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."
He ate all but none of the biscuits, then pushed the plate towards his hungry dog, who eagerly lapped up the last one.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
He ate all but one of the biscuits
Explanation
The phrase "all but none of the biscuits" is logically incorrect because it means he ate all except none, which is contradictory. The context clearly states that the dog "eagerly lapped up the last one," indicating that one biscuit was left uneaten. Therefore, the correct expression is "He ate all but one of the biscuits."
The other options are incorrect. "He ate all of the biscuits" contradicts the fact that the dog ate the last biscuit. "He ate none of the biscuits" is inconsistent with the sentence. "No improvement required" is incorrect because the original sentence contains a logical error.
Key Point
The expression "all but one" means "all except one." It is a common English phrase used to indicate that only a single item remains. Avoid combinations like "all but none," as they create a contradiction and make the sentence illogical.