SENTENCE CORRECTION 14 SC Target to answer in 60 seconds. Underlined segment which is to be corrected can be a small part of the sentence or the whole sentence itself. Choice A is exactly the same as underlined portion. Choose the best option- might not be ideal- even correct answer will mostly not be ideal for you – it will sound bad, because normally used English is grammatically not correct. GRAMMAR IS IMPORTANT BUT MEANING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT: gramatically correct option can be wrong because of illogical meaning! How to answer Splits & Re-splits Key to answer: Split the answer choices 1. Read the sentence noting any obvious errors as you read. o Relationship between both the underlined and not underlined part is crucial. o Always read the entire sentence, since GMAT often places important deciding words far from the underlined portion. 2. Scan the answer choices VERTICALLY, without reading– looking for differences that split answer choices. o Ideal splits will divide answer choices into 2-3 splits. There can be 1-4 split also. o Easiest splits to spot are at the beginning or end of answer choices. o Some splits can be red herring split – both sides of split are correct. 3. Choose a split for which you know the grammatical rule and eliminate those options which are on the wrong side of the split 4. Compare remaining answer choices by re-splitting. Continue the process till you have only one answer left. Double check by reading and confirm that the answer works in the context of entire sentence Most sentence correction questions test several different rules at once. Most answer choices can be eliminated for multiple reasons. GMAT tests a finite number of grammatical principles, all of which are here. important Often the last word of underlined is played with, gmat traps you to assume that the required last word is there in an option you are picking while it is not there in the answer option, but in the underlined portion which you are substituting by the so called right answer! Know which topic to look for from seeing the choices split has been - have been : SV agreement Grammar, Meaning and Concision Correct answer choice is meant to be best in terms of these 3 – grammar, meaning and concision. Grammar – adhere to grammatical rules Meaning – obvious and unambiguous meaning Author’s intended meaning shines through in a correct sentence. GMAT tends to use small errors in meaning which you have to pick Three kind of errors in meaning: 1. Choice of words- similar looking words, wrong one used 2. Position of Words Aggravate vs. aggravating Worsen – irritating Intended meaning should be maintained Known as vs. known to be Name – acknowledged as Pay attention to overall word order to maintain unambiguity. Loss of vs. loss in No longer possesses- decline in English normally puts subject in front of verb Mandate vs. have a mandate Command – have authority form – 'A law is passed' preferred to 'is passed a law' voters Native of vs. native to Person from, species that originated in Only surpassed by x and y wrong Range of vs. ranging Variety of- varying only surpassed and nothing else! Rate of vs. rate for Speed of – price of surpassed only by x and y right Rise vs. raise General increase – a bet or salary only should be placed next to what it limits - x and y, not surpassed increase Such as vs. like Example – similar to 3. Matching Words Try to do vs. try doing Seek to accomplish – experiment with Th: subject e use of anddo not verb, and nothing pronoun in the and same noun making sense together monetary - economical means sentence creates a double negative and reverses economic vs. economical exceptingthrifty, efficient usually comes in negative the intended meaning. Anything should be used constructions Except vs Excepting unaccompanied- not accompanied 1st: emphasis on coming) He came, unaccompanied by her 2nd: emphasises the negation more He came, not accompanied by her strongly Helping verbs: Different levels of obligation, certainty, reality Will create – may create: either correct, but ensure not to change the intent Court ruled I must go – I should go: must go correct- must creates mandate, should creates moral obligation that court can’t rule If A & B met, they fought- if A & B met, they would fight: 1st is unsure of whether they met or not,2nd is general statement –hypothetical could and would so that he could marry (enabled) vs. so that he would marry (conditional - assuming he would marry) so as to marry vs so that to marry so that means the reason, so as doesn’t so as also doesn’t clarify who will marry Concision – as precise as possible Concision is the last issue to consider in Sc Precise is preferred (everything else same) differ> have differences how>the way in which invest>make investments Redudancy Value rose by 10% increase can potentially harm redundant Values sum to a total of soaring increase in rates: Redundant - soaring rates should be used - indicates increase! Excited about night>Being excited about night Being doesn’t add to meaning of the sentence. Mostly being signals redundancy