Sentence Correction

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
- Henry David Thoreau

In most cases, sentence correction questions follow a standard format. Some part of or all of a sentence will be underlined; this is the part you need to focus in on. Your job is to determine whether there is an error and, if there is, to choose the best correction from the choices provided. If you feel that there isn't an error, select the first answer choice - this is the same as the original sentence.

When you are trying to figure out the best answer choice, the following technique can help you decide:

• First, go over the original question in your head. If you notice anything that doesn't sound right or natural, eliminate the first answer choice since it's always the same as the original. If you are a native English speaker or confident with your English language skills, you can also eliminate other answer choices that sound unnatural, even if you don't know exactly what the error is.

• Next, try to identify the error in the sentence. If you are able to find the right way to correct the error immediately, then trust your instincts. If not, compare the answer choices and look for differences among the choices you are given. Sometimes the same error will occur in multiple options. In this case, eliminate all of the options with the same error. Eliminate the answers with errors and settle on one, or at the most, two options. It is very important that you don't second-guess yourself in this situation.

Understanding GMAT English

Thankfully, GMAT Sentence Corrections do not test every grammar rule there is, which makes things much easier on you. Here are the five rules that you do need to understand when dealing with GMAT English:

1. Basic Sentence Structure

If you took elementary English and remember any of it, then you should know what a verb is. Essentially, a verb is the action the subject is performing in a sentence. For example, consider the following sentence:

• Layla ran home.

In this sentence, Layla is the subject and ran is the verb because it describes the action that the subject is performing. Sometimes, a verb consists of two parts: the auxiliary, or helping verb, and the main verb. Take this sentence for instance:

• Layla's house is burning.

In this case, the subject is now house, while is burning is the verb. Is is the auxiliary verb while burning is the main verb.

Remember that verbs must agree with their subjects. A singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires—yep, you guessed it—a plural verb. This rule is a popular one on the GMAT and one that will trip up many a test-taker. Follow these rules, so it doesn't happen to you:

Correctly identify the subject and verb of the sentence

Contrary to popular belief, the verb does not always follow the subject. Sometimes the verb comes first. Although this isn't normally the case, it will show up on the GMAT as a way of throwing you off base. Many sentences that begin with the words "here" or "there" have this kind of inverted construction. The key to this type of question is spotting the subject and verb. Once you've done that, just make sure they agree. It's really that simple. Let's look at some examples:

• Here (is, are) the invoices from last month. • There (is, are) the dog that you have been looking for.

To answer these questions correctly, you need to identify the subject in each sentence. To find the subject, ask the question "Who or what [insert verb here]?" in each sentence.

(verb)

The answer to that question will be your subject. In the above sentences, the answers are invoices and dog. One is plural and one is singular, and they both require verbs that agree in number. Therefore, are is the correct verb in the first sentence whereas is is appropriate for the second. The words here and there are inconsequential to the answers. If you see these words on a question asking you to identify the verb, it might be a good idea to cross them out right away to prevent them from influencing your answer.

Look out for collective and compound subjects

Sometimes subjects can be tricky, especially when they come in the form of collective nouns which may be singular even though they refer to more than one person or object. If this rule doesn't make sense to you, don't despair—you don't have to agree with it; you just have to follow it. It is what we can call "GMAT correct," not "common-sense correct." Let's examine some sentences including collective nouns acting as subjects.

• The team (win, wins) the game against Green Oak every year. • The jury (has, have) been deliberating for three hours. • My family (is, are) planning to visit Europe this summer.

In the first sentence, the team is probably comprised of twenty or more players, but since we are referring to them collectively, the noun is singular, at least in the grammatical sense. Therefore, wins is the correct verb in the first sentence.

• The price of eggs is rising; a dozen eggs (cost, costs) nearly two dollars nowadays.

In this sentence, you may be tempted to select the plural verb cost because it immediately follows eggs. However, the subject is really a dozen, which is an intangible concept and is singular. Therefore, the correct verb is the singular costs. Another easy way to tell that you need a singular verb in this instance is the article a. A only precedes singular or uncountable subjects. The exception to this rule is the phrase a number of.

• A number of cars on my street are parked illegally.

Like collective subjects, compound subjects can also throw you a curveball when it comes to finding an agreeable verb. By definition, a compound subject is one that is comprised of two or more nouns joined by the conjunction and. A compound subject always takes a plural verb.

