A part of the following sentence is underlined. Choose the option that can replace the underlined part to improve the sentence. If you feel Options A, B, or C do not improve the sentence, then choose Option D: "No improvement required."
An amicable reconciliation could not be achieved during the mediation process as the parties did nothing but accused each other.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
did nothing but accuse each other
Explanation
The phrase "did nothing but + base verb" means that someone did only that particular action and nothing else. In this sentence, the parties only blamed each other, which prevented reconciliation.
The correct sentence is:
"An amicable reconciliation could not be achieved during the mediation process as the parties did nothing but accuse each other."
Option 1 changes the meaning. Option 2 means they did not blame each other, which is opposite to the intended meaning. Option 4 is incorrect because the original sentence contains a grammatical error.
Key Points
"Did nothing but + V¹" = did only that action.
Example: "He did nothing but complain all day."