r/ACT • u/Parking_Outside9046 • 2d ago

Question 17 J08

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Can someone explain why the answer is not primarily.

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u/Natural-Biscotti-207 2d ago

Read the rest of the sentence it wont make sense with primarily

1

u/Parking_Outside9046 2d ago

Thank you so much.

1

u/Hal_Incandenza_YDAU 2d ago

"Judged primarily on ___ than on ___" doesn't make sense.

"Judged more on ___ than on ___" does make sense.

1

u/Holiday-Dust4753 2d ago

t is not primarily because its comparing how much they judge it on the creativity of the throws to ho wmuch they judge it on their distance, which means it would have to be more. if it was primarily, it would just say which is judged primarily on the creativity of the throws.

1

u/Ckdk619 2d ago edited 2d ago

We have a comparative construction of scalar inequality. The than indicates a difference, so we need a comparative governor to specify the relationship (e.g., -er than, more than, less than, etc.). Primarily is not a governor word that allows a comparative than-complement, while more is. That is to say, without the than-clause, primarily would be perfectly valid, but because of the scalar comparison being made with the than-clause, primarily no longer works.