Sentence Correction

Question 1

Sentence Correction: Concise vs. Short & Redundant vs. Long

Answer 1

Common divisors - definition: Two non-zero integers have a common divisor if they are both divisible by the same positive integer.

Remember this about the Greatest Common Divisor of two integers:

Two primes will always have a G.C.D of 1.
A G.C.D of 1 does not mean the two integers are prime - just that they have no common divisor greater than 1. Example: 8 and 9 have a G.C.D of 1.
An integer can serve as the G.C.D of itself and another integer. Example: 6 and 12 have a G.C.D of 6.

Question 2

Sentence Correction: Subject Verb Agreement - A Plural Subject Consisting of Singular Nouns that are Connected by ‘and’

Answer 2

Stop Sign: A plural subject made up of singular nouns that are connected by and

A subject that is made of several singular nouns connected by and is plural and should be followed by a plural verb. This does not apply to other connectors (as well as, along with, etc.).

Incorrect: John and Jane is lovers.
Correct: John and Jane are lovers.

Question 3

Sentence Correction: Concise vs. Short & Redundant vs. Long

Answer 3

A shorter answer choice is not always the correct answer choice.
If an answer choice is short because it omits parts of the original sentence and thus changes the meaning, it is not more concise than the original - it’s just shorter.

A longer answer choice is not always redundant.
An answer choice is redundant only if we can express the exact same meaning in fewer words.

Question 4

Sentence Correction: Pronoun Questions - To do so/doing so

Answer 4

Using the pronoun it to refer to a verb is incorrect (it may only refer to a noun).
Instead, use the phrase to do so or doing so.

Incorrect: John is playing tennis. He enjoys it.
Correct: John is playing tennis. He enjoys doing so.

Question 5

Sentence Correction: Concise vs. Short & Redundant vs. Long

Answer 5

A shorter answer choice is not always the correct answer choice.
If an answer choice is short because it omits parts of the original sentence and thus changes the meaning, it is not more concise than the original - it’s just shorter.

A longer answer choice is not always redundant.
An answer choice is redundant only if we can express the exact same meaning in fewer words.

Question 6

Sentence Correction: Pronoun Questions - To do so/doing so

Answer 6

Using the pronoun it to refer to a verb is incorrect (it may only refer to a noun).
Instead, use the phrase to do so or doing so.

Incorrect: John is playing tennis. He enjoys it.
Correct: John is playing tennis. He enjoys doing so.

Question 7

Sentence Correction: Subject Verb Agreement - A Complex Subject/Long Distance between Subject and Verb

Answer 7

Stop Sign: A long, complex subject or a great distance between subject and verb

Questions with a long subject\sentence, where the subject and its corresponding verb are very far apart, are designed to confuse. Double-check the Subject Verb Agreement!

Question 8

Sentence Correction: Tenses - Past Perfect

Answer 8

Structure: had + V3 (Third Form), e.g., John had moved to Seattle before he met Jane.

Usage: (a) actions that had been completed before a certain point in time in the past; (b) actions that had been completed before another action in the past.

Time Expressions: before, after, by the time, until

Question 9

Sentence Correction: Subject Verb Agreement - A Pseudo-Plural Singular Subject

Answer 9

Stop Sign: a pseudo-plural singular subject

There are several types of nouns which appear plural but are actually singular:

Nouns that end with -s: news, thesis, crisis, analysis, politics, mathematics
Collective nouns: audience, committee, family, flock, group, staff, team
Note: the opposite occurs with police which is thought to be singular but is actually plural.

Question 10

Sentence Correction: Subject Verb Agreement - X of Y Subject

Answer 10

Stop Sign: an X of Y subject

Verbs which describe subjects in the format of X of Y (something of something else) must agree with the X (former) part of the subject.

Incorrect: (A test of 150 questions) are long.
Correct: (A test of 150 questions) is long.
The test is long, not the questions.

Incorrect: (Three members of an organization) is waiting outside.
Correct: (Three members of an organization) are waiting outside.
The three members are waiting, not the organization.

Question 11

Sentence Correction: Parts of Speech - Possession

Answer 11

Possession may be expressed in two ways:

The word of, as in the expression the kingdom of Denmark.
The suffix ‘s, as in the expression the bee’s knees. This suffix may not be used with abstract nouns, such as love, destiny, conflict. In these cases use of (the end of the conflict and not the conflict’s end).

