so...as vs. as...as?

by H Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:30 pm

Hi,

I thought that the rule for choosing between "so...as" and "as...as" solely depended on whether a negative word (such as "not") is preceded.

For instance,

The dean has approved that the student association can collect a $15 fee, as long as the association offers a wide range of services.

rather than

The dean has approved that the student association can collect a $15 fee, so long as the association offers a wide range of services.

If it is the case, how come #14 in OG11(Yellow) Diagnostic Test uses the latter construction and is considered correct?

Thanks in advance.

by H Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:44 pm

In addition to the questions above, can I insert a noun phrase between "not" and "so" in a "not...so...as" construction?
For instance:
Flu is not an illness so much as a symptom of many problems.

Or "not so...as" is so strict that no word is allowed between "not" and "so"?

Thanks in advance.

by **RonPurewal** Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:05 am

this is one of those things that falls under the umbrella of "idiomatic usage". in many such instances there is no general agreement, so you should just take whatever you see in the official books as gospel.

this means that you should follow the style of whatever you see in the OG / gmatprep with regard to these things, and ignore any sources that contradict the OG / gmatprep.

with regard to this particular issue, especially, you could probably dig up "authorities" on both sides of the issue. so just follow the path blazed by the official materials.
(sorry i couldn't be more helpful than this)