OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Day 176: Sentence Correction (SC1)
Quote:
The broad appeal of detective stories lies in the repetition of a familiar formula; the variations of skillful characterization and clever plot construction serve not so much to change the formula, but rather render it more appealing to even the most demanding reader.
A. so much to change the formula, but rather
B. as much to change the formula as
C. so much to change the formula, as rather to
D. so much to change the formula as to
E. as much to change the formula, but to
• QUICK POE (analysis afterwards)
The correct idiom is
NOT SO MUCH X AS Y.• Split #1: in the AS Y part of the idiom, we never use BUT YWhen the idiom begins with
Not so much [X] we never use "
but Y"
Nor do we use
but rather Y or
but instead Y in
this idiom.
(In another idiom, we can use both
but rather and
but instead.)
Options A and E incorrectly use
BUT Y and
BUT RATHER Y. Both should say AS Y.
(Option E has two idiomatic errors.)
Eliminate A and E
• Split #2: the idiom starts with NOT SO MUCHOption B says, "Not
as much X . . . " (Option E makes the same mistake. E is already gone.)
We need "Not so much . . ."
Eliminate option B.
• Split #3: as rather is unidiomatic and makes no sense Option C incorrectly uses
as rather.If you are in doubt, compare (C) to (D).
as rather is both unidiomatic and nearly incomprehensible.
The word
rather cannot intensify
as in this case.
as rather [Y] suggests
as instead [Y] . . .
. . .but
instead means
as a replacement for. ]
That meaning is incorrect when this idiom is in play.
This idiom means "Y plays a bigger role than X does, but X still plays
some role." Y does not completely replace X, but
as rather hints at that fact.
X cannot both be replaced completely and still play a role. Nonsense.
Eliminate C
The answer is DANALYSIS• Why you should know the ways in which three similar idioms differ.In mid-September, GMAC published
GMAT Official Advanced Questions,
here.
Similar to what we had seen in
OG 2020, quite a few very old questions showed up.
The Advanced Questions SC portion included a question based on this idiom.
My sense is that this idiom itself is not as important as two other heavily tested similar idioms. (
Not X but Y and
Not only X but also Y.)
But the other idioms are easily confused with this one.
All four of the sample official questions in the footnote mix the idioms up in the answer choices.
In this non-official question, Options B and E seem to be testing
Not X but Y. If you did not know about the "Not so much" idiom, you might be very tempted to try to make B or E fit.
•
Not so much X as Y: Meaning? When we say that something is not so much one thing as something else, we mean that the something is "more" the second thing. The first words must be SO MUCH. Then we write the X element.
--
wrong:
not as much X--
wrong:
not XThe next word must be AS. Then we write the Y element.
--
wrong: than Y
--
wrong: but Y
--
wrong: so much as Y
ExamplesAfter my workout, I was not so much hungry as thirsty. (I was more thirsty than I was hungry.)
The cynic did not so much scorn people as ignore them.(The cynic ignored people more than he scorned them.)
A variation on a dictionary example:
They were not so much friends as lovers.(The degree of their love connection was more intense than the degree of their friendship connection.)
I posted another SC Butler question on this issue a couple of months ago,
here.. It's hard and informative.
My official explanation for that question is
here.
• the idiom is strict about the words "so . . . . as"—this way:
Not
SO much X
AS Y.
X and Y must be parallel except in a very few instances in which we can repeat the subject and verb to maintain clarity.
That exception is addressed in that same post of mine,
here.
Unless you are really intent on saving official questions for mock exams, look at the four official questions in the footnote that test
Not so much X as Y.There are other official questions. Those are the four that I recall.
Notice that not one correct answer includes
ratherI write more on the "rather" issue below the comments.
I also discuss two other idioms that look similar to this one, but are not.
Option D is the only answer that follows the idiom
Not so much X as Y.COMMENTS nammyp , welcome to SC Butler.
Wow. I sorted through a lot of material about these idioms, just to see what others have said.
I would focus on the four official questions in the footnote and read everything that I suggest. (The posts are short.)
I am torn. I do not like to encourage memorization, but in this case (in three cases, actually), I think it's the best approach—and I think that native speakers had better take a careful look at the idiomatic structures, too.
GMAC uses
Not only X but also Y and
Not X but Y frequently-- by rough estimate, those two together are 10-15 percent of idiom test questions..
I address those two idioms after these comments.
I would memorize the structure of those three—the exact words.
Each means something slightly different. As far as meaning is concerned, I would focus on the difference between
Not X but Y and
Not so much X as Y.
There is a lot of misinformation floating around.
I have directed you to posts that I am certain are reliable.
Now, this question . . .
For newcomers, on the first post I will give kudos for an answer, but after this first time, I require explanation.
Kudos go to everyone who got the correct answer and explained the concepts to a point that I think someone with less experience could understand.
I see good command of the idiom, for the most part. Excellent!
*******************************************************
THREE IDIOMS look similar but -- keep them straight.
• three idioms that look similar but mean different things Not so much X as YNot X but YNot only X but also Y--
Idiom #1: ABC is not so much X as Y (this question)
Meaning: ABC is more Y than it is X. But ABC is not 100% Y.
