In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlined. One of…
2017
In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlined. One of them is incorrect. Select the INCORRECT word or phrase from the given options. This book is not only beautifully printed yet is free from mistakes.
- A.
Is
- B.
Not only
- C.
From
- D.
Yet is
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
Correlative conjunctions are paired connectors that join two grammatically equal elements and must always be used together in their fixed pairs. The standard pairs include not only ... but also, either ... or, neither ... nor, and both ... and. The first member of the pair fixes which second member is required; the two members cannot be mixed across pairs.
Application
The sentence opens the correlative with not only (“This book is not only beautifully printed ...”). Once not only is used, the clause that follows must be introduced by but also — the only grammatical completion of that pair. The sentence instead continues with “yet is”, which belongs to no correlative pair with “not only.” The correct form is “... but is also free from mistakes” (or “but also free from mistakes”). Hence yet is is the incorrect phrase.
Why the other phrases are fine
“is” — the singular present verb agreeing with the singular subject “This book”; grammatically correct.
“not only” — the legitimate opening half of the correlative pair; it is not the error, the error is its mismatched completion.
“from” — the idiomatic preposition required by “free from” (free from mistakes); grammatically correct.
Result
Replacing yet is with but is also gives the grammatical sentence “This book is not only beautifully printed but is also free from mistakes.”