8 Types in SC
8 Types in SC
8 Types in SC
A. Subject-Verb Agreement B. Modifiers C. Parallelism D. Pronoun Agreement E. Verb Time Sequences F. Comparisons G. Idioms A. Subject-Verb Agreement
The verb and subject must agree. If the subject is singular, then the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, then the verb must be plural. Test writers will try to fool you by using unusual phrases that make it difficult to tell if the subject is singular or plural. 1. If a singular subject is separated by a comma from an accompanying phrase, it remains singular: The child, together with his grandmother and his parents, is going to the beach. wrong: Frank, accompanied by his student, were at the studio. right: Frank, accompanied by his student, was at the studio.
2. Collective nouns, such as family, majority, audience, and committee are singular when they act in a collective fashion or represent one group. They are plural when they act as individuals.
Collective nouns will usually be singular in Sentence Correction sentences. A majority of the shareholders wants the merger. Here the "majority" acts as a singular and therefore has a singular verb, "wants." The jury were in disagreement. Collective noun, plural verb (because they are acting as individuals). Note: this is very rare and highly unlikely to come up on test day.
Ted, John, and I are going. Because they are joined by and, the plural form is used 4. Neither/nor and either/or are a special case. If two subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the subject that is closer to it.
Neither the supervisor nor the staff members were able to calm the distressed client.
5. Be careful to choose the right subject in sentences in which the verb precedes the subject. wrong: There is many reasons why I can't help you. right: There are many reasons why I can't help you. Here reasons is the subject.
Beware of confusing singular/plural words: Singular Medium Datum Plural Media Data
B. Modifiers
1. Errors in the Use of Adjectives and Adverbs. Check if a word modifier is an ADJECTIVE or an ADVERB. Make sure the correct form has been used. o An ADJECTIVE describes a noun and answers the questions how many, which one, what kind?
She is a good tennis player. (What kind of tennis player?) o An ADVERB describes either a verb or an adjective and answers the questions when, where, why, in what manner, and to what extent? She plays tennis well. (She plays tennis how?) This exercise is relatively easy. (How easy?) Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the adjective, such as, "He worked quickly."
EXCEPTIONS: Adjective early fast good hard late Adverb early fast well hard (hardly means almost not) late (lately means recently)
wrong: She is a real good swimmer. right: She is a really good swimmer.
"really" is acting as an adverb to modify the adjective "good" wrong: The new student speaks bad. right: The new student speaks badly.
2. Errors of Adjectives with Verbs of Sense. The following verbs of sense are described by ADJECTIVES:
be
look
smell
taste
feel
seem
wrong: After the three week vacation, she looked very well. right: After the three week vacation, she looked very good. NOTE: "She is well" means "She is healthy" or describes a person's well-being.
wrong: The strawberry shortcake tastes deliciously. right: The strawberry shortcake tastes delicious.
3. Location of Modification. o o o A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another part of the sentence. You should place a modifier as close as possible to what it is modifying. Modifiers sometimes appear to modify words that they don't modify. Test writers often use tricks to confuse students with modification:
that/which clauses, especially ones that come at the end of sentences sentences beginning or ending with descriptive phrases
Examples Faulty modifications often inadvertently change the meaning of sentences. 1. On arriving at the train station, his friends met him and took him immediately to his speaking engagement in Springfield. This sounds as if the friends arrived at the train station. It should say, "When Jay arrived at the train station, his friends met him and took him to his speaking engagement in Springfield." Where did "Jay" come from? Sometimes one of the answer choices might inject new names into a sentence. This is appropriate here since the pronouns had no specific antecedents.