Expressions of time: mostly duplicate usage One far from other – one in underlined part, other in not – underlined part Trenches cut>>> Trenches that were cut Simulataneoulsy while eating, he sang. This is wrong because of redundancy: both simultaneously and while indicate simultaneity. Per capita - per person annual slalry per year Use VAN (active verb>adjective/adverb>noun preferred 1. Verb is preferred to an Action Noun My revolution was against corruption I revolted against corruption (a noun that expresses action) + a generic verb They are subject to applicability of rules Rules apply to them (be/make) will be used to replace a verb made a reference = refer Her decision was to go She decided to go weight of X is = X weighs His example was an influence/ inspiration on me His example influenced/ inspired me conception of x = conceives X as cost of x = x costs 2. Verb is prefered to adjective The artist was influential to the movement Artist ifluenced the movement ( adjective form + to be verb) is not prefered is aggravating to = agrravates is indicative of = indicates is suggestive of = suggests are able to go = can go was inspirational = inspired 3. Adjective is prefered to Noun avoid noun derived from adj, use adj itself There is an abundance of funds Funds are abundant has the ability to < is able to < can is in isolation < is isolated it is of such debilitation is wordier than it is so debilitating of the conviction that < convinced that have a disinclination < is disinclined 4. Adverb is prefered to prepositional clause to modify a verb phrase, use adverb rather than prepositional phrases (with nouns) to a significant degree = significantly prices have fallen to a considerable extent < prices have fallen considerably ( also fall to is use with a quantity, not extent - prices have fallen to one dollar) 5. That clause (with verbs) is prefered to a series of phrases (with nouns) Hypothesis about the composition of universe as largely dark energy Hypothesis that the universe is largely composed of dark energy seems strange Idea nouns such as - hypothesis, idea, sugegstion, belief, discovery, evidence, indication, report often modified by that clauses which are full sentences the belief that the earth is flat Elimination Be: Overuse of Be verb forms (is, are, am , was, were, will be ) 1. Adjective> Adjective clause with be Marcos is a professor who is admirable Marcos is an admirable professor Marcos, who is a professor, lives in Bombay Marcos, a professor, lives in Bombay 2. Remove it is.. That… It is withour fear that children should play Children should play without fear It is expected that the prices will rise << prices are expected to rise remove it is construction it is their fault < they are at fault Concision should be used last, sometimes wordy options with 'the fact that' 'being..' are right, as all other answer options are gramatically wrong the fact that is correctly used to start noun clauses Overuse of Concision GMAT Trap: False Concision Keep the prepositional phrase if you need to I talked to Boston Soldier I talked to the soldier from Boston A noun adjective is a noun placed in front of another noun acting functionally as adjective works best with of prespositional phrases wall of stone = stone wall For prepositions other than of, avoid collapsing prepositional phrases soldier from boston> boston soldier Yamuna River Access < access to river yamuna population changes of bees < changes in population of bees Don’t collapse even the -of prepositional phrases when you have a time period, quantity or other measurement as frst word the merger year < the year of merger honeybee population's density < density of honeybee population the memorial day week < the week of memorial day oxygen amount< amount of oxygen Don’t modify a measurement using noun adjective or possessive sugar weight/ Sugar's weight weight of sugar is preferred Keep that of/those of if you need to The face I see in the mirros is a famous actor wrong The face I see in the mirror is that of a famous actor Eliminate the unnecessary ones! The fields I most enjoy studying are those of physics and english The fields I most enjoy studying are Physics and english Keep that after a reporting verb The study indicates the problem has vanished wrong The study indicates that the problem has vanished verbs like indicate, claim, contend, report which report thoughts or beliefs which are independent sentences (problem has vanished) agree, declare, find, reveal, rule, show, doubt,expect, hold, be convinced, be certain , be assured announce, assert, believe, confess, demonstrate, know, mention, observe, proclaim, reason, recognise, repeat, state, think , warn Exception : Say Say is followed by a full sentence but not with that People said I talked too much! right you may agree there is wastage wrong! you may agree that there is wastage always check for 'that'! So many options try to trap by being completely correct but missing the 'that' in the end - and you tend to overlook that! GMAT ques: don’t sacrifice meaning to concision - if there is pronoun ambiguity, repeat the noun.