Sentence Correction Concepts

PRIME – a technique exclusive to Top-One-Percent GMAT (T.O.P.-GMAT) – is the most

effective technique to solve any GMAT SC question … you are sure to reach near 100%
accuracy if you master this correctly.

PRIME stands for:

 Preferences
 Rules
 Idioms
 Meaning Clarity
 Elimination

Let‘s start with the RULES.

Learning grammar theoretically is quite cumbersome; a better way to learn is by spotting errors in GMAT-like
sentences and learning the ―rules‖ … the reverse approach.

The following 50 one-liners contain ALL – I mean absolutely ALL the rules needed for the GMAT. These will be
explained in detail.

Indicate errors, if any, in the following sentences:

1. Every day, the scent of apples and cinnamon sticks permeate throughout the cider mill, causing most visitors
to purchase snacks while on the tour.

2. This is one of those (book / books) that (was / were) published last year.

3. Dhoni is one of those cricketers who (does / do) modeling assignments.

4. One of my (friend / friends) (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

a. He is one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

b. He is only one / just one / but one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

c. He is the only one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

d. The French (is / are) usually fashion-conscious people.

5. They each (is / are) applying for the same job.

6. What concern me (is the election result / are the election results).

7. Around the corner, there (is / are) a bakery and a supermarket.

8. A new generation of electronic products, gizmos, and gadgets, which happen to be as short-lived as one
would expect, leading to utter chaos among the members of the common citizenry, (creep / creeps) up every
year.

9. Each of the five boys (do / does) (his / their) homework in time.

Check the following (10-20) for parallel structure:

10. According to the teachings of the Buddhist and Hindu religions, attaining nirvana is to enter a state of
supreme liberation.

11. He said that the college rusticated him and his future was bleak. / The scientist said that the research needed
a new investment but he would not like federal intervention.
12. The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions, significant reductions in
overall troop levels, (raising / the raising of) the rebel flag on holidays, AND a general pardon.

13. The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND (releasing / the
releasing of / the release of) certain political prisoners.

14. The match was interesting but fixed. / The sizzler was spicy, appetizing, but a bit overcooked. / Because of
strained budgets and fading public support, Indian Hockey is dying a slow death.

15. The man speaking at the event talked about the dangers of the war, cracked many jokes, and enthralled the
audience by his witty one-liners.

16. The increased popularity and availability of televisions has led to the decline of regional dialects, language
variations originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated by geographic isolation.

17. The growth of the railroads led to the abolition of local times, determined by when the sun reached the
observer‘s meridian and differing from city to city, and to the establishment of regional times.

18. The stock market crashed, which caused a lot of people to lose money. OR The stock market crashed, and it
caused a lot of people to lose money. OR The stock market crashed and caused a lot of people to lose
money. OR The stock market crashed, causing a lot of people to lose money.

19. Mumbai houses 20 million people, the cultural capital of India, and has a lot of potential for a newcomer with
dreams.

20. Since the teacher introduced the classroom reward system, students have begun paying closer attention,
completing homework, following directions, and have stopped causing disruptions during lessons.

21. In 1975, Sippy produced a film that became the biggest blockbuster that Indian Cinema had ever seen.

22. The Supreme Court decreed that he should take charge of the situation. / I insist that she should be quiet.

23. India (has progressed / had progressed / progressed) progressed throughout the 20th century.

24. The patient (had died / died) before the doctor (reached / had reached).

25. By the age of 21, Akbar (ruled / had ruled) India for eight years. / By 1991, Jazz music (became / had
become) very popular in India.

26. It is raining for 3 hours / it has rained for 3 hours / it has been raining for 3 hours.

27. Although it (stopped / has stopped) raining, I am still feeling cold.

28. The parents tried to explain the risks involved in hitch hiking, but it was useless.

29. Real Estate analysts have found that home prices have nearly doubled in the last ten years in the Southern
California market, which is consistent with the increases in population and inflation there.

30. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that she thought of writing its sequel. / Jane‘s first novel was so well
received that her bank balance soared.

31. While most Americans have heard of and used Microsoft products, few people know that its name is actually
short for ―microcomputer software.‖

32. While the company insists that its starting salary for a man working in the executive branch of the
organization be the same as a woman in equal capacity, the watchdog group found a significant gender wage
gap.

33. The sixth Harry Potter book, by British author J.K. Rowling, sold a record 8.9 million copies in the first 24
hours it was on sale—more than any author till date.

34. (As / Like) I mentioned earlier, the test date has been moved up.
35. (As / like) other children in her neighborhood who were home-schooled, Joan sometimes missed being in a
classroom with her peers.

36. (As / like) a doctor, she earns a lot of respect. / The nurse performed the emergency surgery (as / like) a
doctor.

37. This wall acts (as / like) a buffer. / My cooler cools (as / like) an air-conditioner. / This window creaks (as /
like) a window. / He jumped (as / like) a clown.

38. Walking through the desolate lanes of the deserted city, (vandalism became apparent / it became apparent
that the city had been vandalized).

39. Upon leaving the counter, the cashier handed the customer a receipt.

40. Unskilled in complex math, Bill's score on the entrance exam was poor.

41. Overjoyed by the quarterly results, a new bonus scheme was immediately announced by the manager.

42. Although the area had little traffic and pedestrians, the developers were convinced that the restaurant should
be opened in the district; it was only a matter of time before urban sprawl would bring residents and visitors
alike.

43. The Battle of Gettysburg, considered the turning point of the Civil War, saw one-third of its participants killed
and injured.

44. Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.

45. The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, which ultimately failed.

46. In America, as in anywhere else in the world, we must find a focus in our lives at an early age, a focus that is
beyond the mechanics of earning a living or coping with a household.

47. If I meet her, I will tell her a story.

48. If I met her, I would tell her a story. OR If I were to meet her, I would tell her a story. OR Were I to meet
her, I would tell her a story.

49. If I had met her, I would have told her a story.

50. There are hopeful signs that we are shifting away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels: more than ten times
as much energy is (generated through wind power now as it was / generated through wind power now as
was the case) in 1990.
 Solutions
1. Every day, the scent of apples and cinnamon sticks permeate throughout the cider mill, causing most visitors to
purchase snacks while on the tour.

CORRECTION:
Every day, the scent of apples and cinnamon sticks permeates throughout the cider mill, causing most visitors to
purchase snacks while on the tour.

SCENT is singular... so the singular verb PERMEATES should be used... also, the meaning of the word
„permeate‟ is to „spread throughout‟ the available space... so we don‟t need the word „throughout‟.

2. This is one of those (book / books) that (was / were) published last year.
CORRECTION: This is one of those books that were published last year.

This might sound awkward... normally we might want to associate ONE... WAS...

But here, THAT as a pronoun refers to BOOKS... hence we need WERE... also, WERE gives the logically
correct meaning.

3. Dhoni is one of those cricketers who (does / do) modelling assignments.

CORRECTION: Dhoni is one of those cricketers who DO modelling assignments.

This might sound awkward... normally we might want to associate ONE... DOES...

But here, WHO as a pronoun refers to CRICKETERS... hence we need DO... also, DO gives the logically
correct meaning.

4. One of my (friend / friends) (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

Correction: One of my friends is an IT professional.

Here we are talking about one person only.

a. He is one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

CORRECTION: He is one of my friends who are IT professionals.

This might sound awkward... normally we might want to associate ONE... IS...

But here, WHO as a pronoun refers to FRIENDS... hence we need ARE... also, ARE gives the
logically correct meaning.

b. He is only one / just one / but one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

CORRECTION: He is only one / just one / but one of my friends who are IT professionals.

