It is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it

Question

It is  not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it is finding  itself temporarily popular among those seeking a unique blend of nostalgia and nouveau chic.

A. not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it is finding

B. not that so much ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance; rather it finds

C. that ventriloquism enjoys so much of a renaissance but that it finds

D. not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding

E. that ventriloquism, so much, enjoys a renaissance as that it is finding

BillyZ · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL SOLUTION

While much less common than the classic (and frequently recurring) " either X or Y ," " both X and Y ," and " not only X but also Y " two part parallel constructions, the " not so much X as Y " construction here should trigger your parallel construction reflex.

In the original, the "X" portion ("not so much X") begins with the word " that " ("It is not so much that..."). But the Y portion does not; this is a red flag! With those constructions, X and Y have to be perfectly parallel. Choice D fixes that, putting a "that" after "as," and keeping the two constructions perfectly parallel: that-noun-verb. So choice D is correct.

Note that while choices C and E also fix the parallel structure, each botches the construction itself. C does not include a " not so much " (or any other negation) forming an illogical "it is that X but that Y" construction. And choice E buries the "so much" in a modifier, forcing "as" to hang illogically on its own before the word "that."

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: 
Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that it is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular.

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Parallelism + Idioms + Tenses

• “not so much A as B” is a correct idiomatic usage; A and B must be comparable and parallel.
• The simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature. 
• The simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

A:  This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between A ("that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance") and B ("it is finding itself temporarily popular...nouveau chic") in the idiomatic construction, "not so much A as B"; please remember, “not so much A as B” is a correct idiomatic usage; A and B must be comparable and parallel.

B:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "not that so much"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that it is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular. Further, Option B incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "finds" to refer to an action that is currently ongoing and continuous in nature; please remember, the simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

C:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "that ventriloquism enjoys so much of a"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that it is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular. Further, Option C incorrectly uses the simple present tense verbs "enjoys" and "finds" to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature; please remember, the simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

D:   Correct.  This answer choice correctly uses the idiomatic construction "not so much A ("that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance") as B ("that it is finding itself...nouveau chic"), maintaining parallelism between A and B and conveying the intended meaning - that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular. Further, Option D correctly uses the simple present continuous tense verbs "is enjoying" and "is finding" to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature.

E:  This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "that ventriloquism, so much, enjoys"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that it is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the simple present tense verb "enjoys" to refer to an action that is currently ongoing and continuous in nature; please remember, the simple present continuous tense is used to refer to actions that are currently ongoing and continuous in nature, and the simple present tense is used to indicate actions taking place in the current time frame, indicate habitual actions, state universal truths, and convey information that is permanent in nature.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZj-SubJwsM

To understand the concept of "Simple Continuous Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2puWKuLccCM

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Kurtosis · Answer

A. not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it is finding - 'not so much that as it is' is not a correct idiom.

B. not that so much ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance; rather it finds - Changes meaning.

C. that ventriloquism enjoys so much of a renaissance but that it finds - 'so much but that' is not a correct idiom.

D. not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding - Correct. 'not so much that as that' is correctly used.

E. that ventriloquism, so much, enjoys a renaissance as that it is finding - Illogical.

Answer: D

kanishaksharma · Answer

I found it really difficult to comprehend the meaning of this sentence, hence couldn't solve it.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Hello  kanishaksharma ,

We hope this finds you well.

Having gone through the question and your query we believe we can help you resolve your doubts.

If a sentence is very long or complex, it is advisable to focus on just the core meaning of the sentence. In this case, the core meaning is that it is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as that it is finding itself temporarily popular. Further, what this "not so much A as B" structure conveys is that B is more accurate than A, but A is not entirely inaccurate.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

VerbalBot · Answer

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It is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it

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It is not so much that ventriloquism is enjoying a renaissance as it

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