Bunuel wrote:
She explained she
both wants a large house in the city, so that she can make visits the museums regularly, and also a cottage in the mountains, to which she can go on free weekends.
(A) both wants a large house in the city, so that she can make visits the museums regularly, and also a cottage in the mountains, to which
(B) wants both a large house in the city, for the purpose of visiting the museums regularly, and a cottage in the mountains, where
(C) wants both a large house in the city, from which she can visit the museums regularly, and a cottage in the mountains, to which
(D) wants both a large house in the city, so that she can make visits the museums regularly, and as well a cottage in the mountains, where
(E) both wants a large house in the city, from which she can visit the museums regularly, and a cottage in the mountains, to which
Magoosh Official Explanation:
Split #1a: the idiom "both X and Y" is very simple, and the GMAT doesn't like adding garnish to this --- "both X and also Y" or "both X and Y as well" --- choices (A) and (D), respectively, make these mistakes.
Split #1b: where should the word "both" fall? If the underline section begins with "both wants", this implies "wants" is the first verb, and that a second verb will appear after the "and", but this is not the case. The word "wants" is the only main verb, and she wants two things, so we need the construction "wants both X and Y." Choices (A) & (E) have the incorrect order of the first two words.
Split #2: some of the answers are unnecessarily wordy and indirect. For example, in (B), the long phrase "for the purpose of visiting" is overblown and much too long. Choice (D) has "she can make visits" instead of simply "she can visit."
Split #3: the split at the end, "to which"/ "where". The place concerned is "a cottage in the mountains" and the action is "can go." Colloquially, it would certain pass in spoken English to say "the cottage where I go", but in the formal language of the GMAT, we need to be careful. We can only use the construction [place] "where" [X happens] only if the place is itself the location of the action, if the action is happening at the place. Technically, the "going" is not happening at the cottage, so "where" would be technically incorrect. Choice (B) & (D) make this mistake.
Split #4: the sentence has the structure "both" X [modifier] "and" Y [modifier]. It's not absolutely necessary, but a nice stylistic touch would be to have a contrast in the structure of those two modifying clauses. Only (C) contrasts "from which" with "to which", creating a kind of balance in the sentence.
Choice (C) is stylistically preferable, and it is the only answer completely free of mistakes.
Choice (C) is the only possible answer.