Compound subjects joined by "and": • John and Mary (is, are) coming to dinner. • The cat and the dog (plays, play) together.

When subjects are joined by "and," they are usually plural and require a plural verb. Therefore, are and play are correct.

Subjects joined by "or" or "nor": • Either John or his brothers (is, are) responsible. • Neither the church nor the schools (is, are) open today.

In these cases, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. In the first sentence, brothers is the subject nearest the verb, so select are. In the second sentence, schools is the subject nearest the verb, so select are.

Be aware of pronouns

When answering a question dealing with subject-verb agreement, it's also important to be on the lookout for pronouns, especially indefinite ones. Some are always singular such as: someone, no one, everyone, nobody, and everybody. Some of these singular indefinite pronouns, like everyone and everybody, for instance, sound plural, so be especially careful with these. Look at the following examples:

• Everyone (is, are) happy to be here. • No one (is, are) uncomfortable.

Even though the subject in the first sentence appears to refer to more than one person whereas the subject in the second refers to not even one, both are considered singular, grammatically speaking, and require a singular verb. Therefore, the verb is is correct for both of the above sentences.

There are some pronouns that vary in their count according to what they represent. All and none are the pronouns in this case that can play tricks on you. Look at the following examples:

• All of the pizza (was, were) eaten by the time I arrived. • All of the people (was, were) ready to go home. • None of the milk (was, were) spilled. • None of the children (was, were) ready for the test.

In the first and third sentences, the pronouns refer to things that cannot be counted (pizza and milk), so singular verbs (was) are appropriate. In the second and fourth sentences, the pronouns refer to things that can be counted (people and children), so plural verbs (were) are appropriate.

Watch out for prepositional phrases and interrupting clauses

It's essential to identify the true subject of the sentence and not be fooled by prepositional phrases or other interrupting elements that come between the subject and verb.

• The frogs on the lily pad (jumps, jump) into the water. • Each of the musicians (was, were) given a standing ovation. • A series of Loch Ness Monster sightings (has, have) turned Scotland into a tourist destination. • There (is, are) a number of different ways to cook oysters.

In the first example, since frogs is the subject (not lily pad), jump is correct. In the second example, each is singular because it refers to the individual musicians, so was is the correct answer. In the third example, series is always singular and is the subject, not Loch Ness Monster sightings. Therefore, has is the correct answer. Keep your eye out for tricks in which subjects like "series", "spate", and "succession" are followed by prepositional phrases containing plurals. These subjects are still singular! Also be careful of words, such as series, that end in the letter s but are really singular. In the last example, a number of different ways is plural because it means several. Therefore, the correct answer is are.

2. Pronouns and Modifiers

The second grammatical rule that you need to follow on the GMAT deals with pronouns and modifiers. Before we get to the examples, let's quickly review pronouns. Essentially, a pronoun substitutes for a noun (you, they, she, he, it...etc). Looking at the following sentence will make this much clearer:

• Robert gave his steak to Mindy

In this case, all three nouns (Robert, steak, Mindy) can be replaced by pronouns; for example, He gave it to her. If Robert, the steak, and Mindy have all been mentioned before, then the reader can deduce what the pronouns he, it, and her refer to.

Other examples of sentences that use pronouns include:

• Take it or leave it. • I love you. • She stared at them. • That reminds me of him.

Make sure that pronouns refer to only one thing, and that modifying phrases are positioned in the sentence as closely as possible to what they are modifying. If a pronoun is underlined, find out what the pronoun is replacing, and make sure it agrees in number with its antecedent (the noun it is replacing).

Examples of pronoun errors:

• The student submitted their paper on time. (Error: student is singular, their is plural) • Correct: The student submitted his or her paper on time.

• John told Bill that he needed to study more. (Error: unclear pronoun reference - who needs to study?) • Correct: John told Bill that Bill needed to study more.

Modifying phrases must be placed correctly:

• Walking down the street, the building caught my attention. (Error: the building wasn't walking) • Correct: Walking down the street, I noticed the building.

Fewer vs. Less:

• Fewer is used with countable nouns • Less is used with uncountable nouns

Examples: • Fewer than 30 people showed up. ("Fewer" is used because a number is countable.) • Less than 30 percent of the people showed up. ("Less" is used because percentages cannot be counted.)

