneously" is meant to modify the verb "avoiding" the adverb should be placed next to "avoiding". Finally, the pronoun "it" has no clear antecedent. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice B: This answer choice uses the passive voice and, in doing so, incorrectly modifies "orbiting satellite" with the phrase "Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying", implying that the satellite performed the maneuver. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice C: This answer choice shares the passive voice and modifier-related error found in Option B. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice D: This answer choice suffers from redundancy because as it utilizes both "simultaneously" and "while", both of which convey the same information. Additionally, as "retrieving" and "avoiding" are independent actions"simultaneously while avoiding..." should not be a subordinate clause. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice E: This answer choice is quite concise, conveys the intended meaning of the sentence, and maintains idiomatic correctness and proper pronoun use throughout the sentence. Thus, this answer choice is correct.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Avoiding Pronoun Ambiguity on GMAT", you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

You are stuck correctly but not worth the effort. If not, it'd have been that Ben Stiller in "There's something about Mary" bathroom situation.

Anyways, the correct answer should be E. "while avoiding being" sounds rather awkward, two "ings" together? This is English or is it Chinese??

Thanks Barney once again for your cool explanation..

who is performing the risky maneuver? it is the 'orbiting satellite' and not the 'space shuttle astronauts'.

so look for a choice that starts with 'orbiting satellite' and C is the only option.

+1 E

"simultaneously while" is redundant.

A and B are gone because of incorrect usage of the idiom 'not only.. but also'
C sounds stupid in comparison with/to D and E
D has a strange unnatural ending
E has to visible drawback and it is the winner!

simultaneously modifies retrieved, and so, this modification is unclear. the action of retrieved happen simultaneously with which action ? it can not happen with the action after while grammatically.

that modification is unclear.

Mod. in this structure independent clause, verb -ing. means the mod. clause mod. either whole sentence or verb. (Honestly, I am not native speaker so I like to go with just mod. Verb. It is easier to understand. Thus, your job is to make sure that is the mod. make sense.)

To test is it make sense you can do:

1) can the verb-ing go with the main noun in independent clause.... in this case, astronauts and avoid - yes it make sense both.

2) (not sure but I find this method very helpful) it should mod. the verb of independent clause.... in this case, retrieved. So astronauts retrieved an orbiting cycle by avoiding..... - this make no sense

(Note: to test mod. Make sense with independent clause just plug in BY and ask yourself again)

Therefore, D cannot be correct answer

Hope this help


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Hello GMATNinja, GMATNinjaTwo egmat

I know option A to D have serious issues and cant be correct.
But while attempting the question i could not convince myself with the parallelism going on in option E
Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.
What is the role of the adverb 'simultaneously' in the second part of this parallel list ?
Can a part of a list starting with a 'Adverb-verb' combinations be grammatically parallel with 'verb only' part of the list ?
Or am i hallucinating and its a case of superficial parallelism ?

Thanks in advance !

Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.

A. not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding

You need the subject who performed the maneuver directly after the comma. It incorrectly refers to the action retrieve

B. not only was an orbiting satellite retrieved by space shuttle astronauts, but they also simultaneously avoided

You need the subject who performed the maneuver directly after the comma

C. an orbiting satellite was retrieved by space shuttle astronauts who also avoided simultaneously

You need the subject who performed the maneuver directly after the comma. Placement of simultaneously is wrong. It should be placed before avoided

D. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding

Simultaneously and while are redundant. Avoiding and retrieving are two independent actions and hence making avoiding subordinate to retrieving is incorrect.

E. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided

Correct.

This is a rather simple problem and a good example to test the usage of 'being'. Eliminating A, B and C as the dependent clause is modifying the astronauts.
In D the structure 'while avoiding being rear-ended' , 'being' acts as a modifier and is therefore a wrong usage.
In E, 'and simultaneously avoided being rear-ended' , 'being' acts as an object of the verb 'avoided'. Correct Usage of 'being'.

Hope this helps

Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.