After my workout, I was not so much hungry as thirsty. After my workout I am slightly hungry and very thirsty.
I can say that my discomfort is 5% hunger and 95% thirst, or 30% hunger and 70% thirst.
I cannot say that my discomfort is 0% hunger and 100% thirst.
Resources for
Not so much X as YMy post,
here.
This post, hereMike McGarry,
GMAT iDIOMS: Correlative Conjunctions, here--
Idiom #2:ABC is not X but Y. ABC is not X but rather Y. (variation)
ABC is not X but instead Y. (variation)
Meaning: In all cases, X is not true, and Y is true.
German is not a Romance language derived from Latin, but French is.German is not a Romance language, but rather an evolved version of ancient Germanic languages.After my workout, I am not hungry, but thirsty.-- Hunger = 0% of my discomfort. Thirst = 100% of my discomfort.
The idiom
not X but Y, continued.
-- this idiom "negates [X] and affirms [Y.]
See Mike McGarry,
GMAT iDIOMS: Correlative Conjunctionsand
this post, here, about X but rather Y -- this idiom means
not at all X and definitely Y-- finally, this idiom is the only one of the three that can use
rather and
instead, as long as those two intensifiers modify
butSee the post that I linked (Mike McGarry, Correlative Conjunctions), immediately above.
Not X but Y, continued: Complex but worth at least a quick glance.This issue is at the heart of one of the official sentences from the footnote ("evolutionary psychology")
The idiom Not X but Y
-- can also be
X but Y, in which "not" is not part of the idiom, and
-- Not X but Y can have a special meaning.
Special meaning:
Not X but Y (the idiom does contain the NOT) can mean that X is expected under the circumstances but Y actually occurs.
This meaning is similar to Not only X but also Y (see below). The Y element basically replaces the X element.
Correct: The French bakery was famous not for its croissants, of which few were sold, but for its Greek baklava, of which all was sold before 10 a.m.. We expect a French bakery to make good croissants. We do not expect a French bakery to make bestselling baklava. What is the French bakery famous for? Not croissants (X). It is famous for its baklava (Y)
--
X but Y, and "not" is just a modifier.
In this case, X and Y are different and possess some contrast, but the idiom does not suggest that the Y element replaces the X element
The city is not terribly big but boasts spectacular entertainment—many good restaurants, frequent live music shows, and unusual boutiques.X = is small = not big
Y = boasts (offers) spectacular entertainment
See the whole thread but especially responses by experts including Stacy Koprince and Ron Purewal,
HEREComparing Not so much X as Y and Not X but YMike McGarry compares not so much X as Y and so much X
in this post, here.--
Idiom #3 ABC is not only X but also YMeaning: ABC is both X and Y, but usually X is expected and Y is not expected or is an "extra" something.
He was both a world-class athlete and a heavy drinker.Resources for Not only X but also Y:
How to make sure that the X and Y elements are parallel, my post,
here For a post about the idiom generally and its structure, Mike McGarry,
in this post, hereMike McGarry addresses this idiom, too,
GMAT iDIOMS: Correlative Conjunctions, hereRATHERRemember this part:
rather (and
instead) can be used only in the simplest idiom,
Not X but Y—the one with the fewest words.
Both italicized words emphasize
but and are called
intensifiers.
The bare bones idiom is
Not X but Y.
--
The car is not orange, but red.--
He is not clinically insane, but a classic narcissist.A variation is
Not X but instead Y [
instead is an intensifier and an adverb!
instead of is a preposition]. An official question that uses this variation is listed below.
See this official question, here]Another variation is
Not X but rather Y. (Official example also listed below.)
Not X but Y and
Not so much X as Y are not the same.
We can use
rather with the first one but not with the second one.
RATHERGenerally,
rather (and
instead)
--
are not allowed in the idiom
Not so much X as Y--
are allowed in the idiom
Not X but Y--
are not allowed in the idiom
Not only X, but also Y.In the shortest idiom,
rather is an intensifier of
but.
Rather and Instead can be added to Not X but Y A few official questions use
but rather or
but instead. One example of each follows.
--
Not X but instead Y is
here--
Not X but rather Y is
here.No official question uses
rather with
Not so much X as Y, and no question should do so.
"as rather Y" sounds like nonsense.
And
as rather Y, IF interpreted, suggests that Y replaces X. Wrong.
The "Not so much X as Y" idiom means "more Y than X, but still some X."
mykrasovski , I hope that analysis helps.
The material out there is labyrinthine.
I would recommend that everyone simply memorize these three idioms and remember that only the shortest one can take
rather or
instead.
* OFFICIAL QUESTIONS that test Not so much X as Y
SPOILER ALERT: If you click the links, the official question opens. I have indicated the subject matter in parentheses. You may already have seen the question.
#1: (our intelligence) HERE
#2 (genetic irregularities) HERE
#3 (historians of science) HERE
#4 (child prodigies) HERE _________________
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close
10 Oct 2019, 02:30
45%
(medium)
40%
(01:29)
wrong 