3. Parallel Structure

The next rule is on parallel structure: a) making sure that similar items in a list have a similar construction, and b) only elements of the same sort are being compared. No matter what nouns, verbs, or other elements are in a sentence, if they are of the same importance, they should be expressed the same way. See the following sample sentences to understand parallel structure.

• The downward trend of the hockey team comes from mismanagement, poor performance, and (star players relocating, relocation of star players) to other teams.

In this example, the three elements in the list should be parallel. The first two are nouns (mismanagement, poor performance), so the third should also be a noun. Therefore, relocation of star players is correct.

• I like hiking, swimming, and (to bike, biking).

Since hiking and swimming are gerunds, biking maintains the parallel structure.

Parallel comparisons:

• Mary is not only intelligent (and also, but also, but is also) hardworking. • To visualize excellence is not the same as (to achieve, achieving) it.

The use of the infinitive "To visualize" in the first part of the sentence sets the structure of the sentence and necessitates the use of "to achieve" in the latter part. You can't compare apples to oranges, and you have to make sure that your comparisons are logically similar to each other. Remember that in parallel structures and comparisons, you can only compare similar words.

4. Idioms

Using correct idioms can be difficult, and knowing the "right" way of saying something is not always easy. You might not be able to guess the meaning of an idiom as it has more of a figurative meaning than a literal one. When you say, He kicked the bucket, people who speak the English language understand that he did not literally kick the bucket, but that he died. Not all idioms are figurative, however. Some are simply defined as how something is said in a certain language. There are no rules that make it so; that's just how it's done. Let's look at a few examples:

• Wayne Gretzky is regarded (as, to be) one of the greatest NHL hockey players. • Pollution from greenhouse gases is generally (considered, considered as, considered to be) a major threat to the environment. • It took me twice as long to build the shed collaboratively (as, than) it would have taken by myself.

Idioms can also be used in comparison and, as a result, must be followed by parallel constructions.

• Neil Young is not just a great singer, (and also, but also, but is also) a legendary musical icon.

Looking at the first example, the correct answer is as; "regarded as" is the correct use of idiom and not "regarded to be".

The correct answer for the second example is considered. Although considered to be is also grammatically correct, it will not be considered idiomatically correct on the GMAT.

The infinitive "to be" is implied and therefore stating it explicitly is redundant.

As is correct in the third example, because as long was used earlier in the sentence. You use than when it is preceded by an -er word, while you use as when it is preceded by as. For example: "I am taller than her." "I am twice as tall as her."

The last statement uses but also because the format for parallel construction with this idiom is:

not only … but also ….

These idioms cannot be explained by grammar or logic, but the good news is that the more you practice them, the more familiar they will become.

See the cheat sheet - a list of idioms at the end of the chapter - for a further review of idioms commonly found on the GMAT.

5. Avoid Redundancy and the Passive Voice

Avoid redundancy and do not use unnecessary words. Also, do not use the passive voice if you can avoid doing so.

Many errors come from using ineffective expressions and problems with style. The most common of these on the GMAT is the use of far too many words to get the point across. The most common style problems are:

• unnecessary words • redundancy
• using a passive voice when the sentence needs an active verb.

The passive voice is a sentence construction in which the subject is being acted upon rather than performing the action (passive rather than active). It is sometimes okay to use, such as in instances when the object is more important than the subject, but generally speaking, it should be avoided. The passive voice can be easily changed to an active voice by making the subject perform the action in the sentence.

• The kitchen is cleaned by Mary's housemate once a month. • Mary's housemate cleans the kitchen once a month.

Examples of redundancy:

• The reason why I was late was because of traffic. (Error: redundant use of "reason," "why," and "because") • Correct: I was late because of traffic.

• In my personal opinion, the movie was excellent. (Error: "personal" is redundant with "opinion") • Correct: In my opinion, the movie was excellent.

Passive vs. Active voice:

• Passive: The Lord of the Rings has been read by millions of readers since it was first published in 1951. • Active: Millions of readers have bought and read The Lord of the Rings since it was first published in 1951.

In the original sentence, the verb phrase has been is in the passive voice and should be revised.

Things to Remember…

• Always start by examining the question carefully. Try your best to find errors and problems with the original sentence before looking at the answer choices. If you find an error in the original sentence, go through the answer choices and eliminate all the ones that contain the same error. If you don't see an error in the original sentence, proceed to the choices and decide whether the original sentence is the best choice - if so, choose the first answer choice.