C. Parallelism
Similar elements in a list should be in similar form. Writers often use a parallel structure for dissimilar items. Parallel constructions must be expressed in parallel grammatical form: all nouns, all infinitives, all gerunds, all prepositional phrases, or all clauses must agree. wrong: All business students should learn word processing, accounting, and how to program computers. right: All business students should learn word processing, accounting, and computer programming. This principle applies to any words that might begin each item in a series: prepositions (in, on, by, with), articles (the, a, an), helping verbs (had, has, would) and possessives (his, her, our). Either repeat the word before every element in a series or include it only before the first item. Anything else violates the rules of parallelism. In effect, your treatment of the second element of the series determines the form of all subsequent elements: wrong: He invested his money in stocks, in real estate, and a home for retired performers. right: He invested his money in stocks, in real estate, and in a home for retired performers. When proofreading, check that each item in the series agrees with the word or phrase that begins the series. In the above example, "invested his money" is the common phrase that each item shares. You would read, "He invested his money in real estate, (invested his money) in stocks, and (invested his money) in a home for retired performers."
D. Pronoun Agreement
It is often difficult to tell what noun a pronoun replaces and what case (subjective or objective) should be used. Which pronoun you use depends on if the pronoun is being used as the subject or the object of a sentence. Subject he she who I they we Objective him her whom me them us
1. Pronoun Subject/Object. Check if a pronoun is the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of a verb or preposition. wrong: How could she blame you and he for the accident? right: How could she blame you and him for the accident?
Here the pronoun is the subject of the verb suited, meaning "she" acts as the subject and is the correct answer.
WHO/ WHOM If the pronoun is acting as a subject, it should be who. If it is acting as an object, it should be whom. Example I don't know (who/whom) Steven meant. Whom is in the object form because it is the object of meant (with Steve as the subject). 2. Check if the pronoun and its verb agree in number.
wrong: Everyone on the project have to come to the meeting. right: Everyone on the project has to come to the meeting.
The forms "either... or" and "neither...nor" are singular and take a singular verb. However, if the noun closest to the verb in the "neither..nor" or "either...or" is plural, then the verb is plural.
wrong: Neither his bodyguards nor he were there. right: Neither his bodyguards nor he was there.
3. Check if possessive pronouns agree in person and number. wrong: Some of you will have to bring their own beer. right: Some of you will have to bring your own beer. Some is singular.
wrong: If anyone comes over, take their name. right: If anyone comes over, take his name. The subject is anyone, which is singular, which requires a singular pronoun, his.
4. "Objects" of to be verbs are in the subject form. wrong: It must have been her who called. right: It must have been she who called.
5. A relative pronoun (which, that or who) refers to the word preceding it. If the meaning is unclear, the pronoun is in the wrong position. The word "which" introduces non-essential clauses and "that" introduces essential clauses. "Who" refers to individuals; "that" refers to a group of persons, class, type, or species. wrong: The line at the bank was very slow, which made me late. right: I was late because of the line at the bank. OR The line at the bank made me late.
6. In forms using impersonal pronouns, use either "one.. one's/his or her" or "you.. your." wrong: One should have their teeth checked every six months. right: One should have one's/his or her teeth checked six months. OR You should have your teeth checked every six months. wrong: One should take your responsibilities seriously. right: One should take one's/his or her responsibilities seriously. OR You should take your responsibilities seriously.
Exception: note that its is a possessive of it, and it's is the contraction of "it is."
VERB TENSE TIPS 1. You should look out for -ing forms. Typically -ing forms are commonly used as junk answers on the GMAT. o o o I am walking I was walking I had been walking
As far as the GMAT is concerned, there are only two basic reasons to use an -ing form: o o to emphasize the continuing nature of an action or to emphasize that two actions are occurring simultaneously. In other words, the GMAT usually wants you to pick a simpler tense, one that doesn't use the -ing form, unless an action is continuing or happening during another action. A good way to remember this rule is to think of the word during and its -ing ending. 2. Be alert for the appearance of several verbs, indicating events that seem to have happened in sequence or at different times. In which case, pick one verb as the "base" in time sequence.
Example If the cyclist wins the race, it will be representing an extraordinary comeback from his earlier cancer. Solution The win will not be "representing an extraordinary comeback;" it will "represent a comeback."
