Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
May 0701:00 AM EDT
-02:00 AM EDT
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and.....
May 0808:00 AM PDT
-08:30 AM PDT
Join the special YouTube live-stream for selecting the winners of GMAT Club MBA Scholarships sponsored by Juno live. Watch who gets these coveted MBA scholarships offered by GMAT Club and Juno.
May 0808:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Free- full-length test + 15 concept videos + 150+ short videos + study plan!
25 Dec 2020, 22:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
65% (00:37) correct
35%
(00:32)
wrong
based on 258
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created or destroyed.
A) can neither be created or
B) can be neither created or
C) can neither be created nor
D) can be neither created nor
E) cannot either be created or be
25 Dec 2020, 23:01
Kudos
Bookmarks
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
When we want to join pairs of words, phrases, or clauses in a way that emphasizes the relationship between the joined items, we use "correlative conjunctions."
Neither/nor and either/or are correlative conjunctions.
These constructions are idiomatic.
Neither is paired with nor.
Either is paired with or.
No mixing.
Wrong: neither/or, either/nor
(Both neither and either can stand alone, in which case they are always singular.)
Options A and B incorrectly pair nor with or.
Eliminate A and B
• Split #2: Parallelism
In the construction Neither X nor Y, X and Y must be parallel.
This situation gets tricky when two- or three-word verbs are "split."
These options contain a two-part verb: can be and cannot be
In order to maintain parallelism, we find the parallelism marker ("neither").
We examine what follows the X and Y elements.
The same kind of verb must follow both X and Y.
Examples are easier.
Let's take incorrect answer C.
. . .states that energy can || neither be created nor destroyed.
→ Neither is followed by a base form verb phrase, be created.
→ Nor is followed by the past participle (verbED) destroyed.
Corrected: . . . states that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed.
(The corrected sentence is a bit verbose, but occasionally GMAT uses similar repetition in order to achieve exceptional clarity.)
The X and Y elements in option C are followed by different kinds of verbs.
The construction in option C is not parallel.
Eliminate option C.
• Split #3: Idiomatic usage, meaning, and style
The thrust of the sentence is that energy cannot do two things, two things that happen to be polar opposites.
Energy cannot be created. Energy cannot be destroyed.
When we want to emphasize not either, we use the word that means not either: neither.
Yes, we could say, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed."
We could also say, "Energy cannot be either created or destroyed."
Those constructions are grammatical but not as expressive, forceful, or clear as "Energy can be neither created nor destroyed."
Idiomatically, we use neither in dramatic "not either" scenarios.
Option E is different from my two examples (one with or, one with either/or).
Option E: . . . states that energy cannot either be created or be destroyed.
Native speakers should hear that all of the or or either/or constructions are not as idiomatic as the construction in option D.
In this strong "not either" situation, we use neither/nor.
Suppose, though, that your native ear is a bit deaf or that you are not a native speaker.
Choosing D rather than E is still fairly easy.
Why?
Option E is stylistically inferior to option D.
→ Option D is more concise than Option E.
As long as meaning is not compromised or ambiguous, choose the concise option.
→ Option E is awkward whereas option D is not awkward.
Option E stutters. Option D flows.
Almost all of you have read enough in English by now to find yourself stumbling over cannot either.
→ Option D is more idiomatic than Option E.
Explained above. To emphasize not either, use neither/nor.
Option E is not logically redundant.
That is, the phrase cannot either is not redundant.
The test prep company's explanation upon which many of you rely is wrong.
Rather, the phrase cannot either contains diction problems.
Diction involves choosing the right word (e.g., not either = neither) and putting it in the right place.
Eliminate E
The best answer is D.
COMMENTS
sudeshpatodiya , welcome to SC Butler.
As I mentioned in my other OE, I am glad to see that you all are working hard.
Maintaining discipline during tempestuous times is not easy.
These explanations range from good to outstanding.
