A recent report shows that over the last five years many banks have more than doubled fees for automated teller machine withdrawals
even with the cost of the machines being less for banks for each transaction than a teller does.
(A) even with the cost of the machines being less for banks
(B) even though the machines cost banks less
(C) in spite of the machines and their costing banks less
(D) despite the cost of the machines to the banks, which is lower
(E) despite the fact of the machines costing banks less
A basic tenet of the comparative parallelism stipulates that when one arm compares a verb such as 'does', which is underlined, then the other side too should portray a similar verb. Per se,
(A) even with the cost of the machines being less for banks -- - the
cost of the machines is n a noun; hence unparallel. (B) even though the machines cost banks less ---
the machines cost is a verb. The correct choice. (C) in spite of the machines and their costing banks less --
costing' is a participle and not a verb wrong.
(D) despite the cost of the machines to the banks, which is lower--
cost of the machines is a noun. Wrong. (E) Despite the fact of the machines costing banks less --'
machines costing' is not a verb; it is just a participle.