F. Comparisons
You should compare only things that can be logically compared. Faulty comparisons account for a significant number of errors in GMAT Sentence Correction questions. Most relate to the very simple idea that YOU CAN'T COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES. You want to compare things that are grammatically similar; you also want to compare things that are logically similar. For instance, you can't logically compare a person to a quality or an item to a group. You have to compare one individual to another, one quality to another, or one group to another. You should look out for key comparison words, such as: like less than that of as more than those of compared to other
A number of constructions call for you to always express ideas in parallel form. These constructions include Either X or Y... Neither X nor Y... Not only X but also Y... X or Y can stand for as little as one word or as much as a whole clause, but in any case, the grammatical structure of X or Y must be identical. wrong: The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as from that mountain lodge. right: The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as the one from that mountain lodge.
Check to see whether the comparison is both logical (according to the standards of GMAT English) and grammatical. 1. Jerry gives less to charity than any other church member.
You want to compare what Jerry gives to what any other church member contributes. The simplest way to fix this and make it suitable GMAT English is to add a "does" after "church member". Thus, the statement now directly compares what Jerry gives to what other church members give. (Note: if Jerry were to give something quantifiable, like dollars then it would be, "Jerry gives fewer dollars..." instead of less.) 2. The newer model weighed 20 pounds less than that of the older model. It has to be either: "The newer model weighed 20 pounds less than the older model did." or "The newer model's weight was 20 pounds less than that of the older model." 3. The sports writer questioned the skill of basketball players compared to tennis players. It has to be "the skill of basketball players" compared to that of "tennis players." It must be phrased the "skill of basketball players compared to the skill of tennis players."
G. Idioms
Look for these common idiom tricks on GMAT questions: o o Consider, regard...as, think of...as: there is no as after consider, while both regard and think of need the as. To be/being: In general, avoid the construction to be/being because they are usually passive. To be/being are commonly used in junk answer choices. Idioms in Bold tend to be more common on the GMAT
A access to
act as
The poison pill in the contract acts as a preventative measure against hostile takeovers. The design of the robot arm allows for great flexibility. Chocolate tastes as good as ice cream. He associates beer with potato chips. The poor first quarter results are attributed to the restructuring.
attribute to
a responsibility to a result of
The CEO has a fiduciary responsibility to all shareholders. The recent Nasdaq decline is a result of higher interest rates. The Sumerian text was a sequence of incomprehensible symbols. The Teamsters do not agree with the Republicans on many issues. Used when discussing more than two items. He was the finest policeman among the hundreds of rookies. The new software is as good as or better than anything on the market The new house looks as great as I had hoped. The emergency room doctor attended to the injured victim. We attribute the results to the new management. The extinction of the dinosaurs has been attributed to an asteroid collision.
a sequence of
agree with
among
as great as
attend to (someone)
attribute X to Y/X
attributed to Y
B
based on begin to believe X to be Y The results are based on a comprehensive ten year study. He will begin to study twelve hours before the test. After seeing the flying saucer, I believe UFOs to be a real phenomenon. Used when discussing two things (if there are more than two, then use among instead). He could not decide between Corn Flakes or Raisin Bran.
between
C
care about How much do business schools care about your score?
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centers on + noun
The GMAT centers on the knowledge of basic math and writing/reading skills. The number of students who choose to go to business school has increased in the last ten years. Your grades are not consistent with your abysmal GMAT scores. He contends that the GMAT has a cultural bias. How important do you consider the test? If you continue to study, you will succeed. If you contrast A with B, you can see the difference. You may convert muscle to fat if you study too much. (compare to stresses similarities). The music critic favorably compared him to Bob Dylan. (compare with stresses differences). Broccoli is good for you compared with ice cream. He counts on management support. They are concerned with investor relations more than actual profitability. When you work at a new company, you should try to conform to its corporate culture.
choose to
consistent with
compare A to B
compare A with B
count on + noun
concerned with
conform to
D
decide to decide on We decided to continue. We decided on the new format.
depend on
The global economy depends on improving productivity. The CAT is very different from the paper and pencil GMAT.
different from
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difficult to
distinguish between X and Distinguish between domestic and international production. Y distinguish X from Y depends on whether Juries must attempt to distinguish truth from falsehood. Our place in the playoffs depends on whether we win tonight.
