Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined words in the given sentence.
Adi had not only assisted her by giving evidence in the case but also provided many examples to prove her point in the court.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. assisted her not only by.
Error concept: Incorrect placement of “not only... but also” pair (correlative conjunctions).
What is wrong: In the sentence, “Adi had not only assisted her by giving evidence...” the phrase “not only” is placed before “assisted her”, breaking the logical parallel structure of “not only... but also.”
Grammatical concept: Correlative conjunctions like “not only... but also” should be placed before the same parts of speech or parallel ideas to maintain balance and clarity in the sentence.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: The given sentence makes the structure uneven — “not only assisted her by...” and “but also provided...” are not parallel. To correct it, “not only” should come before “by giving evidence”, which keeps the two phrases (“by giving evidence” and “provided examples”) parallel.
How to correct: Rearrange to “assisted her not only by giving evidence... but also provided...”
Correct phrase / correction: assisted her not only by
Final sentence: Adi had assisted her not only by giving evidence in the case but also provided many examples to prove her point in the court.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.