In the question, a part of the sentence is italicized .
Cognizant technical mcq question, verified with a worked answer. Free to practise - no sign-up.
In the question, a part of the sentence is italicized. Alternatives to the italicized part are given which may improve the construction of the sentence. Select the correct alternative.
For as long as she could remember, Divya has loved to cook, to dance, and, until her poor vision made it impossible for her to do so, reading books.
Show answer & explanation
The sentence uses parallel structure after the verb 'has loved.' All items in a series must use the same grammatical form (gerunds or infinitives). Option C maintains parallel structure with three gerunds: 'cooking, dancing, and [reading]' (reading books at the end). Options A and B mix infinitives with gerunds, violating parallel construction. Option D uses infinitives but awkwardly shortens the explanation, breaking the parallel with 'reading books.'
Step-by-step Derivation:
Parallel structure rule: When listing items after a verb, all items must share the same grammatical form.
The sentence structure is: 'Divya has loved [X, Y, and Z]'
Z (implicit) = 'reading books' (gerund form)
For parallel construction, X and Y must also be gerunds:
- Option A: 'to cook, to dance' (infinitives) + 'reading' (gerund) = INCONSISTENT
- Option B: 'cooking' (gerund) + 'to dance' (infinitive) + 'reading' (gerund) = INCONSISTENT
- Option C: 'cooking' (gerund) + 'dancing' (gerund) + 'reading' (gerund) = CONSISTENT ✓
- Option D: 'to cook, to dance' (infinitives) + 'reading' (gerund) = INCONSISTENT
Option C is the only choice that maintains perfect parallel structure.