This might sound awkward... normally we might want to associate ONE... IS...

But here, WHO as a pronoun refers to FRIENDS... hence we need ARE... also, ARE gives the logically
correct meaning.

c. He is the only one of my friends who (is an IT professional / are IT professionals).

CORRECTION: He is THE only one of my friends who IS an IT professional.

Watch out: Here THE ONLY ONE means there is only one person... so IS.

d. The French (is / are) usually fashion-conscious people.

 CORRECTION: The French ARE usually fashion-conscious people.
The + Adjective... is usually considered plural for the entire group.

The poor, the needy, the underprivileged, the rich, the wounded, the brave etc. all are plural.

By the same logic, the GMAT considers all “the + tribe” constructions plural:

The ONEIDA, THE MOHAWK, THE TOLTEC, THE ANASAZI etc. are all considered plural.

5. They each (is / are) applying for the same job.

CORRECTION: They each ARE applying for the same job.

Here the subject is THEY... (EACH is only an intensifier... just a filler)...

They each ARE applying for the same job.

But if the sentence is ―Each of them IS applying for the job.‖... Here ‗IS‘ is correct because the subject is EACH.

―Each of them IS applying for the job.‖...

6. What concern me (is the election result / are the election results).

Here the verb is CONCERN (this does not end in „s‟, so this is a plural verb).

So the right answer will be:

CORRECTION: What concern me are the election results.

Had the sentence been ―What concerns me ...‖ then the subject must be singular.

CORRECT: What concerns me is the election result.

7. Around the corner, there (is / are) a bakery and a supermarket.

If you flip this sentence, it will become: There ARE a bakery AND a supermarket around the corner.

On the GMAT, two subjects joined by AND are always considered PLURAL.

Correction: Around the corner, there ARE a bakery and a supermarket.

8. A new generation of electronic products, gizmos, and gadgets, which happen to be as short-lived as one would
expect, leading to utter chaos among the members of the common citizenry, (creep / creeps) up every year.

Correction:

A new GENERATION of electronic products, gizmos, and gadgets, which happen to be as short-lived as one would
expect, leading to utter chaos among the members of the common citizenry, CREEPS up every year.

It is important to remove the clutter between the subject and the verb.

9. Each of the five boys (do / does) (his / their) homework in time.

CORRECTION: EACH of the five boys DOES HIS homework in time.

The subject of the sentence is clearly EACH.

Check the following (10-20) for parallel structure:

10. According to the teachings of the Buddhist and Hindu religions, attaining nirvana is to enter a state of supreme
liberation.

This question tests X is Y Parallelism.

In such constructions, X must be parallel to Y.

―attaining nirvana is to enter‖ is definitely not parallel.

This could be corrected in 2 ways:

TO ATTAIN ... is TO ENTER

OR

ATTAINING ... is ENTERING.

11. He said that the college rusticated him and his future was bleak.

This sentence tests THAT and THAT Parallelism.

For any reporting verbs such as say, find, report, prove etc., the following is a rule on the GMAT:

The reporting verb is followed by THAT...

So THAT can be called a clause INTRODUCER...

The word THAT is repeated with every CLAUSE (a part of a sentence that contains a VERB)

CORRECTION: He said THAT (THAT is compulsory) the college HAD rusticated him (CLAUSE) and THAT his
future was bleak (CLAUSE).

“HAD rusticated” is compulsory here... ―Rusticated‖ alone will not suffice.

Here is the reason:

Imagine the sentence:

The teacher came to know that John had cheated in the test.

Here, there are 2 actions in the past...

John cheated (earlier) ................... teacher came to know (later)

There is a clear time difference between the two events.

In this situation, the event happening earlier is written with HAD + 3 rd form (past participle) of the Verb and the
event happening later is written with the past tense (second form of the verb).

This conforms to the diagram below:

So in this sentence, there are 2 past actions: rustication (earlier) and He said (later):

CORRECTION: He said THAT (THAT is compulsory) the college HAD rusticated him (CLAUSE) and THAT his
future was bleak (CLAUSE).
 The words AND / OR / BUT maintain strict parallelism on either side.

Part 2 CORRECTION: The scientist proved THAT the research needed a new investment (CLAUSE) but THAT he
would not like federal intervention (CLAUSE).
CAUTION: If the word THAT is used as a pronoun, THAT and THAT parallelism is not compulsory.

Imagine the sentence:

Countries that invest heavily in military and thus gain some kind of forced hegemony in world affairs don‘t get the
respect that they would otherwise get.

Here THAT is a pronoun referring to countries. So here, after that word AND, the word THAT is not compulsorily
repeated.

BEFORE READING THE SOLUTIONS TO Q. 12 and 13, read the following note.

A note about –ING forms

These forms confuse students as these can be used in many ways:

–ING forms used as VERBS: An –ING form alone cannot be a verb… To be part of a verb, it must be accompanied
by some form of the verb "to be." So IS + ING, WAS + ING, AM + ING, ARE + ING, WERE + ING, HAS BEEN + ING,
HAVE BEEN + ING, HAD BEEN + ING, WILL BE + ING etc… will be verbs.

He IS RUNNING (VERB)

Note: It doesn‘t mean that everything of the form IS + ING is always verb. Focus on sentences below:

Seeing is believing. All he needs is training. His main problem is drinking.

In the sentences above, ―is believing‖, ―is training‖, or ―is drinking‖ are not verbs.

The words ―believing‖, ―training‖, and ―drinking‖ are nouns (gerunds).

–ING forms used as NOUNS (GERUNDS): –ING form (as a gerund) is a standalone noun.

RUNNING (Noun – gerund) is a good exercise.

The remaking of (Noun – gerund) Capitalism is called for.

Being an American (Noun – gerund) was an advantage for him in the home country.

CAUTION: Imagine the sentence: Being an American, she enjoyed certain privileges in Canada.

In this sentence, ―Being an American‖ is a modifier (acts as an adjective).

The best test to identify NOUNS is to ask a question with WHAT? If the answer is the –ING form, the given word
is a noun (gerund).

In the first sentence, we can definitely ask WHAT was an advantage? … The answer will be ―being an American‖ … so
it is a noun. In the second sentence, such a question cannot be asked.

–ING Forms used as Adjectives (Present Participles) – referring to a single noun in the sentence:

The resulting temperature was high. (The word ‗resulting‘ is an Adjective – present participle – used BEFORE the
noun ‗temperature‘).

The temperature resulting from the warming was high. (The word ‗resulting‘ is an Adjective – present participle –
used AFTER the noun ‗temperature‘).

–ING Forms used as Adjectival Modifiers (Present Participles) – referring to a single noun:
Looking at the baby‘s picture, she said that she also wanted a baby. (The word ‗looking‘ is an Adjective – this word
modifies SHE – so we call it the adjectival modifier―used away from and BEFORE the noun).

The captain resented the cuts in endorsements, fuming at the very suggestion given by the chairman of the Board.
(The word ‗fuming‘ is an Adjective – this word modifies the captain – so we call it the adjectival modifier―used away
from and AFTER the noun).

Remember: Adjectival modifiers used after the comma usually don‘t refer to the immediately preceding subject.

–ING Forms used as Adverbial Modifier – referring to a verb, action, or the entire preceding clause:

The firm‘s investors invested unwisely for three consecutive years, leading to the complete collapse of the bank.
(Here the word „leading‟ modifies the entire clause – so it is called the adverbial modifier).

