Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No Improvement'. He is interested neither in business or on the job.
The question asks us to improve the underlined part of the sentence: "He is interested neither in business or on the job." This sentence uses a correlative conjunction and requires parallel structure.
Understanding Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together to connect words, phrases, or clauses. They always come in pairs and join sentence elements of equal grammatical weight.
Common correlative conjunction pairs include:
- both... and
- either... or
- neither... nor
- not only... but also
- whether... or
In the given sentence, the pair used is "neither... or". However, the correct correlative pair is neither... nor. This indicates a negation of both options.
Parallel Structure with Neither... Nor
When using correlative conjunctions like "neither... nor", the grammatical structure following each part of the pair must be parallel. This means if a prepositional phrase follows "neither", a prepositional phrase should also follow "nor".
In the original sentence: "He is interested neither in business or on the job."
- "in business" is a prepositional phrase (preposition "in" + noun "business").
- "on the job" is a prepositional phrase (preposition "on" + noun phrase "the job").
While both are prepositional phrases, the prepositions differ ("in" vs. "on"). The correct structure with "neither... nor" often maintains the same type of structure following both parts. In this context, "interested in" is a common phrase, suggesting "in" is the appropriate preposition for both "business" and "the job". The sentence also incorrectly uses "or" instead of "nor".
Analyzing the Options for Improvement
Let's look at the provided options to see which one correctly addresses the issues of the correlative conjunction pair and parallel structure.
| Option | Underlined Part | Resulting Sentence | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | not on a | He is interested neither in business not on a job. | Incorrect correlative pair ("neither... not"). Incorrect preposition ("on"). Uses "a job" instead of "the job" or "job", which might not fit the intended meaning. |
| 2 | nor in the | He is interested neither in business nor in the job. | Correct correlative pair ("neither... nor"). Maintains parallel structure with prepositional phrases introduced by "in" ("in business", "in the job"). "The job" fits the context of a specific job being considered. |
| 3 | nor to the | He is interested neither in business nor to the job. | Correct correlative pair ("neither... nor"). However, the preposition "to" does not maintain parallel structure with "in business" and "interested to" is not the standard phrase; "interested in" is correct. |
| 4 | No Improvement | He is interested neither in business or on the job. | Incorrect. The sentence uses the wrong correlative conjunction pair ("neither... or") and has a potential issue with prepositional parallelism ("in" vs "on"). Improvement is needed. |
Option 2, "nor in the", correctly changes "or on the job" to "nor in the job". This completes the correct "neither... nor" pair and establishes parallel structure with the preposition "in" used before both "business" and "the job".
Conclusion
The original sentence needs improvement because it uses "neither... or" instead of "neither... nor" and lacks parallel structure with the preposition. Option 2, "nor in the", provides the correct correlative conjunction and establishes proper parallel structure with the preposition "in". The improved sentence is: "He is interested neither in business nor in the job."
Revision Table: Grammar Concepts
| Grammar Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Correlative Conjunctions | Pairs of conjunctions that connect grammatically equal elements (words, phrases, clauses). | Neither John nor Mary attended. |
| Parallel Structure | Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Essential with correlative conjunctions. | He likes to swim and to hike. (Infinitive phrases) She is interested in music and in art. (Prepositional phrases) |
| 'Neither... Nor' Pair | Used to negate two things. The elements following 'neither' and 'nor' must be grammatically parallel. | He spoke neither loudly nor clearly. (Adverbs) They will visit neither the mountains nor the beach. (Noun phrases) |
Additional Information: Prepositions with 'Interested'
The standard preposition used with the adjective 'interested' is 'in'.
- Correct: He is interested in science.
- Correct: She is interested in reading.
Using 'on' or 'to' with 'interested' in this context is generally incorrect.
- Incorrect: He is interested on science.
- Incorrect: She is interested to reading.
Therefore, to maintain correctness and parallelism after "neither... nor" in the sentence "He is interested neither in business nor ... the job", the structure should be "nor in the job" to match "in business".
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