• Don't try to fix the original sentence if it's not broken!

• Read the sentence as a whole. Don't focus only on the underlined part. Sometimes the error lies in the relationship between the underlined part and the rest of the sentence.

• Use your ear, but don't rely on it completely. If something sounds wrong, it probably is. However, some correct answers may sound awkward because they follow formal grammatical rules rather than conversational patterns.

• Look for common error patterns. Subject-verb disagreement, pronoun errors, parallel structure problems, and idiom mistakes are frequently tested.

• Eliminate answer choices systematically. If you can identify the type of error, eliminate all choices that contain the same error.

• Choose the most concise answer when grammar is equal. The GMAT prefers clear, concise expression.

• Eliminate an answer choice immediately if you find a grammatical error. Although this section asks you to consider the effectiveness of the choices, the correct choice will never contain a grammatical error. On the other hand, don't expect to always find the perfect answer for the sentence, as the point is to pick the best choice among the answer choices provided, and not to construct a perfect sentence. In the case where you find all the answer choices flawed, simply pick the best choice available and move on.

Sample Questions

Now that you've mastered the key grammatical concepts tested on the GMAT, it's time to try your hand at some real life GMAT-style sentence correction questions. Good luck!

1. A recent study conducted on middle and high school students suggest that participation in competitive team sports has a positive effect on overall health and well-being.

A. suggest B. suggests
C. suggested D. will suggest E. have suggested

Knowledge of subject-verb agreement and verb tense is necessary to answer this question correctly. Using our techniques to successfully identify study as the subject of the sentence, we can then determine that a singular verb is necessary and eliminated options A and E because they have plural verbs. Then, eliminate C and D since the remainder of the sentence is in present tense and a shift in tense is unnecessary. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

More Practice from the GMAT® Review 13th Edition: Questions 16, 30, 62, 83,133

2. According to a recent survey, atheists are more knowledgeable about religious topics than the people who believe in Christ.

A. the people who believe in Christ B. the Christ-followers C. are Christians
D. those who believe in Jesus E. church-goers

This question tests your knowledge of parallel comparisons. As we reviewed earlier, items being compared should be stated in similar terms. In this case, the sentence is comparing the knowledge level of "atheists" and "those who believe in Christ." Although the phrase "those who believe in Christ" is not grammatically incorrect, it is not the most effective means of expression stylistically. Eliminate A and D because they are too wordy. Next, in order for the comparisons to be parallel, you need to repeat the verb "are." If you do not repeat the verb, the sentence implies that atheists know about two things: religious topics and the people who believe in Christ. Repeating the verb applies the phrase "are knowledgeable" to both subjects. Therefore, option C is correct.

More Practice from the GMAT® Review 13th Edition: Questions 11, 32, 85, 124, 132

3. Some instructional professors believe that alternative forms of assessment are more authentic ways of assessing student performance than are traditional exams.

A. instructional professors B. educational professors C. professors D. instructive professors
E. didactic professors

This is a clear example of redundancy. The very definition of the word "professor" implies that such a figure is indeed "instructional," so this fact need not be stated explicitly. All other options exhibit the same error in redundancy, making them easy to eliminate. Therefore, C is the correct answer.

More Practice from the GMAT® Review 13th Edition: Questions 24, 35, 56, 58, 137

4. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, and the ability to keep a singular vision for the future are the true keys to success.

A. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, and the ability to keep a singular vision for the future B. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, as well as the ability to keep a singular vision for the future C. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, in addition to one's ability to keep a singular vision for the future D. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, and having the ability to keep a singular vision for the future E. Focusing on the positive, setting achievable goals, and keeping a singular vision for the future

This question deals with parallel construction and items in a series. In this sentence, the first two items in the series are gerund phrases; therefore, it stands to reason that the last item should also be expressed as a gerund phrase. Eliminate options A, B, and C.D fixes the error but is not as concise as E, so E is the GMAT correct response.

More Practice from the GMAT® Review 13th Edition: Questions 26, 38, 51, 116, 121

5. The extinction of so many endangered species in North America has been attributed with a general lack of concern for wildlife.

