rock02 wrote:
Hi Experts.. I have a query regarding the difference in the usage of ???and??? and ???as well as???. Could you please give an example for each to help understand when one is preferred over the other. Or you can point me towards a post, if any, about the correct usages of both.
For example, in this sentence for the correct answer choice A. Would replacing ???as well as??? with ???and??? distort the meaning of the sentence?
Thanks.
When we use "and", we're connecting like forms and giving equal importance to those two elements. For example:
Tim went to the mall to buy candy and video games for his toothless infant.
Here, the two things Tim buys for his baby, "candy" and "video games", are basically interchangeable, in the sense that you could switch their order in the sentence and the meaning is identical.
However, consider:
Tim went to the mall to buy candy as well as video games for his toothless infant.
Now, Tim is going to the mall primarily to buy candy, and the video games are of slightly lesser importance. That's fine. It just means that the emphasis has changed. There'd be no way to choose between the sentences in a vacuum, since we can't be asked to read Tim's demented little mind.
The same is true in this example. If (A) used "and" instead of "as well as" the meaning would have changed a little, but it certainly wouldn't be incorrect, which is why the GMAT wouldn't ask us to make this distinction.
That said, an example of an error would be:
Tim went to the mall to buy both candy as well as video games for his toothless infant.
Here, "both" suggests that the two elements are on equal footing, and "as well as" suggests that the second element is less important. That's confusing, and therefore a problem.
I hope that helps!
_________________
GMAT/GRE/EA tutors @
www.gmatninja.com (
hiring!) |
YouTube |
Articles |
IG Beginners' Guides:
RC |
CR |
SC |
Complete Resource Compilations:
RC |
CR |
SC YouTube LIVE webinars:
all videos by topic +
24-hour marathon for UkraineQuestion Explanation Collections:
RC |
CR |
SC