<p>Here's the question. Is it just me, but don't all the choices sound awkward? </p>
<p>Not three weeks following Lance Armstrong’s
victory in the Tour de France bicycle race but
the doctors diagnosed him with cancer.</p>
<p>(A) but the doctors diagnosed him with cancer
(B) but the doctors had him diagnosed with
cancer
(C) than he has been diagnosed by the doctors
that he had cancer
(D) but cancer had been diagnosed in him by
doctors
(E) than doctors diagnosed his cancer</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>The correct answer is apparently E.</p>
<p>Yes, they all sound quite awkward to me. I would like an option that said “the doctors diagnosed his cancer.” That’s what I would write, although I would change other parts of the sentence as well.</p>
<p>No, it’s from the Barron’s Writing Workbook :).</p>
<p>The workbook is quite useful, despite this oddball question.</p>
<p>I’ve seen this question before and there had been a bit of a debate over which is correct, the correct answer is E, but it still confuses me as to how it begins with “Not even…” and then the answer begins with “…than”. It is a very odd question, perhaps unlikely to be seen on the actual SAT.</p>