Three hundred guests is as many as even the most ambitious host or hostess should invite, and this number of guests is advisable only when circumstances actually demand it.


(A) as many as even

(B) so many as even

(C) so many that even

(D) as many that even

(E) even so many that

Don't agree with the OA.

X is as many as Y. X & Y should be parallel. In the given question, X is 300 guests, what is Y? How can (A) be correct?

Question Explanation

The underlined portion contains the phrase as many as even, so check to make sure the idiom as many as is used correctly. The construction as many as is the appropriate idiom and because the word even is just added for emphasis, there appears to be no error in the original sentence, so keep choice A. Because there is no error in the original sentence, there are no obvious repeaters to look for, so evaluate the remaining answer choices individually, looking for reasons to eliminate each.

Choice B incorrectly completes the idiom as so many as. The correct idiom structure is as many as. This is an idiom error. Eliminate choice B. Choice C uses the comparison phrase so many that, which would require a comparison word after the verb invite in the non-underlined portion of the sentence. There is no comparison word after invite, so this is a comparison error. Eliminate choice C. Choice D incorrectly completes the idiom as as many that. The correct idiom structure is as many as. This is an idiom error. Eliminate choice D. Choice E states even so many, which causes the word even to emphasize the guests rather than the most ambitious host or hostess. This is a misplaced modifier error. Eliminate choice E.

Choice A: Correct.

Choice B: No. The correct idiom is not so many as. Idiom.

Choice C: No. The phrase so many that requires a comparison word after the verb invite. Comparison.

Choice D: No. The correct idiom is not as many that. Idiom.

Choice E: No. The word even emphasizes the number of guests rather than how many the most ambitious host or hostess should invite. Misplaced modifier.

The correct answer is choice A.
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