Why is this answer wrong?

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1

<p>This is an improving sentences question. It goes.</p>

<p>Economic conditions demand (start underline) not only cutting wages and prices but also to reduce(end underline) inflation raised tax rates.</p>

<p>What I don't get was why my answer choice (D) was wrong. D goes</p>

<p>not only to cut wages and prices but also to reduce</p>

<p>The answerkey says D is wrong because "the infinitive to cut cannot be an object of demand". Can anyone explain this to me? Is there some rule that I should be aware of regarding what types of words and phrases may or may not be objects?</p>

<p>EDIT: but isn't D parallel? to cut ... but also to reduce</p>

2

<p>It’s listing the things it demands, so when the first verb is an ING verb, the second one should be too, so it has parallelism</p>

3

<p>What was the correct answer?</p>

4

<p>Correct answer: we not only cut wages and prices but also reduce.</p>

<p>Honestly I see no problem with the correct answer, just that I was stuck between those two since I found nothing wrong with either.</p>

5

<p>I would guess </p>

<p>"…not only cutting wages and prices but also reducing inflation raised tax rates."</p>

6

<p>@dramadad
I already posted the correct answer in the book in my post above yours. I’m just wondering what makes Choice D wrong.</p>

7

<p>one cannot demand simply to cut - they must demand someone or something to cut or that someone or something cut.</p>

8

<p>Try reading your choice D…</p>

<p>“Economic conditions demand…to cut…” There it is, stripped down. So demand WHAT to cut? Demand is being used as a verb here, not a noun. That’s why you can’t say “demand to cut.” You’d have to say “economic conditions demand Jason to cut” or something like that. You’d need to insert a noun.</p>

<p>Or you can just keep it as an -ing verb…“Economic condition demand cutting…” That’d be fine.</p>

<p>The structure of infinitive verb (demand) + gerund (-ing verb…cutting) is correct.</p>