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Can anyone provide the explanation for all the choices.. I have a bit of confusion between Option A and E

This question is testing on parallel which is followed by verb in both parallel markers. However, option E does not follow this.

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The word supine can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or act as a metaphor for lethargy.

A. can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or act as
B. is either the physical position of lying down while facing upward or
C. is either the physical position of lying down while facing upward or acts as
D. can either be a reference to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or
E. can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or



OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



The word supine can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or act as a metaphor for lethargy.

A. can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or act as

A word or term cannot be followed by is; it cannot refer to itself. It can, however, refer to/define/describe a certain meaning.

The original sentence also uses correct parallelism with the either...or structure.



B. is either the physical position of lying down while facing upward or

Incorrect.

This answer choice is illogical. The subject of the sentence is The word supine, not supine.

It is incorrect to say a word or a term is the same thing as what it refers to. Therefore, it is wrong to say that the word supine is something or other, but rather, the word supine refers to/describes/defines something or other. In this case it refers to/defines/describes the physical position of lying down while facing upward.

What helps us identify this mistake in the original sentence is the following Stop Sign:

    The word/term... (it) is...

Whenever we see this Stop Sign, we know that the topic that the question checks is pronouns, specifically using refers to/defines/describes after the word/term (and not is).



C. is either the physical position of lying down while facing upward or acts as

Incorrect.

This answer choice is incorrect for two reasons.

1. This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The same part of speech that follows either must also follow or. In this answer choice, either is followed by the noun physical position. Or, however, is followed by the verb acts.

What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

(n)either... (n)or...

2. This answer choice is illogical. The subject of the sentence is The word supine, not supine.

It is incorrect to say a word or a term is the same thing as what it refers to. Therefore, it is wrong to say that the word supine is something or other, but rather, the word supine refers to/describes/defines something or other. In this case it refers to/defines/describes the physical position of lying down while facing upward.



D. can either be a reference to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The same part of speech that follows either must also follow or. In this answer choice, either is followed by the verb be. Or, however, is followed by the noun metaphor.

What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

    (n)either... (n)or...



E. can either refer to the physical position of lying down while facing upward or

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The same part of speech that follows either must also follow or. In this answer choice, either is followed by the verb refer. Or, however, is followed by the noun metaphor.

What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

    (n)either... (n)or...
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