Concrete nouns refer to things, people, places, and even time periods or certain events: rock, continent, electron,
politician, region, holiday, week etc.

Action nouns refer to actions, as their name implies. They are often formed from verbs: Eruption, pollution,
nomination, withdrawal, development, change, growth

–Ing forms of verbs can also be used as nouns to indicate actions. -Ing verb forms used as nouns are called
Gerunds.

How to identify ING forms as nouns?

Ask ―WHAT‖ … if the answer is the ING form, then it is a noun (gerund).

Fishing is fun. Smoking costs a lot of money. I don't like writing.

My favorite occupation is reading. I don't like writing letters.
Pointless questioning makes me sick. I dislike his coming here uninvited. She is good at dancing.
He is crazy about singing. I don't like playing cards.
They are afraid of swimming in the sea. You should give up smoking.
Sam dreams of being a pop-star. He is interested in making friends.
My uncle is afraid of going by plane. We insist on cooking the dinner ourselves.
Cooking is one of her hobbies. Cycling is fun.
Getting a good job is not easy. Finding a parking space is quite difficult in this area.
Driving becomes more and more expensive. No smoking in this area.
Making fun of other people is not nice. Learning about other cultures makes people more tolerant.

Focus on the sentence:

Tracking satellites accurately is important for the space agency.

The underlined phrase acts as a noun: Something is important for the space agency.

A settling of debts is called for. The clearing of forests is a bad idea.

The making of Titanic was aired. The accurate tracking of satellites is important for the space agency.

Wrong: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions, significant reductions
in overall troop levels, raising the rebel flag on holidays, AND a general pardon.

Right: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions, significant reductions in
overall troop levels, THE raising OF the rebel flag on holidays, AND a general pardon.

Wrong: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND releasing certain
political prisoners.

Wrong: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND THE releasing OF
certain political prisoners.

Right: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND THE RELEASE OF
certain political prisoners.
 So, logically speaking:

N || N || ING of || ING N > ING of > ING

If the noun form is not available, we have to use the gerund form.

Focus on the sentence below:

Doctors generally agree that such factors as cigarette smoking, eating rich foods high in fats, and alcohol
consumption not only do damage by themselves but also aggravate genetic predispositions toward certain diseases.

Here, the three factors are perfectly parallel: 1: cigarette smoking … 2: eating rich foods … 3: alcohol consumption

They're parallel because they're all nouns. As far as the choice between "consumption" and "consuming" goes:

if you are ever given a choice between a DEDICATED NOUN FORM of an action and the corresponding
GERUND form of the action, you should always go for the dedicated noun form.
Notice that this doesn‘t mean that you should automatically reject all -ING forms of those actions, since some of them are not gerunds; some of
them are modifiers, in which case you should absolutely use the -ING form.

Every year, the running of the Boston Marathon attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators.
--> this is correct, since there is no dedicated noun form (like ―runnage‖).
People running the Boston Marathon are generally in very good physical shape.
--> also correct; this is an adjective.
The performing of certain dance moves requires years of practice.
--> inferior, though not technically incorrect
The performance of certain dance moves requires years of practice.
--> correct, and better than the previous version
People performing dance moves extremely skillfully often appear to be exerting less effort than they really are.
--> correct; this "performing" is an adjective.

In this problem, "consumption" is the only one of the three words that has a dedicated noun form. (There are no
words such as "eatage", "smokation", etc.) … so that's the best you're going to get.

12. The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions, significant reductions in overall
troop levels, (raising / the raising of) the rebel flag on holidays, AND a general pardon.

The concept of GERUND:

Gerund is –ING form of the Verb used as a NOUN.

Imagine the sentences:

Reading this book took me 3 hours. ACCEPTABLE sentence!

The reading of this book took me 3 hours. ACCEPTABLE sentence!

The read (???) of this book took me 3 hours. NOT correct...

So sometimes we don‟t have a choice: we have to use the ING / ING OF forms as there is no noun such as
READ.

Now imagine the sentences:

Studying this book took me 3 hours. ACCEPTABLE sentence!

The studying of this book took me 3 hours. ACCEPTABLE sentence!

The STUDY of this book took me 3 hours. ACCEPTABLE sentence!

In this sentence, there is a choice we can use both ING / ING OF and a Standard Noun.
 Now ask a question:

WHAT took me 3 hours? – We can say Reading this book / the reading of this book / studying this book / the
studying of this book / the study of this book... ALL THESE ARE NOUNS.

Rules on the GMAT:

 If there is a choice between a gerund (ING form noun – let‘s say ‗studying‘ or ‗the studying of‘) and a
standard noun (study), we always prefer the standard noun.
 If there is a choice between an –ING and –ING OF noun, we prefer –ING OF.
 In terms of parallelism:
o A standard noun can be parallel to another standard noun.
o A standard noun can be parallel to an ING OF noun.
o A standard noun CAN be parallel to an ING noun but is not preferred.
o An ING OF noun CAN be parallel to an ING noun but is not preferred.

Now in the given sentence:

The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions, significant reductions in
overall troop levels, (raising / the raising of) the rebel flag on holidays, AND a general pardon.

There are 3 standard nouns: withdrawal, reductions, and pardon.

As per the rule above, a standard noun can be parallel to ING OF but not parallel to ING, the correct answer will be
THE RAISING OF.

13. The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions AND (releasing / the releasing
of / the release of) certain political prisoners.

Here we have a choice: ING noun / ING OF noun / standard NOUN.

So as per rule 1, we will pick up the standard noun: THE RELEASE OF.

Here Standard noun withdrawal is parallel to another standard noun release.

More examples of Gerund (in each of the sentences below, the part in BOLD is the Gerund = Noun)

Fishing is fun. Smoking costs a lot of money. I don't like writing.

My favorite occupation is reading. I don't like writing letters.
Pointless questioning makes me sick. I dislike his coming here uninvited. She is good at dancing.
He is crazy about singing. I don't like playing cards.
They are afraid of swimming in the sea. You should give up smoking.
Sam dreams of being a pop-star. He is interested in making friends.
My uncle is afraid of going by plane. We insist on cooking the dinner ourselves.
Cooking is one of her hobbies. Cycling is fun.
Getting a good job is not easy. Finding a parking space is quite difficult in this area.
Driving becomes more and more expensive. No smoking in this area.
Making fun of other people is not nice. Learning about other cultures makes people more tolerant.

Before reading the next four solutions, refer to the theory given below:

ING forms used as adjectives (Present Participles)

 The barking dog kept us awake at night. (Adjective immediately before the noun)
 The dog barking outside the gate kept us awake. (Adjective immediately after the noun)
 Barking and yelling, the dog chased him. (Adjective modifier before the noun)
 The dog chased the man ferociously, barking as loudly as it could. (Adjective modifier after the noun)
 Present Participle Adjectives

1. The present participle describes the person or thing that causes the reaction. A frightening movie

2. The present participle describes the condition of it. The noun described has a more active role:
The mugger made a threatening move towards me.

Some more examples:

 She jealously watched her boyfriend flirting with another girl.

