by esledge Fri May 14, 2021 10:39 am
I think there's a special name for this (contrasting element?) but that's not important for the GMAT. These seem to work like negative appositives, which are (more generally) noun modifiers, so all the noun modifier rules about placement apply.
Wrong: Florida is a peninsula, not Cuba.
Correct: Florida, not Cuba, is a peninsula.
Correct: Florida is a peninsula, not an island.
Thus, your example seems to be correct, because the contrast is appropriately between "ice cream" and "fruit or vegetables." I think the "or" is fine; I would only use "nor" after "neither."
Emily Sledge
Instructor
ManhattanGMAT