Sentence
Correction, how does this sentence end
again…?
As we cover the last type of question on the verbal section of
the GMAT, keep in mind that each of
these sections/components should be equally studied. Because you
never know which type of question you'll be getting! So be
prepared by reading these lessons, doing the practice tests!
Don't worry Julie Andrews, we'll cover it
all!
Tell me more about these
sentence corrections!
Well, sentence corrections make up about one-third of the verbal questions on the GMAT, so you'll probably see around 16 questions throughout the section in random order. It will be in the form of a long sentence partially or completely underlined. Your job is to figure out whether or not the underlined part of sentence needs to be revised or changed in order to make it grammatically correct.
Instructions, Instructions
Read these now so you won't waste valuable time when you're in the exam…
Directions: Each sentence
correction question refers to a sentence, a portion or all of
which has been underlined. If you think the sentence is correct
as written, pick the first answer choice, which simply repeats
the underlined portion exactly. If you think there is something
wrong with the sentence as written, choose the answer choice that
best replaces the underlined portion of the sentence.
Sentence correction questions are designed to measure your correct use of grammar, you ability to form clear and effective sentences and your capability to choose the most appropriate words. Pick the answer that best states what was meant in the original sentence while adhering to the requirements of standard written English. Avoid constructions that are awkward, unclear, or redundant.
Sentence correction questions are designed to measure your correct use of grammar, you ability to form clear and effective sentences and your capability to choose the most appropriate words. Pick the answer that best states what was meant in the original sentence while adhering to the requirements of standard written English. Avoid constructions that are awkward, unclear, or redundant.
Whew..ok so now that you've read the very official instructions, let's go over ways in which you can look at the questions to analysis and answer them sufficiently.
You read above that the test markers are looking for the "best" answer which translates to the "most correct". One of the things that some people get hung up on is that the correct answer is not always the one that sounds like it would be the most correct answer. This is because we may not use the very most correct versions of sentences in our language from day to day.
The Little ThingsAnd then I don't feel so bad… The important thing about spotting errors in your sentence correction questions is to realize that it's all about a process of elimination. If you can spot the error and eliminate the other questions you'll be golden!
Choice A is something to look out for. It becomes the choice that makes the sentence as you read it the most correct answer. This can get confusing if answers following seem not very different at all. Look out for little things in the grammar. Here are some common sentence mistakes to look out for…
- Is the pronoun ambigious?
- Do the words used contradict other parts of the sentence?
- Are commas used correctly?
- Is the right tense used?
- Are plural forms used when they're not needed?
Tricky, Tricky
Something to look out for is a question that you know right off the bat has a mistake, and so you just pick a quick way to correct it. But, what could happen is in the process, add another part in which makes the sentence wrong again by adding an additional error. Don't just pick the answer that fixes the initial problem, pick the answer that fixes the initial, and doesn't add anything else to make it wrong yet again.
Take the Approach, any Approach
You Know the Flaw
As I've mentioned before, a great strategy is to take into consideration the process of elimination. You can do this by…
- Finding the Flaw (grammatical error in the sentence)
- Read Your Choices (which of the choices corrects the flaw?)
- Cancel Out the Bad Ones (so you're left with the ones that correct the initial error)
- Read What's Left (are there any additional errors added to confuse you?)
- Pick Your Answer (pick the one that corrects the first problem and does not include anything else fishy)
You might be asking, well, what if I..don't see the grammatical flaw? It may be a bit harder, but there is a way. Skip step one!
- Read Your Choices (do you see anything that's different? Any errors in the choices?)
- Cancel Out the Bad Ones (if you see errors in the choices, get rid of 'em!)
- Read What's Left (do they still work with the sentence given?)
- Pick Your Answer (pick the one that works the best in the sentence and the one without errors to start)
Now go frollick! Use your new skills and put them to the test with over 50 sentence correction trivia!
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