 The party was boring.
 The car race was exciting.
 Passengers wanting to go to Liverpool had to change in Manchester.
 Irish people living in Great Britain have the right to vote in British elections.
 The house standing at the end of the road will soon be sold.
 The boy carrying a blue parcel crossed the street.
 Talking to her friend, she forgot everything around her.
 Being vegetarians, they don't eat meat.
 Wagging its tail, the dog bit the postman.
 Being a good boy, he helped his mother in the kitchen.
 Being on holiday, she couldn't go to the party.
 Being very tall, he became a basketball player.
 The movie was The Incredible Shrinking Man.
 Cowboy Bob put on his riding clothes when he went for a canter.
 The weather was freezing cold Saturday.
 The sailing ship ran aground in Newfoundland.
 Uncle Fester has a snoring parrot.
 The newest broadcasting station plays only rap music.
 XYZ's holding company went bankrupt last month.
 Grandmother lost her reading glasses again.
 The rustic cabin didn't even have running water!
 Her clinging gown made her look fat.
 The burning grass crept close to the house.
 The crying baby drew a long breath and sucked in a spider crouching in the corner of the crib.

3rd forms of the verbs used as adjectives (Past Participles): When you are describing a person‘s reaction or
feeling, or a condition or an action, use the past participle form – the third form of the verb (-ed, -en, -d, -t, –n,
or irregular ending) if the noun described has a passive relationship with something.

 Jennifer's burned hand hurt her very much.

 The broken chair was used for firewood.
 Her recipe called for 12 beaten eggs.
 Nancy found a hidden staircase behind the paneling in the old house.
 All the protesters had shaved heads.
 All the words on the test were misspelled by Algie.
 The book was known to all of us.
 Gertrude threw out the spoiled meat.
 Laura, fascinated by the movie star, wrote him a letter every day.

 Correct: The barking dogs annoyed the whole neighborhood.

 Correct: The dogs that were barking annoyed the whole neighborhood.
 Incorrect: The barked dogs annoyed the whole neighborhood.
 Incorrect: The dogs that were barked annoyed the whole neighborhood.

Barking works because present participles are similar to active verbs. The subject is doing the action.
Barked doesn't work because most past participles are similar to passive verbs. The action is done to the subject by
something or someone else. They receive the action. A dog can be fed, but it can't be barked.
Some verbs can be used in both forms (depending upon the context and meaning): All of these examples are correct.

 The breaking dishes made a mess in the kitchen.

 The dishes that were breaking made a mess in the kitchen.
 The broken dishes made a mess in the kitchen.
 The dishes that were broken made a mess in the kitchen.
More examples of past participles:

 Each Saturday, we have a pizza delivered to our home.

 We had our last party organized by professionals.
 I have a cat called Tari.
 I am very interested in history.
 The cup filled with milk stood on the table.
 The battle fought at this place was very significant.
 The books sent to us are for my aunt.
 The picture stolen from a museum was offered on EBay.
 The song sung last night is still in my head.
 The documentation telecast last Tuesday was impressive.
 The conference planned by non-governmental organizations was about globalization.
 The problems discussed will be essential for your exam.
 Last month I read a book written by a Scottish author.
 I found the key hidden under the mat.
 Accused of murder, he was arrested.
 Shocked by the bad news, she burst into tears.
 Excited about their birthday party, the girls could not sleep.
 Born into a rich family, she got everything she wished for.
 Built in 1859, Big Ben is a national symbol
 The stolen baby was found by the police unharmed.
 Dean's broken arm was set in plaster by the doctor at the hospital.
 Please bring all of the required documents for your interview tomorrow.
 The mangled pair of sunglasses, bruised face, broken arm, and bleeding knees meant Genette had taken
another spill on her mountain bike.

The volcano erupting / erupted was a sight to watch.

Here … ―The volcano was erupting‖ makes sense and ―The volcano was erupted‖ is nonsensical. So the right
adjective is erupting.

The cell-phone designed / designing for the elderly had larger keys.

Here … ―The cell-phone was designed‖ makes sense and ―The cell-phone was designing‖ is nonsensical. So the right
adjective is designed.

(Differing / Differed) only by 2 minutes, the times in the 2 clocks created confusion in the minds of the football
players. CORRECT: differing

(Determined / Determining) by a lot of effort, the times proved to be accurate. CORRECT: determined

He stretched the wire. (VERB)

The elastic stretched because of repeated usage became too loose to be used in the child‘s pants. (ADJECTIVE)
The deadline was stretched to meet the targets. (PASSIVE VERB)

The man found the coin. (VERB)

The coin found in the museum turned out to be of inferior quality. (ADJECTIVE)
The coin was found in the museum. (PASSIVE VERB)

The book sold 3 million copies. (VERB)

The book sold was of an inferior quality. (ADJECTIVE)
The book was sold at almost all the stores. (PASSIVE VERB)

The simple rule for parallelism is: Adjectives || Present Participles || Past Participles

A mastodon carcass, thawed only once AND still fresh, is on display.

The match was interesting but fixed.
Only a few feet wide BUT spanning a continent, the railroad changed history.
The sizzler was spicy and appetizing, but a bit overcooked.
Because of strained budgets and fading public support, Indian Hockey is dying a slow death.
Bold, interesting, and liked by all the sections of the media, the movie went on to become the biggest blockbuster
of the year.
 The smoke coming out of the window and frosted by the fog was very thick.

In the examples above, the words in BOLD are parallel to each other because they are adjectives.

14. The match was interesting but fixed.

This question is a case of BLIND (of looks) parallelism v/s ACTUAL (of roles) parallelism.

We must not see that interest-ING and fix-ED don‘t look parallel.

We must look at the roles of each word:

The word INTERESTING is an ADJECTIVE (Present Participle)

The word FIXED is also an ADJECTIVE (PAST Participle).

As the role of each word is just the same (adjective), the sentence given above is CORRECT.

The sizzler was spicy, appetizing, but a bit overcooked.

SPICY is a STANDARD ADJECTIVE.

APPETIZING is an ADJECTIVE (PRESENT PARTICIPLE)

OVERCOOKED is an ADJECTIVE (PAST PARTICIPLE)

Again this sentence is CORRECT.

Because of strained budgets and fading public support, Indian Hockey is dying a slow death.

STRAINED is an ADJECTIVE (past participle)

Fading is an ADJECTIVE (present participle)

The sentence is CORRECT.

Adjectives, Past Participles, and Present Participles (used as adjectives)

Standard Adjective || Past Participle || Present Participle.

In each of the sentence parts below, the word in BOLD is the adjective...

an interesting book a sleeping child two playing dogs the winning number
several travelling bags the moving power a touching moment an exciting film
a working man running water the lost son an interested audience
a broken leg an emptied bottle a closed door a decorated room
two packed bags the written letters the sold car the bought apples

In each of the sentences below, the word(s) in BOLD is/are the adjective / adjective equivalent (modifier)

 Talking to her friend she forgot everything around her.

 Being vegetarians they don't eat meat.
 Wagging its tail the dog bit the postman.
 Being a good boy he helped his mother in the kitchen.
 Not having enough money they spent their holidays at home last year.
 She jealously watched her boyfriend flirting with another girl.
 Each Saturday, we have a pizza delivered to our home.
 We had our last party organized by professionals.
 I have a cat called Tari.
 Accused of murder he was arrested.
 Shocked by the bad news she burst into tears.
 Having drunk too much he didn't drive home himself.
  Not having slept for two days she wasn't able to concentrate.
 Having been typed by the secretary, the letter was signed by the boss.
 I am very interested in history.
 The party was boring.
 The barking dog kept us awake at night.
 The car race was exciting.
 Excited about their birthday party, the girls could not sleep.
 The cup filled with milk stood on the table.
 Born into a rich family, she got everything she wished for.
 The boy carrying a blue parcel crossed the street.
 The battle fought at this place was very significant.
 The books sent to us are for my aunt.
 Being very tall, he became a basketball player.
 The picture stolen from a museum was offered on EBay.
 The song sung last night is still in my head.
 The documentation telecast last Tuesday was impressive.
 Having saved a little money, he travelled to Australia.
 Not having a boyfriend, she flirted with every guy she met.
 Being on holiday, she couldn't go to the party.
 Passengers wanting to go to Liverpool had to change in Manchester.
 The house standing at the end of the road will soon be sold.
 The conference planned by non-governmental organizations was about globalization.
 Irish people living in Great Britain have the right to vote in British elections.
 The problems discussed will be essential for your exam.
 Last month I read a book written by a Scottish author.