E
to be + essential to + noun except for Speed is essential to success in the Internet marketplace. He did well on the GMAT, except for the sentence correction questions.
F
flee from The convict fled from the country.
G
grow from Dell Computer grew from a start- up to a Fortune 500 company in less than fifteen years. Needless to say, they quickly grew out of their first office.
grow out of
H
help + noun + to Their direct business model helped them to grow rapidly.
I
indicate that Dell's recent stock trouble may indicate that their growth will not continue to be as rapid.
invest in
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identical with
His DNA is identical with his twin's. The candidate claims to support tax cuts, in contrast to his prior statements. The Federal Reserve Board is supposed to be independent from political considerations.
in contrast to
independent from
indifferent towards
L
leads to Rapid growth often leads to problems. Usually only used for direct comparison: He walks like Joe walks. Most Internet venture capital is localized in a few areas of the world.
like
localized in
M
mistake + noun + for I mistook you for an old friend.
modeled after
The judicial building is modeled after the Parthenon. Companies demand MBA graduates now more than ever.
N
native to a native of need to There is a unique business culture native to the U.S. It infects those who are not even a native of America. Living in New York City is an experience everyone needs to try. It is necessary to get a high GMAT score to get into Stanford.
to be + necessary + to
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neither...nor
Neither Tom nor Sam has the necessary skills to finish the job. Stanford not only has the highest GMAT average, but also the highest GPA.
P
prohibit from + gerund You are prohibited from using a calculator on test day. A graduate of a top business school has the potential to make over $100,000.
potential to
R
range from X to Y The GMAT scores at top business schools will range from 650 to 750. If you have any more questions, you should refer to a grammar book. Wharton's finance program is regarded as the finest in the world. You require a GMAT score to go to most U.S. business schools. The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is one of the most celebrated in professional sports. The manager is responsible for seven entry level employees. The tax policy change is retroactive to last year.
refer to
regard as
require + noun + to
responsible for
retroactive to
S
save for Save for William, no one else passed the exam. Many people use business school to save them from dull jobs.
save from
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so that
So should not be used as an adjective: GMAT preparation is so... boring. Use it with "that." This guide is designed so that you may raise your score.
subscribe to
T
tie to The contract should be tied to concessions. The communications system will transmit to anyone within range.
transmit to
U
used + infinitive to be + used to + gerund Japan used to be the model industrial economy. After five practice tests, he was used to the GMAT CAT format.
o The most effective way to learn idioms is to practice them. Whenever you get an idiom question wrong, write down the idiom. Make a list and memorize. There are a finite number of idioms that could be tested on the GMAT, and with enough practice, you should be able to cover most of them. Examples 1. When choosing a car you often have to choose (between/among) practicality and performance.
Between is correct. Use "between" to distinguish two things, such "practicality" and "performance." Use "among" for more than two things. The bank robbers divided the stolen money "among" the five of them."
2. A small order of french fries has much (fewer/less) fries than the super-sized order.
Fewer is correct. Fewer answers the question "How many?" relating to something that could be counted individually." Less "refers to things such as pudding, cake, or flour, which cannot be reasonably quantified
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This is one of the few instances "like" should be used in English. "Like" is used here as a direct comparison.
6. The joint-venture contract covers such questions (like/as) the division of profits and costs. "Covers as" is better here. "Like" should be used very rarely, only for direct comparisons (Joe plays like his brother).