Question 12

Sentence Correction: Parallelism - (n)either A (n)or B

Answer 12

Stop Sign: (n)either A (n)or B

When you identify this structure, make sure it follows these rules:

1. Either cannot be followed by nor; neither cannot be followed by or.
2. A and B must be of the same part of speech.

Question 13

and/or/but

Answer 13

That’s Correct. In fact, these words are so important that they constitute a Stop Sign:

A and/or/but B

Whenever you come across a sentence containing this structure, make sure that:

(A) A and B are of the same part of speech.

Example:

Incorrect: Pineapples are tasty and strengthen your health.
Correct: Pineapples are tasty and healthy.

(C) A and B are logically parallel.

Question 14

Comparative Vs. Superlatives

Answer 14

As its name implies, this type of Sentence Correction questions deals with sentences that compare things. Comparatives compare two things:

Examples:
The cabinet is taller than the table.
The baby is as heavy as this bag of potatoes.

Superlatives, with which we’ll deal later on in the course, compare one thing to a group of things.

Example:
Russia is the largest country in the world.

What helps us identify this question as a Comparative question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

Like, unlike, than, as

Question 15

Superlatives

Answer 15

A Superlative is a form of comparison in which someone or something is compared to a group and has the highest degree of a certain quality.

John is the most content man in the world.
Out of all her classmates, Jane has the darkest hair.
Ireland is the greenest country I have ever seen.

The Superlative form is as follows:

the most adjective (e.g., the most difficult)
–OR–
the adjective+est (e.g., the fastest)

The word the always precedes Superlatives because Superlatives discuss a specific member/item of a group.

Having said all that, what do you think is missing in the following sentence, grammatically speaking?

This melody is the most beautiful melody.

Question 16

Double Comparative

Answer 16

Examples:

The older John gets, the wiser he becomes.

The more intelligent a woman is, the more attractive John finds her.

Note: The comparative form of an adjective is created by either adding the -er suffix to it or by adding the word more before it. Thus, older, for example, parallels more intelligent. This is for the simple reason that an adjective ending in -er is just another way of saying more. Thus, the following example is correct since a comparative form of an adjective follows both the first and second the:

The longer John waits, the more frustrated he becomes.

This rule is equally applied to the word less since the words more and less are of the same part of speech.

The longer John waits, the less patient he becomes.

Question 17

Like Unlike than as

Answer 17

The Stop Sign for Comparative questions is:

like, unlike, than, as

As you’ve already learned, when you come across any of the above words, make sure that the things under comparison are logically and grammatically parallel.

We’re now going to focus on the words like and unlike. Besides the above parallelism rule, they have a few of their own.

Question 18

Sentence Correction: Comparatives - Like/Unlike

Answer 18

Like and unlike are used to compare the essence of two nouns (things/people), e.g., Johnny is a puppy like Rufus.

Like (or unlike) must always be followed by a noun; additionally, the section beginning with like (or unlike) must never include a conjugated verb. This overrides the stylistic preference we mentioned in the Comparisons Introduction.
Incorrect: Like skiing is, snowboarding is a Winter sport.
Correct: Like skiing, snowboarding is a Winter sport.

When like (or unlike) comes after the first section of the comparison there is no need for a comma; if like (or unlike) is at the beginning of the sentence, a comma is used to separate the sections.
Like skiing, snowboarding is a Winter sport.
Snowboarding is a Winter sport like skiing.

Question 19

Sentence Correction: Conditionals

Answer 19

First, it is important to remember that if and unless are words to which the following rule applies: they can never be followed by the words will or would. This means the condition part of the sentence must never contain the words will or would.

Examples:
Incorrect: If Jane will be late, she will miss her train.
Correct: If Jane is late, she will miss her train.

Incorrect: Jane would miss her train unless she would arrive early.
Correct: Jane would miss her train unless she arrived early.

Can cannot be used.

Conditional 2 sentences are used to describe hypothetical situations.

Examples:

If John were a dog, he would be a Labrador.

If John owned a dog, it would be a Labrador.

The two main characteristics of Conditional 2 sentences are:

1. They deal with hypothetical present situations with conditions that are unlikely or even impossible to be met.
2. The result is unrealistic or impossible.

Question 20

Sentence Correction: Relative Clauses - One of the + plural noun + who/which/that

Answer 20

Sentence Correction: Relative Clauses - One of the + plural noun + who/which/that

When a relative clause modifies the combination one of the + plural noun, it should be followed by a plural verb, because it is the noun that is modified and not the word one.

Incorrect: Microsoft is one of the companies that is affected by software piracy.
Correct: Microsoft is one of the companies that are affected by software piracy.