15. The man speaking at the event talked about the dangers of the war, cracked many jokes, and enthralled the
audience by his witty one-liners.

This is correct as ‗speaking‘ is the adjective… and the other three underlined parts are verbs in parallel form.

Don‘t apply blind parallelism and misinterpret that speaking / talked / cracked / enthralled are not all parallel. They
are not supposed to be parallel.

16. The increased popularity and availability of televisions has led to the decline of regional dialects, language
variations originating from diverse ethnic and cultural heritages and perpetuated by geographic isolation.

Imagine the sentence: He saw a man injured (somebody else was responsible) by a bullet and limping in pain.

Let‘s apply the simple WAS / WERE test: The man was injured by the bullet is correct … The man was injuring by
the bullet is nonsensical. So injured is the right adjective.

The man was limping in pain is correct … The man was limped in pain is nonsensical. So limping is the correct
adjective.

So injured (past participle, –ed adjective) is parallel to limping (present participle, ING adjective).

Consider the sentence: Because of strained budgets and fading public support, Indian Hockey is dying a slow
death.

In this case, strained is the adjective (past participle – intended action) for the word budgets; fading is the
adjective (present participle – unintended action) for the word support.

In the given question, we need to know 2 things:

Something originates on its own (unintended action). So the correct adjective is originating.

Perpetuate (make an unfounded belief continue indefinitely) is an intended action. So the correct adjective is
perpetuated.
 For example:

Originating in Europe and perpetuated by immigrant Europeans to spread their dominance, Spanish had become a
major language in the Americas by 1900s.

Languages originate on their own (by the way people speak different dialects in various parts of the world). The
origin of a language at a particular place is not an intended activity.

Perpetuation of the Spanish language was an intended activity by the Europeans. It could not have happened on its
own.

Variations WERE ORIGINATING. – This is surely correct as ―origination‖ is not intentional. ―WERE ORIGINATING‖
definitely implies something unintentional.

Variations WERE ORIGINATED. This is definitely wrong as ―origination‖ is not intentional. ―WERE originated‖
definitely implies something INTENDED.

This will clearly depend on the meaning of the word ―Originate.‖ This word has a meaning that definitely signifies ―NO
SPECIFIC INTENTION‖ on part of any person. Something originates on its own, without an intended effort by an
external agency.

Variations WERE PERPETUATED. This is surely CORRECT as ―perpetuation‖ is intentional. ―WERE PERPETUATED‖
definitely implies something intentional.

Variations WERE PERPETUATING. This is surely WRONG as ―perpetuation‖ is intentional. ―WERE PERPETUATING‖
definitely implies something unintentional.

This will clearly depend on the meaning of the word ―Perpetuate.‖ This word has a meaning that definitely signifies
―SPECIFIC INTENTION‖ on part of any person. Something does not perpetuate on its own; an intended effort by an
external agency is a MUST.

Imagine 2 more sentences:

Erupting at an absolutely wrong time, the volcano posed a major problem for the local residents.

Here, „eruption‟ is unintentional – so we use Present Participle (Adjective) ERUPTING.

Designed to perfection, the new car was the cynosure of all eyes.

Here, „design‟ is intentional – so we use Past Participle (Adjective) Designed.

17. The growth of the railroads led to the abolition of local times, determined by when the sun reached the observer‘s
meridian and differing from city to city, and to the establishment of regional times.

Imagine 2 different cities where local times were determined in 1800s:

Determination is an intended activity, so the right adjective is ‗determined‟.

The difference in the times in 2 cities is an unintended activity, so the right adjective is ‗differing‘.

Also, if we use WAS / WERE …

The times were determining in the 2 cities. Nonsensical!

The times were determined in the 2 cities. Correct … so the right adjective is ‗determined‘.

The times were differed in the two cities. It will mean as if someone intentionally made the two times different.
Nonsensical!

The times were differing in the two cities. Correct … so the right adjective is ‗differing‘.
The sentence is correct as given. As discussed above:

...somebody determined times... INTENTIONAL so DETERMINED.

but

times differed... UNINTENTIONAL so DIFFERING

Extreme Caution:

You may have learned that we should only use the -ing form only for actions that are ongoing/in
progress in the present, but that's simply not true. Participles have nothing to do with TENSES. We
do occasionally use them correctly for past actions that were ongoing/in progress.

MUST READ:

Let‘s focus on two real GMAT sentences to understand this further:

1. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus
that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and root-like tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some
10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.
A. extending B. extends C. extended D. it extended E. is extending

This type of question is one of the most common questions on the GMAT – read the solution to this
question (below) at least 10 times.

Imagine the sentence:

The crumbled chair, broken and ageing with each passing day, was nearing the end of its life.

Broken (a Past Participle) and ageing (a Present Participle) are both modifying (describing) chair (which is a noun).
Hence, broken and ageing are adjective forms (since adjectives describe nouns). In this sentence, it is clear that
broken is Past participle, since the Past tense of break is broke while Past participle is broken. And since Past
participles and present participle are considered parallel structures, this sentence is correct.

The most important clue in this sentence is AND … the word AND mandates Right to Left strict parallelism. To the
right of AND is ―extending‖ … to check parallelism, we have to understand the role of the word ―extending‖. It is not a
verb as -ING forms alone are never verbs. So it can be a noun or an adjective. In this sentence the word ―extending‖
is describing something … we need to know what it is describing.

If we read further … ―extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest‖ can describe the largest
organism (30 acres is really LARGE), which is the same as ―giant (large) fungus‖ or ―interwoven (interconnected,
large) filigree‖. ―Mushrooms and root-like tentacles‖ of a single plant can‘t extend for 30 acres … their filigree (wire
formed into delicate tracery such as filigree foliage) can. So the word ―extending‖ surely describes ―organism‖.

As the word ―extending‖ describes something, it is an adjective. And the word ―extending‖ is written after the word
AND … so we must find another adjective (that describes the organism) to the left of AND. We have the word
―spawned‖ before AND. ―Spawn‖ (meaning: produce or generate, especially in large numbers and undesirably) cannot
describe tentacles, as tentacles of a plant cannot extend for 30 acres and can‘t get generated in large numbers. Also,
the fact that ―a single spore‖ was responsible for the whole 30-acre growth (happening for the last 10,000 years)
makes sure that the word ―spawned‖ describes the organism …

So we have 2 adjectives: ―spawned‖ and ―extending‖, both describing the organism … perfectly parallel … option A
must be correct.

Option B: ―extends‖ is a verb … but there is no verb parallel to ―extends‖ before the word AND … Incorrect.

Option C: ―extended‖ is also an adjective. But this signifies intention whereas the given action of extending is
completely unintended. So this is the wrong adjective.
 Imagine the two sentences:

The road extended from A to B was found to be skewed by the local authorities. Here, the word ―extended‖ means
that somebody intentionally extended the road. Past participles show intention.

The smoke coming out of the building corroborated the suspicion that the building had caught fire. Here the word
―coming‖ is unintended. Present participles show no intention.

