3-step Sentence Correction
Method
1.) Read
Read the complete sentence. Do not simply read the underlined part
of the sentence. Choice (A) will always be a copy of the original
underlined part of the sentence. If you cannot find any errors in
the original sentence, choose A. Don't worry about spelling, capitalization,
or punctuation; they are not covered in Sentence Correction questions.
2.) Dissect
Look for clues indicating what grammar rule the question is testing.
Keep an eye out for:
* Agreement Issues
Look for: pronouns, verbs, nouns and make sure everything
agrees.
* Modifiers
Look for: introductory phrases set off by a comma; make
sure the modifier is used correctly.
* Parallels
Look for: commas separating words in a list, as well as
expressions such as not only...but also, both..and, either...or,
neither...nor to make sure everything is parallel.
3.) Compare
Compare answer choices and note how they differ. Look for the answer
choice that preserves the meaning of the original sentence without
creating new errors. Eliminate answer choices with grammar errors.
Use the process of elimination scrap
paper charts to narrow your choices.
Sample Questions
Without a large amount
of rain water to keep it wet, flowering plants will not grow in
the soil this season.
a.) flowering plants will not grow in the soil this season.
b.) the soil will not produce flowering plants this season.
c.) the soil will not be producing flowering plants this season.
d.) this season's flowering plants will not be growing in the soil.
e.) flowering plants will not grow in this season's soil.
This question is testing your awareness of modifiers. Without
a large amount of rain water to keep it wet is a modifier thatt
should be modifying soil. In the sentence it is followed by "flowering
plants." Thus the modifier is misplaced and should be followed
by "the soil." All answer choices that begin with anything
other than "the soil" can be eliminated immediately. We
are left, then, with B and C. C is incorrect because it creates a
new error by adding " will be producing" when the sentence
needs to be in the simple future, stating directly that the soil "will
not produce" flowing plants. Thus B is correct.
1. 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 gas-powered kegs
(B) hand ale pumps cost twice as much 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 pumps. 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....
2. 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.
| Many
students have a difficult time with sentence correction. If need
more help, consider using a GMAT classroom class or tutoring
offered by a company such as Veritas
GMAT Prep. |
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