Bunuel wrote:
The management of the great Taj Mahal monument in India requests that visitors
not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but keep their voices down.
A. not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but
B. not only removed their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
C. not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
D. remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
E. not only removing their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The management of the great Taj Mahal monument in India requests that visitors not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but keep their voices down.A. not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but
This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. In the GMAT, not only must be complemented by but also, not just but.
What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: not only... but also...B. not only removed their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
Although this answer choice corrects the original Parallelism error by inserting the word also so that we get the construction not only...but also, it is still grammatically incorrect. Request is one of the nine verbs to which the Subjunctive rule applies (if it is followed by that). This means that the next verb after request that should be in base form. However, removed is not in base form.
What helps us identify this question as a Subjunctive question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: propose/recommend/require/request/insist/suggest/mandate/ask/demand that
Whenever you come across this Stop Sign, make sure that the following verb is in its base form.C. not only remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
This answer choice correctly complements not only with but also. It also follows the Subjunctive rule by keeping the verb that comes after request that in base form (remove).D. remove their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
This answer choice is grammatically incorrect and repeats the original mistake. In the GMAT, but also must be complemented by not only.
What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: not only... but also...E. not only removing their shoes before entrance to the premises but also
Although this answer choice corrects the original Parallelism error by inserting the word also so that we get the construction not only...but also, it is still grammatically incorrect. Request is one of the nine verbs to which the Subjunctive rule applies (if it is followed by that). This means that the next verb after request that should be in base form. However, removing is not in base form.
What helps us identify this question as a Subjunctive question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: propose/recommend/require/request/insist/suggest/mandate/ask/demand that
Whenever you come across this Stop Sign, make sure that the following verb is in its base form.