There's really no point in deciding which of these roles ―extended‖ is playing―the point is that both interpretations
produce incorrect answers! In an appropriate context, ―extended‖ could be either a past participle or a past-tense
verb. Most importantly, if either of these interpretations works, then the sentence is correct.

Imagine the sentence:

The new state highway, built in 2007 and extended for an additional five miles in 2009, is now the busiest road in
the area. --> here, ―extended‖ is a past participle.

The state highway extended for fifty miles before it was razed in 1985. --> here, ―extended‖ is a past-tense verb.

Option D: ―it extended‖ is a verb … but there is no verb parallel to ―extended‖ before the word AND … Incorrect.

Option E: ―is extending‖ is a verb … but there is no verb parallel to ―is extending‖ before the word AND … Incorrect.

Consider another sentence:

In the search for alien life, astronomers have recently begun studying a promising region, a solar system that is
populated by a number of potentially life-friendly planets formed by fragments of an exploding star some 7 million
years ago and features many of the geological and climatic prerequisites for the evolution of life.
A. features B. featured C. had featured D. featuring E. feature

Here, the word formed is an adjective parallel to featuring. Ans. D (Use the same logic as given above).

2. First discovered more than 30 years ago, Lina's sunbird, a four-and-a-half-inch animal found in the Philippines and
that resembles a hummingbird, has shimmering metallic colors on its head; a brilliant orange patch, bordered with
red tufts, in the center of its breast; and a red eye.
A. found in the Philippines and that resembles
B. found in the Philippines and that, resembling
C. found in the Philippines and resembling
D. that is found in the Philippines and it resembles
E. that is found in the Philippines, resembling

A. Here, the first underlined word is ―found‖, which is an adjective for the word Lina‘s sunbird (animal) … we also
have the word AND … the word after AND is ―resembles‖ (verb). Not parallel.

B. Here, the first underlined word is ―found‖, which is an adjective for the word Lina‘s sunbird (animal) … we also
have the word AND … the word after AND is ―that‖ … if ―that‖ is not there on the left side, it can‘t be on the right side
(to maintain parallelism).

C. Here, the first underlined word is ―found‖, which is an adjective for the word Lina‘s sunbird (animal) … we also
have the word AND … the word after AND is ―resembling‖, which is also an adjective for the sunbird (animal).
The adjectives ―found‖ and ―resembling‖ are perfectly parallel.

Options D and E are not parallel! We are describing two characteristics of the bird, both of which should be parallel.

18. The stock market crashed, which caused a lot of people to lose money. OR The stock market crashed, and it
caused a lot of people to lose money. OR The stock market crashed and caused a lot of people to lose money. OR
The stock market crashed, causing a lot of people to lose money.

 The stock market crashed, which caused a lot of people to lose money. Here the use of WHICH is clearly
wrong.
 WHICH is a pronoun – by definition, pronouns can refer back only to nouns.

Here the word WHICH refers to ‗crashed‘ – but ‗crashed‘ is a verb. So the usage of WHICH is wrong.

 The stock market crashed, and it caused a lot of people to lose money.

Here the use of IT is clearly wrong.

IT is a pronoun – by definition, pronouns can refer back only to nouns.

Here the word IT refers to ‗crashed‘ – but ‗crashed‘ is a verb. So the usage of IT is wrong.

 The stock market crashed and caused a lot of people to lose money.

If we split this into two sentences, it becomes:

The stock market crashed

The stock market caused a lot of people to lose money.

This is clearly wrong meaning... the STOCKMARKET didn‘t cause people to lose money... the CRASH of the market
did.

In these situations, we use –ING form of the verb to show the effect. So in any cause-effect relationship, we
always use –ING form of the verb for the effect.

So the correct expression will be:

The stock market crashed, causing a lot of people to lose money.

19. Mumbai HOUSES 20 million people, the cultural capital of India, and has a lot of potential for a newcomer with
dreams.

As this sentence is underlined in part, we can correct only the underlined part and will have to leave the non-
underlined part INTACT.

If we split this into 3 sentences:

Mumbai HOUSES 20 million people. (Proper sentence... sentences have to contain a VERB... the verb here is
HOUSES – such a part of a sentence is called a CLAUSE)

Mumbai the cultural capital of India. (NOT a Proper sentence... sentences have to contain a VERB. The verb ‗IS‘ is
missing here).

So it should have been: Mumbai IS the cultural capital of India.

Mumbai HAS a lot of potential for a newcomer with dreams. (Proper sentence... sentences have to contain a
VERB... the verb here is HAS)

So the correction will be:

Mumbai HOUSES 20 million people, IS the cultural capital of India, and has a lot of potential for a newcomer with
dreams.

In the sentence above, all three parts are clauses.

20. Since the teacher introduced the classroom reward system, students have begun paying closer attention,
completing homework, following directions, and have stopped causing disruptions during lessons.

Here, there are 2 main actions:

Begun A, B, C, and stopped D.

 The word AND is used to connect BEGUN and STOPPED.

But A, B, C is a list... whenever a list ends, there has to be AND before the last element...

So the correction will be:

Since the teacher introduced the classroom reward system, students have begun paying closer attention, completing
homework, AND following directions, and have stopped causing disruptions during lessons.

21. In 1975, Sippy produced a film that became the biggest blockbuster that Indian Cinema had ever seen.

Consider the statement:

One month ago he said, ―I will come next week.‖ – This is called DIRECT SPEECH... the GMAT does not test you on
direct speech at all.

In reported (indirect speech), the sentence will become:

One month ago he said that he would come the following week.

Now if we map this event on the timeline:

We can see that the point that is in the middle is FUTURE with respect to the past event...

The GMAT insists that any future with respect to the past be represented by the word WOULD.

CORRECTION: In 1975, Sippy produced a film that WOULD become the biggest blockbuster that Indian Cinema
had ever seen.

22. The Supreme Court decreed that he should take charge of the situation. / I insist that she should be quiet.

This sentence needs a specialized construction called the SUBJUNCTIVE.

Here is the rule:

If in a sentence, there is a FUTURISTIC REPORTING VERB or a FUTURISTIC CONDITION followed by the word
THAT, then the next verb in the sentence is expressed in its ROOT FORM or it should be the word BE.

The Supreme Court decreed (FUTURISTIC VERB) that (followed by THAT) he should take (this is the next verb
– this should be in its ROOT form) charge of the situation.
 So for the verb TAKE,

The root form is TAKE

All other forms took, taken, takes, taking, should take, will take, to take etc. are called the non-root forms.

Also, for all the verbs such as ‗is, are, am, was, were, will, shall, will be, shall be, has, have, had, has been, have
been, had been, etc.,‘ the root form is BE.

CORRECTION: The Supreme Court decreed that he TAKE charge of the situation.

CORRECTION: I insist that she BE quiet.

Root form is to be used with words / expressions such as ordered, mandatory, ruled, authorized, condition,
imperative, important, required, proposed, necessary, demand

Some more examples:

All the following sentences are correct:

Ann suggested that he go to the Chinese restaurant.

I suggest that he study.
Is it essential that Tanya be there?
Don recommended that John join the committee.
He often asks that she bring a tape recorder to the interview sessions.
I propose that Amy apologize to Mark, and we forget this ever happened.
Alexandra never insists that Michael call her after a date, but he does anyway.
The attorney proposed that the session be adjourned until the following day.
I insist that the chairman resign!
Their main demand was that the lawsuit be dropped.
We insist that he do the job properly.
The committee proposes that she be appointed treasurer immediately.
It is essential that we be informed of your plans.
It is crucial that he be there before Tom arrives.
It is important that she attend the meeting.
It is recommended that he take a gallon of water with him if he wants to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

The few questions below involve TENSES

Imagine the sentence:

He came at 5 pm.

