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This is a sentence from my JLPT prep book:

新{あたら}しい首相{しゅしょう}に代{か}わったが、景気{けいき}は回復{かいふく}する（　　）、悪化{あっか}する一方{いっぽう}であった。

The answer is: ものか, but I thought it was どころか.

I can't figure out why どころか isn't correct or is unnatural. They seem to both mean the same thing, and can both follow the dictionary form of a verb.

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    as 137 said, the correct answer would be どころか, the meaning is not clear if you use ものか here.
    – oldergod
    Commented Oct 11, 2012 at 5:55

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I would like to propose that the answer book is wrong.

In the example sentence ものか could only be used to express complete disbelief or rejection of the idea that the economy will improve.
ものか is used to flat out deny an idea as false.
(きっぱりと否定する意を表す)
And trying to follow that with 悪化する一方であった would be strange grammatically and in terms of meaning.

どころか is used to negate a statement in order to emphasize that the alternative is true.
(ある事柄を挙げ、それを否定することによって、あとの内容を強調する)

Thus, どころか is correct because of the way it contrasts 回復 with 悪化 where ものか does not have that function.

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  • Wow, many thanks to you and @oldergod above. I thought I was going crazy for a minute.
    – istrasci
    Commented Oct 11, 2012 at 14:38

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