In a study of forest ecosystems, ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard observed that Douglas fir trees utilize underground mycorrhizal networks to interact with one another. According to Simard, these fungal networks allow the trees not only to share essential carbon with neighboring seedlings but also ________ during periods of drought.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- Athe transportation of water to shallower roots
- Btransporting water to shallower roots
- Cwater is transported to shallower roots
- to transport water to shallower rootsAnswer
Answer
to transport water to shallower roots
The sentence uses the correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...' to join two parallel elements describing what the fungal networks allow the trees to do. The first element, following 'not only', is the infinitive phrase 'to share essential carbon with neighboring seedlings'. To maintain parallel structure, the second element, following 'but also', must also be an infinitive phrase. The phrase 'to transport water to shallower roots' completes the parallel structure perfectly.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Parallel structure with correlative conjunctions (not only... but also...)