A. not only did space shuttle astronauts retrieve an orbiting satellite, it was done simultaneously while avoiding

B. not only was an orbiting satellite retrieved by space shuttle astronauts, but they also simultaneously avoided

C. an orbiting satellite was retrieved by space shuttle astronauts who also avoided simultaneously

D. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding

E. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided


The sentence starts with a participial modifier- “Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying,”.

A participial modifier should be followed by the subject (what it modifies) and not anything else.

Who performed a risky maneuver that required precision flying? The astronauts, of course.

Eliminate A,B, and C.

D. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding

Performing a risky maneuver that required precision flying, space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding being rear-ended by a passing ultraviolet telescope.

“simultaneously" and “while” are redundant.
while avoiding being rear-ended… sentence fragment.

E. space shuttle astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided

By using avoided (verb), we correct the error of sentence fragment.

Vishnupriya
GMAT Verbal SME

This is one of "those" questions in which one can "feel" when a structure in an answer choice does not seem to convey the intended meaning. However, it is difficult to explain WHY answer D is inferior to answer E.

Breaking down the answer choices to their core structures:

D: "Performing a risky maneuver, astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, simultaneously while avoiding being rear-ended by a telescope."

E: "Performing a risky maneuver, astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite and simultaneously avoided being rear-ended by a telescope."

Issue 1: Possible Redundancy

The structure "I performed Action A WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY performing Action B" may not technically be "Redundant." At the very least, in the cases in which the usage does seem Redundant, it is not egregiously so.

"While" is a subordinating conjunction that is used to indicate that both things are happening, so the usage alone does not always fully stress that the two actions are occurring at the same instant in time. There are times when you want to emphasize the fact that the two actions really are occurring at the same instant in time.

Consider the following examples:
ex: "The general was running towards the skirmish to engage the battalion while simultaneously urging his soldiers to fight."

If we were to drop the Adverb "simultaneously" from the sentence, it would lose some of its dramatic flair. In the given problem, I would argue that "retrieving an orbiting satellite while simultaneously avoiding being rear-ended by a telescope" might be one of those cases in which you want to emphasis the difficulty of performing both actions simultaneously.

Issue 2: the Placement of the Adverb "simultaneously"

The major issue present in answer D is the placement and usage of the Adverb "simultaneously."

Generally, when a "comma + modifying phrase" is placed at the end of, and separated from, the main clause, the result is one in which the Main Idea/Action of the preceding clause is modified.

With this in mind, we can analyze answer D:
'.....astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite, SIMULTANEOUSLY while avoiding being rear-ended by a telescope."

"While", as stated above, is a Conjunction.

"While avoiding being rear-ended by a telescope" is an example of a "comma + -ing"-type of Modifier in which the Implied Subject is the Subject of the Main Clause being modified: the "astronauts"

If we were to change the Modifier at the end of answer D to a Dependent Clause (in this case a Verb-less Clause):

"Astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite SIMULTANEOUSLY while avoiding being rear-ended by a telescope."

This is a similar structure to the example above. However, because of the placement of "simultaneously," the meaning conveyed is Illogical. In this example, as well as in answer D, "simultaneously" is not used to emphasize that the two actions were done concurrently.

Since the Adverb appears BEFORE the Conjunction "while," the meaning conveyed is that the "astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite SIMULTANEOUSLY." This does not really make any sense. You can not perform ONE action "simultaneously."

Furthermore, when compared to answer E, the double "-ing" is an inferior usage. The gerund noun phrase "being rear-ended by a telescope" sounds much better as a direct object of the verb "avoided" in answer E than the phrase does as a complement of the participle modifier "avoiding."

in other words: "...and avoided being rear-ended..." ---- comes across much better than --- "while avoiding being rear-ended"

More importantly than this issue, however, answer E fixes the placement of the Adverb "simultaneously" such that the meaning conveyed actually is "the two actions were performed simultaneously."

E: ".... astronauts retrieved an orbiting satellite AND simultaneously avoided being rear-ended..."

In answer E, it is clear that the 2nd Action "avoided" is the action performed "SIMULTANEOUSLY" with the 1st Action. In answer D, this intended meaning is not conveyed.

For the above reasons, answer E is preferred.