A. has been attributed with B. had been attributed with C. had been attributed to D. has been attributed to E. has been attributed by

This question challenges your knowledge of verb tense and idiomatic expressions. There are no words of time or other past tense verbs that indicate you should switch from "has" to "had," so eliminate choices B and C. Next, focus on the change in prepositions in the answer choices. These changes indicate an idiom error. In English, speakers use the preposition "to" after the verb "attribute" to indicate a catalyst or cause for an event or phenomenon. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

More Practice from the GMAT® Review 13th Edition: Questions 5, 12, 34, 69, 95

Idioms Cheat Sheet

Here is one of the many sets of notes I prepared while studying for the test. This note is rough and in its original form without much editing because I want to show you exactly what worked for me and how I took notes in my notebook. I found it extremely useful to have this notebook with me whenever I was studying to write down things that were difficult. The notebook was the only thing I took with me to the center on the day of the test and it proved to be excellent material to read right before the test.

"due to" vs "because of"

due to - modifies nouns. Her failure was due to poor study habits.

because of - modifies verbs. She failed because of poor study habits.

"concur with" a person, "concur in" a decision

I concur with John. I concur in this decision.

A series of... has...

series, string, spate, succession → all singular.

also: company, committee, group, gang → all require singular pronouns.

"a number of" = "several" → always signals a plural subject.

A number of apples were stolen.

"the number of" → singular

The number of apples stolen was five.

Neither... nor (noun)... were/was | Either... or (noun)... were/was

were/was depends on the noun following "nor" as it is the subject of the sentence.

Neither you nor John was able to finish the race.

Either the boy or the girls were really loud last night.

"among" vs "between"

"among" is used when referring to three or more units, while "between" is used when referring to two.

It was very difficult for me to choose between coffee and tea.

Among the three choices, tea was the healthiest drink.

watch out for "Because... so..." and "Because... therefore..." → redundant sentence structure and often incorrect.

... is "credited with (verb-ing)"... → "with" is correct

...is "credited for (verb-ing)"... → "for" is incorrect

"just as... so..." - Just as interest in climate change increased, so the number of hybrid cars sold increased.

"more than" - I certainly have more confidence now than five years ago.

"the reason... was because..." → incorrect. This is redundant because the word "reason" already means "because." Likewise, "the reason why" would be redundant. The correct idiom is "the reason that."

"between... and..." ex. between Los Angeles and San Francisco

"from... to..." ex. from Los Angeles to San Francisco

"... insist that ... (original verb-form) ..."

Airlines insist that each passenger pass through a metal detector.

"require to" - You are required to bow when you accept someone's business card.

"if... then..." -If you go, then I will go.

"as... as..." - Life surprises you everyday, as a box of chocolates often does.

"decide to" - I couldn't decide whether to take the job or not.

"credit with" - The Beatles are often credited with starting the 1960's pop movement.

"double"(verb) vs. "twice"(comparison)

The landlord tried to double the rent on our house.

That would mean paying twice as much as we do now.

A person is irritated. A situation or condition is aggravated.

"each other" (2 things) vs. "one another" (3 or more things) -

The pear and cheese compliment each other.

The pear, cheese and walnuts compliment one another.

"associate with" - People often associate Japan with sushi.

"extent to which" - I was surprised at the extent to which the student's listened to their teacher.

"considered to be + (noun)" will never be correct on the GMAT. It should be "considered + (noun)"

"not ... but rather/merely ..." - it is not fun but rather tedious walking the dog each morning.

"believe ... to be ..." - I believe the bag to be fake.

"distinguish between... and..." - It is hard to distinguish between John and Jack.

"so as" is never correct on the GMAT

"so... as to be..." however is often correct

"perceive as" - Can a robot be perceived as a developing creature?

"native to" (plants, animals, etc.) vs. "native of" (people's birthplaces) -

The kangaroo is native to Australia.

Pamela Anderson is a native of Canada.

"prohibit from" - Kids are prohibited from entering this venue after midnight.

"either... or..." - I could either go to the movies or finish my homework

"like" vs. "such as"

"such as" is used for examples, while "like" is used to demonstrate similarities.

He loves outdoor sports such as hiking an camping.

This place smells like curry.

"resistance to" - Vitamin C increases one's resistance to catching a cold.

"range from ... to ..." - The ages of people working in this factory range from twenty to fifty.

"same as" - The book he is holding is the same as the one on that table.

"likely to" - If you study effectively, you are likely to do well.

... is "estimated to be" ... → "to be" is correct

... is "estimated as" ... → "as" is incorrect

This church is estimated to be over 250 years old.

"try to" - Why don't you try to do it too?