7. Dan Marino is regarded (as/to be) one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football.
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D. Sample Questions
1. The threat of discrimination lawsuits helps ensure <that pay be the same for jobs historically
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held by minorities as for jobs requiring comparable skill that are> usually held by whites. (A) that pay be the same for jobs historically held by minorities as for jobs requiring comparable skill that are (B) that pay for jobs historically held by minorities should be the same as for a job requiring comparable skills (C) to pay the same in jobs historically held by minorities as in jobs of comparable skill that are (D) to pay the same regardless of whether a job was historically held by minorities or is one demanding comparable skills (E) to pay as much for jobs historically held by minorities as for a job demanding comparable skills
In choice B, 'should' is illogical after 'requires', or at least unnecessary, and so is better omitted; in choices B and E, 'job' does not agree in number with jobs; and in choices B, D, and E, the wording illogically describes the 'comparable skills' rather than the 'jobs' as being "usually held, by whites." Choices C, D, and E produce the ungrammatical construction 'requires of... employers to pay', in which of makes the phrase incorrect. In C, .the use of in rather than 'for' is unidiomatic, and 'jobs of comparable skill' confusedly suggests that the jobs rather than the workers possess the skills. In D, the phrase beginning 'regardless. . .' is awkward and wordy in addition to being illogical. Choice A is best
2. Hand ale pumps may slightly improve the flavor of ale over gas-powered kegs, but modern pub managers contend that <hand ale pumps cost twice as much as gas-powered kegs>. (A) hand ale pumps cost twice as much as maintaining gas-powered kegs (B) hand ale pumps cost twice as much to maintain as gas-powered kegs do (C) maintaining hand ale pumps costs twice as much as gas-powered kegs do (D) maintaining hand ale pumps costs twice as much as it does for gas-powered kegs (E) to maintain hand ale pumps costs twice as much as for gas-powered kegs
This sentence compares the costs required to maintain two kinds of roads. B, the best choice, is able to maintain parallelism in the comparison as well. Choice A incorrectly shifts the meaning by comparing the cost of hand ale pumps with the cost of maintaining gas-powered kegs. Choice C does the opposite: it compares the cost of maintaining hand ale pumps with the cost of gas-powered kegs themselves. Choice D further confuses the sentence by adding a nonparallel clause, it does for, in which it has no clear referent. Choice E introduces the infinitive phrase to maintain.., and wrongly attempts to complete the comparison with the nonparallel prepositional phrase for....
3. This week's bingo session will have <an even greater amount of winners> than won last week. (A) an even greater amount of winners (B) an ever larger amount of winners (C) an amount of people even winners (D) a number of people even winners (E) an even greater number of winners
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Notice that three choices contain the word amount and two choices contain number. People, because they can be counted, come in numbers rather than amounts. (E) is best because of the remaining two because the phrase an even greater amount of people clearly refers to more people, while a number of people even larger could be referring to bigger people.
4. <With> only one percent of the world's population, the English people have dramatically altered the course of the world. A) With B) Although accounting for C) Being D) Despite having E) As
The trick with this sentence correction question is the contrast between the size of the English population and the activities of its citizens. Choices D and B are the only ones that establish the contrast, and only B, the best choice, expresses meaning accurately with the phrase 'Although accounting for.' 'With' in choice A and 'Despite having' in choice D confusingly suggest that English people somehow possess, rather than constitute, one percent of the world's population. Choices E and C lose the contrast between the opening phrase and the main clause, and As is unidiomatic in E.
5. The public's widespread interest in the life of <ancient Egyptians and their general curiosity about extraterrestrial life has> generated considerable interest in science fiction. A) ancient Egyptians and their general curiosity about extraterrestrial life has B) ancient Egyptians and they are generally curious about extraterrestrial life which has C) ancient Egyptians, as well as their general curiosity about extraterrestrial life, have D) ancient Egyptians, as well as its general curiosity about extraterrestrial life, has E) ancient Egyptians, as well as general curiosity about extraterrestrial life, have
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