Grammar

Question 1

What is subordinate conjunction?

Answer 1

A subordinating conjunction is a word that links a subordinate clause to a main clause
before the clock strikes midnight..
Subordiate conjuction is before
Main clause : independent clause
it becomes a subordinate clause once subordinate conjunction is added
Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses

Question 2

What is the main role of a subordinating conjunction and the subordinate clause ?

Answer 2

The main role of a subordinating conjunction and the subordinate clause is to establish a time, a place, a reason, or a condition for the main clause. For example:
Time:

You can stay at the ball until the clock strikes midnight..
Place:

The carriage will be waiting where it dropped you..
Reason:

You must do as I say because your gown will turn back to rags..
Condition:

The horse and carriage will be gone if you are late..

Question 3

list of common subordinating conjunctions

Answer 3

after, although, as, as soon as, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, every time, if, in case, in order that, in the event that, just in case, now that, once, only if, provided that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether, whether or not, while, why

Question 4

What is sentence?

Answer 4

A sentence is a collection of words that contains at least one independent clause. A sentence always includes a subject and a main verb

Question 5

What is a subject ?

Answer 5

The subject is the person or thing performing the action in the sentence.
Subjects are nouns and pronouns.
E.g. Whales are highly intelligent animals.
The blue ball was rolling down the hill.
Doug will ask Martha to come to his house for dinner.
Whales, ball Doug are the subjects performing the actions.
Without these subjects the sentence falls apart.
Without atleast one subject and atleast one main verb there will be no sentence.

Question 6

Finite Verb

Answer 6

always tells us when did the action occur, past present or future

Question 7

Sentence Fragment

Answer 7

a collection of words missing a subject / main verb and failing to express a complete thought.
E.g. Whales highly intelligent animals
E.g. The blue ball rolling down the hill.
A sentence fragment is not a correct answer on the GMAT

Question 8

Role of main verb in a sentence

Answer 8

Without a main verb there is no independent clause , and without an independent clause there is no sentence.

Question 9

What is simple and compound sentence ?

Answer 9

The compound sentence is composed of atleast two independent clauses
The simple sentence has an independent clause and a period.

Question 10

Compound sentence are connected using what ?

Answer 10

Compound sentences are connected using ; FANBOYS which are called as coordinating conjunctions
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Mnemonic : FANBOYS
When independent clauses are connected using the coordinating conjunction, a comma must precede the conjunction. ( comma must come before the conjunction)
I ran, and I fell.
I went to the store, yet I bought nothing
two independent clauses are connected using a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Question 11

Important rule for creating coordinating conjunction

Answer 11

a coordinating conjunction can be created by connecting two independent clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

Question 12

Most important rule regarding an independent clause ?

Answer 12

an independent clause will have a subject + finite verb( main verb)

Question 13

Simple sentence vs Compound sentence

Answer 13

a single independent clause yields a simple sentence
Two independent clauses can form a compound sentence.

Question 14

Complex sentences

Answer 14

a complex sentence consists of one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.

Question 15

conjunction and clauses

Answer 15

only two conjunctions are needed for connecting three clauses

Question 16

What are relative clause ?

Answer 16

Relative clauses begin with relative pronouns.
To memorize relative pronouns : that, which , who whose, whom , where, when

Question 17

Can a sentence main verb be located in a relative clause ?

Answer 17

No, a sentences main verb can NEVER be located in a relative clause as a relative clause is a dependent clause

Question 18

What is the powerful strategy that we can use in Sentence correction ?

Answer 18

One powerful strategy that we can use in sentence correction is cross off the phrases in between the noun and the verb , by crossing all the intervening phrases we can see which nouns are supposed to pair with which verbs. We can then assess if the pairing is grammatical or not.

Question 19

An ideal sentence should be

Answer 19

grammatically correct, effectively conveys a meaning that makes sense.

Question 20

Key concepts in sentence correction ?

Answer 20

Be sure that singular nouns are paired with singular verbs and plural nouns are paired with plural verbs

Question 21

Key concepts in sentence correction ?

Answer 21

When checking for any subject verb agreement cross off any prepositional phrases that appear between subject and finite verb.
Be sure that a noun to which a pronoun refers to makes sense as the person or thing performing the action associated with that pronoun.

Question 22

What basic can GMAT include in its sentence correction questions ?

Answer 22

GMAT can include issues like repeated subjects, ambiguous meaning, read a sentence in its entirety in GMAT.
When evaluating a sentence correction question we must carefully evaluate the non underlined portion along with the underlined portion of the sentence as well.

Question 23

Whether vs If

Answer 23

Whether is used for deciding between alternatives , If is used conditionally
Whether is used when we have uncertainty in between two alternatives
If : If this then that : conditional
Remember that the word whether and If ARE NOT interchangeable
Correct : I don’t know whether I will go skiing this weekend ( uncertainty)
Incorrect : I don’t know if I will go skiing this weekend. ( incorrect)

Correct : If you don’t turn in your homework, you will earn a low grade.
( If this then that : conditional )

Question 24

Is the expression whether or not correct ?

Answer 24

The expression whether or not is redundant, it should only be whether.

Question 25

What does GMAT use IF for ?

Answer 25

The GMAT reserves IF for conditionality and finds IF being used for uncertainty as incorrect.

Question 26

Although vs Though

Answer 26

usage of although and though in the same sentence is incorrect* if they are serving the same purpose. *
Although it is clear…though it is also clear : this is incorrect usage
Correct usage will be : Although it is clear…, it is also clear
It is clear…though it is also clear

Question 27

Is Frustrated At Correct idiom ?

Answer 27

Frustrated at is an incorrect idiom,
the correct idiom is Frustrated By, or Frustrated with

Question 28

Modifier related rule

Answer 28

A modifying phrase must modify a specific noun in a sentence , and not imply it.

Question 29

What is parallelism error in conjunction pair usage in a sentence like Either or pair ?

Answer 29

This sentence has an error in parallelism. The sentence has the conjunction pair either . . . or.
(5)
Sentences with conjunction pairs must be grammatically balanced. The phrasing after the first conjunction should match the phrasing after the second conjunction. Does the phrasing match?
either the exercise room
or
gymnasium
The phrasing is not parallel. The first part has an article (the). but the second part does not.
REVISED: Dance class is always held in the dance studio, but yoga class is held in either the exercise room or the gymnasium.

Question 30

Is would have used in an if clause ?

Answer 30

No, would have should not be used in an if clause, If I would have is wrong usage , instead use the below pattern :If I had I would have , or I would have if I had , so overall usage of If I would have is incorrect

Question 31

Fewer vs less

Answer 31

Fewer should be used for things that can be counted in units. Less should be used for things that can be measured but not counted. Classes can be counted, so less should be fewer. Stress, in contrast, can be measured (high or low) but not counted: use less for stress.

Question 32

Had + 3rd form of the verb

Answer 32

if in one clause there are two past actions happening, then the action that happened before always needs a 3rd form with it had + 3rd form

Question 33

List of Relative Pronouns :

Answer 33

who, which, that, whose, whom

Question 34

What are relative pronouns ?

Answer 34

RPs introduce relative clauses, most common relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, that