“Sentence correction question in GMAT is a tough nut to crack” is the most common opinion of majority test-takers. It can be an easy task for a native English speaker while others feel it is impossible to solve when all the options seem to be correct.
To talk in stats, 40 % of the verbal section in GMAT is sentence correction questions and the remaining 60% splits into Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension questions equally. The most common mistake by GMAT aspirants in the verbal section is, they go with what “sounds” correct. Chances for inaccuracy are high in such cases. Sentence correction questions test your ability of English usage and grammar sense. To succeed, choose the path of practice.
We are not going to conclude by just asking you to practice. To erase the ‘unbreakable nut’ myth, we are presenting the 9 best actionable GMAT Sentence correction questions tips.
1. Target the tenses
Even though the word ‘tenses’ is familiar since childhood, it is still a nightmare for most of the candidates. Are you one of those? No worries.
While answering the sentence correction question you will be asked to keep up with the tense of the verb. But the trap here will be two or more verbs in a sentence. Do all need to be in the same tense? Not exactly, the verb tense will be shifted based on the sudden change in the action at that particular point of time. So, keep an eye on words like, “suddenly, till, until, by the time”, etc.
Example:
I was writing up hurriedly when the invigilator suddenly take my paper.
Answer:
I was writing up hurriedly when the invigilator suddenly took my paper.
2. Get familiar with Idioms
Idioms are simple expressions in the English language. A simple tip to answer idiomatic questions is to get used to them. That’s it. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
For example, ‘As well as’ is a phrase which is well noted for everyone, and if any mistake is written like ‘As Well are’ anyone can easily identify it. In the same way, if you get familiar with idioms by memorizing and using them, these questions will become easier.
3. Is the subject-verb agreeing?
While answering sentence correction questions, always keep asking yourself, “is subject and verb are agreeing?” This is the most repetitive type of question in the GMAT sentence correction test.
[Read more: 5 Easy Tips to Prepare for GMAT Quant]
4. Misplaced Modifiers
The modifiers are the phrases to describe a part of the sentence. GMAT’s typical way of asking the question is by misplacing the modifiers.
Example: Harry almost broke all the rules of Hogwarts University.
Here, ‘Almost’ is the modifier that is modifying “the number of rules”. So the correct way to write is, Harry broke almost all the rules of Hogwarts University. Modifiers should be close to the noun it is modifying.
5. Be aware of Pronoun’s antecedent
This is one of the important tips for GMAT Sentence corrections, as it is easy but still goes wrong if we did not check properly. Before explanation, check the example.
Example: When Lucy dropped her mug on the glass table, it broke.
The above sentence is not having a proper meaning as it is not mentioned clearly that whether the mug broke or the table. The usage of ‘it’ is confusing the reader here.
The correct way to write it is: When Lucy dropped her mug on the glass table, her mug broke.
6. Check the non-underlined portion
Here is one of the expert tips to score better in GMAT sentence corrections. Generally, you need to correct the underlined part of the sentence. But most of the time, the clue for on what basis the correction should be made will be in the non-underlined part. So read the entire sentence before answering.
7. Need not be an error always
There is no such rule like there should be a mistake in a sentence for the sentence correction section. It can be even a matter of clarity. When a single word is describing five words, which is better to use? Single-word it is. Here the tip is when there is a short sentence in options; there are chances that it can be the right answer.
8. Illogical Comparison
Illogical comparisons confuse the readers as they sound with completely different meanings but cannot be right.
Example: She loves our son more than me.
In a way, this sentence seems correct. But your challenge is to correct it. How? Simple, illogical comparison questions are easy to detect as there will be clues like more than, like, less than, as, etc. Check the options and choose which sentence has actual sense.
Correct Answer: She loves our son more than I do.
9. Never get stuck at one point
This is the common tip for any section but still needs to repeat as it is important to remember. Never get stuck at a point where you are spending more time. Move on. If you have spare time, come back and brainstorm.
Every step seems to be in height until you step on it. Practice with the help of the best trainers for the GMAT test. Use all the expert tips and you will easily crack your nutshell.