Standard English ConventionsHardCorrelative conjunctions in parallel
Standard English Conventions practice question
The new scheduling system not only reduced costs ____ improved reliability.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. but alsoCorrect
- B. and also
- C. however it
- D. as well as
Answer: A. but also
'Not only' is paired with 'but also'. The two halves — 'reduced costs' and 'improved reliability' — are then parallel.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. and also
- 'not only ... and also' isn't a standard pair. 'Not only' expects 'but also'.
- C. however it
- 'however' signals contrast, but improving reliability doesn't contrast with reducing costs — and 'it' breaks the parallel structure.
- D. as well as
- 'not only ... as well as' isn't a pair, and 'as well as improved' doesn't fit grammatically.
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