Question

Many of the earliest known images of Hindu deities in India date from the time of the Kushan Empire, fashioned either from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or Gandharan grey schist.

• A. Empire, fashioned either from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or
• B. Empire, fashioned from either the spotted sandstone of Mathura or from
• C. Empire, neither fashioned from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or
• D. Empire, either fashioned from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or
• E. Empire and were fashioned either from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or from

Answer 1

The correct option is E Empire and were fashioned either from the spotted sandstone of Mathura or from

Here, the modifier 'fashioned' should be modifying the word it touches that is 'empire', but this is illogical - the Kushan empire can't be made of sand stones. What 'fashioned' actually tries to modify is the 'images of Hindu deities'. This eliminates A, B and C. Now, let's focus on the use of 'either...or'. Here, it should be - 'fashioned either from x or from y'

'fashioned from either x or y'

According to this, options A and C lack a 'from' and B has an extra 'from'. Now, D is also incorrect in its use of 'either...or'- ' either fashioned from... or' is wrong. D lacks parallelism too- the verb 'date' is not parallel to the participle 'fashioned'. E, with its perfect use of either...or and other grammar as well as parallelism ( verb 'date' is parallel to the passive verb 'were fashioned'), is the correct answer.