Stop Sign: one of the + plural noun + who/which/that

Question 21

Sentence Correction: Relative Clauses - Choosing the Correct Relative Pronoun

Answer 21

Sentence Correction: Relative Clauses - Choosing the Correct Relative Pronoun

In a non defining clause, the clause presents additional information that is not crucial to the understanding of the sentence:
The woman, who is a singer, tends to her garden very well.

In this case who is a singer is simply extra information that does not affect the meaning of the main clause whatsoever, so this is a non-defining clause. A non defining clause will be separated from the main clause with commas, indicating that the separated part is merely additional information and the sentence can be effectively read without it.

A defining clause contains crucial information that defines the particular subject:
The boy that has allergies is sneezing.

that has allergies is crucial in defining which boy (out of other potential boys, for example). A defining clause is part of the sentence - it defines who we’re talking about - and thus cannot be separated by commas, which indicate non-defining.

Question 22

Conjunctions - Semantic Categories - Overview

Answer 22

Conjunctions are words that connect two sentences and show the relation between them:

A. Addition - and, also, in addition, moreover, furthermore

B. Opposition - but, however, yet, nevertheless, although, despite, in spite of, while, whereas

C. Reason - because, since, as, for

D. Conclusion - so, therefore, thus, as a result, consequently

E. Time course - before, after, while, when, since, as long as, as soon as

When you write the GMAT essays, use conjunctions whenever suitable to help the reader understand your flow of ideas.

Question 23

Sentence Correction: Relative Clauses - Overview

Answer 23

A relative clause modifies a noun and should appear immediately after the noun it describes:

Incorrect: John is drinking coffee, who is very tired.
Correct: John, who is very tired, is drinking coffee.

Stop Sign: who, which, that, whose, whom (relative pronouns)

Question 24

Sentence Correction: Dangling Modifiers - Overview

Answer 24

Modifier - a phrase that describes a noun and is often characterized by Verb+ing or V3. The modifier must appear immediately before or after the noun it describes:

Incorrect: Bursting with fascination, the old book was read by the professor.

This error is corrected by (a) bringing the modifier and the noun together, or (b) avoiding the use of modifier:

(a) Correct: Bursting with fascination, the professor read the old book.
(b) Correct: The old book was read by the professor, who was bursting with fascination.

Stop Sign: a modifier (Verb+ing or V3, at the beginning of the sentence, and separated by a comma)

Question 25

Sentence Correction: if/whether (or not)

Answer 25

If is used in the GMAT in Conditionals only. If you see if in a sentence and there’s no condition, you should find an answer choices that replaces if with whether.

Example:
Incorrect: Jane is not sure if John is cooking dinner tonight.
Correct: Jane is not sure whether John is cooking dinner tonight.

Think of whether as a choice between two possibilities dealing with the same subject or as a yes/no question.

Think of whether as a choice between two possibilities dealing with the same subject or as a yes/no question.

Example: I do not know whether this will work. (yes or no)

He was not sure whether he wanted banana or chocolate cake. (a choice between 2 possibilities)

Or not after whether is redundant.

Example:
Incorrect: Jane is not sure whether John is making dinner tonight or not.
Incorrect: Jane is not sure whether or not John is making dinner tonight.
Correct: Jane is not sure whether John is making dinner tonight.

Question 26

Sentence Correction: Conditionals Summary

Answer 26

How to remember:

Each Conditional is a leap further into the past than the one above it.
The result is often the future form of the condition.

Question 27

Sentence Correction: Conditionals - Conditional 2

Answer 27

Stop Sign: if/unless - look for the following common mistakes:

1. If or unless should never be followed by will or would
2. Was is never used in Conditionals; use were instead
3. Make sure the correct tenses are used within the conditional

Usage: hypothetical, unlikely, or impossible situations; the result is unrealistic or impossible because the condition is never fulfilled, e.g., if John owned a dog, it would be a Labrador.

Structure: (a) If/Unless condition in past simple tense, result in future past tense.

 (b) Result in future past tense if/unless condition in past simple tense.

Note: In Conditional 2 sentences, was is never used and must always be replaced with were.

Question 28

Reading Comprehension: Application Questions

Answer 28

Apply a specific idea that appears in the passage to a new, unrelated context

Specific. Locate the idea or concept in the passage, using the Initial Reading to point to the paragraph in which the detail is most likely to be found.

Implied. You are asked to strip the concept from its content, and apply it to new content or recognize a similar process masked in a different context.

Remember: application questions stray furthest from the information stated in the passage.

Common phrasing:

1. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following statements about X?
2. X is most similar to which of the following?
3. Which of the following statements would provide the most logical continuation of the final paragraph of the passage?
4. Which of the following, if true, would best support the author’s theory regarding X?