This is just one action in the past spanning one moment (it happened and was over) ... this conforms to the
diagram below:

The above is called SIMPLE PAST or PAST INDEFINITE.

Imagine the sentence:

I lived in the US for 3 years.

This is just one action in the past spanning a period of time (it happened and was over) ... this conforms to the
diagram below:
 The above is called SIMPLE PAST or PAST INDEFINITE.

Imagine the sentence:

I have lived in the US for 3 years.

This is just one action that started in the past and has continued till this moment in the present. This conforms to
the diagram below:

The above is called Present Perfect.

Imagine the sentence:

The teacher came to know that John had cheated on the test.

Here, there are 2 actions in the past...

John cheated (earlier) ................... teacher came to know (later)

There is a clear time difference between the two events.

In this situation, the event happening earlier is written with HAD + 3 rd form (past participle) of the Verb and the
event happening later is written with the past tense (second form of the verb).

This conforms to the diagram below:

The above is called PAST Perfect.

Imagine the sentence:

By the age of 25, he had won 10 Gold Medals.

Here, we want to stress the period (by the age of 25)... also, we want to stress the point (age of 25)... possibly the
event goes on further (he may have won more medals after the age of 25)....
 In this situation, we write HAD + 3rd Form of the verb on the POINT stressed in the past.

This conforms to the diagram below:

The above is called PAST PERFECT.

23. India (has progressed / had progressed / progressed) throughout the 20th century.

This is just one action in the past spanning a period of time (it happened throughout the 20 th century and was over
... 20th century is OVER) ... this conforms to the diagram below:

So the answer will be:

India progressed throughout the 20th century.

The above is called SIMPLE PAST or PAST INDEFINITE.

24. The patient (had died / died) before the doctor (reached / had reached).

Here, there are 2 actions in the past...

The patient dies (earlier) ................... the doctor reached (later)

There is a clear time difference between the two events.

In this situation, the event happening earlier is written with HAD + 3 rd form (past participle) of the Verb and the
event happening later is written with the past tense (second form of the verb).

This conforms to the diagram below:

So the correct answer will be:

The patient had died before the doctor reached.

The above is called PAST PERFECT.

25. By the age of 21, Akbar (ruled / had ruled) India for eight years.

Here, we want to stress the period (by the age of 21)... also, we want to stress the point (age of 21)... possibly the
event goes on further (he may have ruled after the age of 21)....

In this situation, we write HAD + 3rd Form of the verb on the POINT stressed in the past.

This conforms to the diagram below:

Hence the correct answer will be:

By the age of 21, Akbar had ruled India for eight years.

Similarly, for the sentence:

By 1991, Jazz music (became / had become) very popular in India.

The correct answer will be:

By 1991, Jazz music had become very popular in India.

The above is called PAST PERFECT.

A special note on the usage of HAD:

A lot of students think that HAD always denotes Past Perfect (2 events in the past with a time lag).

This is not true.

Imagine the sentence:

This morning I had $10000 with me.

Here, HAD denotes SIMPLE PAST (one event in the past).

So, you must be cautious:

HAD alone is always Simple Past.

Had + 3rd form of any verb is Past Perfect.

The usage of HAD HAD:

He HAD HAD a great life before the calamity struck.

Here, the second HAD is correct… Imagine it as

He HAD ENJOYED a great life before the calamity struck.

So here the second HAD ≡ any other verb (enjoyed, for example).

Similarly, the sentence:

 He has had a great life ≡ He has enjoyed a great life.

So here HAD ≡ any other verb (enjoyed, for example).

Similarly, the sentence:

I have had a great life ≡ I have enjoyed a great life.

So here HAD ≡ any other verb (enjoyed, for example).

26. It is raining for 3 hours / it has rained for 3 hours / it has been raining for 3 hours.

If the sentence is:

It rained for 3 hours.

This is just one action in the past spanning a period of time (it rained for 3 hours and was over) ... this conforms to
the diagram below:

The above is called SIMPLE PAST or PAST INDEFINITE.

If the sentence is:

It is raining for 3 hours.

THIS is clearly WRONG.

By definition, continuous tenses denote only a moment (never a PERIOD).

If we say, ―it is raining‖… this will mean only this moment… exactly NOW… we are not sure whether it was raining 5
minutes earlier or will be raining 5 minutes later.

The above is called Present Continuous / Present Progressive.

If we say, ―When I peeped inside his room, he was sleeping‖…

In this sentence, we are sure of only one moment… only at the moment when I peeped inside… we don‘t know
whether he was sleeping one moment earlier or will be sleeping one moment later.

The above is called PAST Continuous / Present Progressive.

So, when we say, ―it is raining for 3 hours‖… this is clearly wrong as there is a time period involved (3 hours).

If the sentence is:

It has rained for 3 hours.

This is just one action that started in the past and has continued till this moment in the present. This conforms to the
diagram below:
 In the sentence above, we are NOT sure whether the action continues after the present... the dotted
line represents uncertainty.

The above is called Present Perfect.

If the sentence is:

It has been raining for 3 hours.

This is just one action that started in the past and has continued till this moment in the present. This conforms to the
diagram below:

In the sentence above, we are sure whether the action continues after the present ... the continuous
line represents continuity into the future.

The above is called Present Perfect Continuous / Present Perfect Progressive.

27. Although it (stopped / has stopped) raining, I am still feeling cold.

In this case, the word STILL tells us that we need the PRESENT tense… we can use HAS STOPPED as the effect of
the rain continues.

28. The parents tried to explain the risks involved in hitch hiking, but it was useless.

This is a problem of implied pronoun... here IT tries to refer to ―explain‖ or ―tried‖... this is clearly WRONG...
a pronoun tries to refer to a VERB... In such situations, the correct solution is:

The pronoun is removed and the implied NOUN is written.

The parents tried to explain the risks involved in hitch hiking, but the explanation was useless.

OR

The parents tried to explain the risks involved in hitch hiking, but the attempt was useless.
 To understand the usage of „which‟, look at the following sentence:

The High Court‘s rulings in the cases involving assisted suicides among college-going teens from single-parent
families, which were overturned by the Supreme Court last month, have been re-instituted by a special
interventionist order by the President.

Here WHICH clearly refers to the RULINGS as that is the only eligible noun for the VERB „WERE
overturned‟.

All you have to be cautious about is that there is no VERB between WHICH and its ANTECEDENT
(„rulings‟ in this case)…

rulings (n) in the cases (n) involving (adj) assisted (adj) suicides (n) among college-going (adj) teens (n) from
single-parent (adj) families (n), which

So in this case, WHICH clearly refers to RULINGS.

Please don‟t think that „which‟ can refer to only the nearest noun… this rule is not at all true as per
GMAT…

29. Real Estate analysts have found that home prices have nearly doubled in the last ten years in the Southern
California market, which is consistent with the increases in population and inflation there.

This is a problem of implied pronoun... here WHICH tries to refer to ―DOUBLED‖... this is clearly WRONG... a
pronoun tries to refer to a VERB... In such situations, the correct solution is:

The pronoun is replaced by a new NOUN (abstract noun)...

For example:

Real Estate analysts have found that home prices have nearly doubled in the last ten years in the Southern
California market, research / a trend / an observation etc. consistent with the increases in population
and inflation there.