Well done.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
Quote:
• Split #1: NEITHER/NOR
When we want to join pairs of words, phrases, or clauses in a way that emphasizes the relationship between the joined items, we use "correlative conjunctions."
Neither/nor and either/or are correlative conjunctions.
These constructions are idiomatic.
Neither is paired with nor.
Either is paired with or.
No mixing.
Wrong: neither/or, either/nor
(Both neither and either can stand alone, in which case they are always singular.)
Options A and B incorrectly pair nor with or.
Eliminate A and B
• Split #2: Parallelism
In the construction Neither X nor Y, X and Y must be parallel.
This situation gets tricky when two- or three-word verbs are "split."
These options contain a two-part verb: can be and cannot be
In order to maintain parallelism, we find the parallelism marker ("neither").
We examine what follows the X and Y elements.
The same kind of verb must follow both X and Y.
Examples are easier.
Let's take incorrect answer C.
. . .states that energy can || neither be created nor destroyed.
→ Neither is followed by a base form verb phrase, be created.
→ Nor is followed by the past participle (verbED) destroyed.
Corrected: . . . states that energy can neither be created nor be destroyed.
(The corrected sentence is a bit verbose, but occasionally GMAT uses similar repetition in order to achieve exceptional clarity.)
The X and Y elements in option C are followed by different kinds of verbs.
The construction in option C is not parallel.
Eliminate option C.
• Split #3: Idiomatic usage, meaning, and style
The thrust of the sentence is that energy cannot do two things, two things that happen to be polar opposites.
Energy cannot be created. Energy cannot be destroyed.
When we want to emphasize not either, we use the word that means not either: neither.
Yes, we could say, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed."
We could also say, "Energy cannot be either created or destroyed."
Those constructions are grammatical but not as expressive, forceful, or clear as "Energy can be neither created nor destroyed."
Idiomatically, we use neither in dramatic "not either" scenarios.
Option E is different from my two examples (one with or, one with either/or).
Option E: . . . states that energy cannot either be created or be destroyed.
Native speakers should hear that all of the or or either/or constructions are not as idiomatic as the construction in option D.
In this strong "not either" situation, we use neither/nor.
Suppose, though, that your native ear is a bit deaf or that you are not a native speaker.
Choosing D rather than E is still fairly easy.
Why?
Option E is stylistically inferior to option D.
→ Option D is more concise than Option E.
As long as meaning is not compromised or ambiguous, choose the concise option.
→ Option E is awkward whereas option D is not awkward.
Option E stutters. Option D flows.
Almost all of you have read enough in English by now to find yourself stumbling over cannot either.
→ Option D is more idiomatic than Option E.
Explained above. To emphasize not either, use neither/nor.
Option E is not logically redundant.
That is, the phrase cannot either is not redundant.
The test prep company's explanation upon which many of you rely is wrong.
Rather, the phrase cannot either contains diction problems.
Diction involves choosing the right word (e.g., not either = neither) and putting it in the right place.
Eliminate E
The best answer is D.
COMMENTS
sudeshpatodiya , welcome to SC Butler.
As I mentioned in my other OE, I am glad to see that you all are working hard.
Maintaining discipline during tempestuous times is not easy.
These explanations range from good to outstanding.
Well done.
ramlala
Joined: 22 Aug 2020
Last visit: 13 Dec 2022
Posts: 467
Given Kudos: 30
Location: India
Concentration: International Business, Finance
Schools: IIMA PGPX'23 INSEAD Jan'23 intake Sloan (MIT) ISB HEC Said
GPA: 4
WE:Project Management (Energy)
25 Dec 2020, 23:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Correct usage Neither.....Nor
A) can neither be created or
B) can be neither created or
C) can neither be created nor
D) can be neither created nor
E) cannot either be created or be: construction shall be negative. preferred Neither nor
IMO D
A) can neither be created or
B) can be neither created or
C) can neither be created nor
D) can be neither created nor
E) cannot either be created or be: construction shall be negative. preferred Neither nor
IMO D