Abstract nouns modifying the entire clause (after a comma)

(If you have an appositive modifier that's an abstract noun - such as "strategy", "figure", "statistic", "findings",
"situation", "change", "difference", etc. - then such an appositive may be allowed to describe the entire situation
described in the previous clause.)

1. I only have one onion, which will make it impossible to cook this dish. WRONG
2. I only have one onion, and that will make it impossible to cook this dish. WRONG
3. I only have one onion, a deficiency that will make it impossible to cook this dish. RIGHT.
4. The scientists discovered whale-fish bones in the Arctic, findings that prove the existence of whale-fish.
5. Scientists have found high levels of iridium in certain geographical formations around the world, results that
suggest the cataclysmic impact of a meteor millions of year ago.
6. An asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, Sixty-five million years ago, an event
that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous
Period.
7. The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, a strategy that failed.
8. X observed large concentrations of metals in the sediments, findings consistent with the history of deposits
in the region.
9. Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a finding that has shocked many in the scientific
community. OR Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a statistic that has shocked many in
the scientific community.
10. Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape's and so were probably without language, a shortcoming
that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.
11. Scientists have observed large concentrations of heavy—metal deposits in the upper twenty centimeters of
sediments from the Baltic Sea, findings consistent with the growth of industrial activity in the area.
12. I went to the bar with john smith, an excursion that was much more fun than working all night.
 13. The general tried to get his troops to retreat before being surrounded, a strategy that ultimately failed.

30. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that she thought of writing its sequel. / Jane‘s first novel was so well
received that her bank balance soared.

1. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that she thought of writing its sequel.

This sentence is LOGICALLY WRONG.

Jane‟s first novel ≡ novel NOT Jane!

So, logically speaking, there is no JANE in the given sentence. So the word SHE cannot be used.

The solution is: replace the word she by Jane.

Correct: Jane‘s first novel was so well received that JANE thought of writing its sequel.

2. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that her bank balance soared.

Here the word HER means JANE‘S... the word JANE‘S is already present in the sentence. So the given
sentence is CORRECT.

Imagine 2 more sentences:

1. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that the publisher thought of giving her an additional royalty of
10%, lending credence to the fact that her subsequent writings could be even more passionate.

If we replace the first HER, it will become JANE... if we replace the second HER, it will become JANE‘s...

So the CORRECT VERSION will be: Jane‘s first novel was so well received that the publisher thought of
giving JANE an additional royalty of 10%, lending credence to the fact that her (already correct)
subsequent writings could be even more passionate.

2. Jane‘s first novel was so well received that her skeptical husband also started appreciating her
writing style.

If we replace the first HER, it will become JANE‘s... if we replace the second HER, it will become JANE‘s...

So the given sentence is CORRECT.

31. While most Americans have heard of and used Microsoft products, few people know that its name is actually short
for ―microcomputer software.‖

Here, the word ITS tries to refer back to Microsoft... but in this sentence, Microsoft is an adjective, not a noun.
By definition, a pronoun can refer back only to a noun.

The solution in such cases is to replace the pronoun by the correct noun.

So the correct version will be: While most Americans have heard of and used Microsoft products, few people
know that the company‟s name is actually short for ―microcomputer software.‖

32. While the company insists that its starting salary for a man working in the executive branch of the organization be
the same as a woman in equal capacity, the watchdog group found a significant gender wage gap.

This sentence focuses on Illogical Comparisons... on the GMAT, Apples can be compared to Apples and not to
Oranges.

Here the salary for a man is compared with a woman... illogical.

So the correct solution will be:

Salary for a man || salary (that) for a woman

 While the company insists that its starting salary for a man working in the executive branch of the organization be the
same as THAT FOR a woman in equal capacity, the watchdog group found a significant gender wage gap.

33. The sixth Harry Potter book, by British author J.K. Rowling, sold a record 8.9 million copies in the first 24 hours it
was on sale—more than any author till date.

This sentence focuses on Illogical Comparisons... on the GMAT, Apples can be compared to Apples and not to
Oranges.

Here ‗the number of copies sold‘ is compared with an author ... illogical.

So the correct solution will be:

The number of copies sold by J K Rowling || the number of copies (those) sold by any other author...

We must write ANY OTHER...

Jack is taller than any boy in his class is wrong… this will imply that Jack is also taller than himself.

So finally the correct version will be:

The sixth Harry Potter book, by British author J.K. Rowling, sold a record 8.9 million copies in the first 24 hours it was
on sale—more than THOSE BY ANY OTHER author till date.

The sentences below involve the distinction between the usage of AS and LIKE.

RULES:

LIKE is used:

1. To compare 2 nouns

2. In Hypothetical situations

3. When there is no verb following LIKE. OR ―Like‖ followed by a VERB is always wrong...

So if we say, ―Like I said...‖ this will be wrong usage as per the GMAT... ‗said‘ is a verb... it cannot be followed by
LIKE.

AS is used:

1. To compare actions / verbs / clauses / trends / prepositional phrases

2. To denote real situations

3. To denote designations / roles / functions / jobs / professions etc

34. (As / Like) I mentioned earlier, the test date has been moved up.

Here, ―I mentioned‖ is a clause / an action involving a verb... so AS is correct... Also, LIKE cannot be followed by a
VERB.

35. (As / like) other children in her neighbourhood who were home-schooled, Joan sometimes missed being in a
classroom with her peers.

Here, the comparison is between Joan (noun) and other children (noun)... so LIKE is correct.
36. (As / like) a doctor, she earns a lot of respect.

Here, we are denoting PROFESSION / REAL (she is really a doctor) ... so AS is correct.

The nurse performed the emergency surgery (as / like) a doctor.

Here, we are denoting a hypothetical situation (the nurse is not a doctor in reality)... so LIKE is correct.

37. This wall acts (as / like) a buffer.

Here we are denoting the function of the wall... so AS is correct.

My cooler cools (as / like) an air-conditioner.

Here we are comparing a cooler and an AC (the cooler is not actually an AC, so the comparison is hypothetical)...
so the word LIKE is correct here.

This window creaks (as / like) a window.

Here we are comparing a window and a door (the window is not actually a door, so the comparison is
hypothetical)... so the word LIKE is correct here.

He jumped (as / like) a clown.

In this sentence, the situation is not clear... so contextually both can be right...

He jumped like a clown (means he is actually not a clown... he is just behaving like one ... HYPOTHETICAL)

He jumped as a clown (means he is actually a clown ... imagine someone wearing a clown suit in a circus... REAL
situation)

The next few sentences focus on misplaced modifier:

Focus on the following sentences:

1. Using the latest technology, the mechanical problem was identified quickly.
2. Locked in a vault for 50 years (what was locked? Answer: the coins… so COINS must come after the
comma), the owner of the coins decided to sell them.
3. Sailing up the river, the Statue of Liberty was seen.
4. Walking back from the village, my wallet was lost.
5. At the age of twenty (who was twenty? Ans. I was… so “I” must come after the comma), my father
let me drive his car.
6. Beautiful and sensually dressed, the men noticed her immediately.

Correct versions:

1. Using the latest technology (WHO was using? Ans. SOMEBODY… so SOMEBODY must come after the
comma), the engineer identified…
2. The owner of the coins, which were locked in a vault for 50 years, decided to sell them.
3. Sailing up the river (who was sailing? Ans. SOMEBODY… so SOMEBODY must come after the
comma), we saw the Taj Mahal.
4. Walking back from the village (who was walking? Ans. I was … so “I” must come after the comma),
I lost my wallet.
5. My father let me drive his car when I was twenty.
6. Beautiful and sensually dressed (who was sensually dressed? Ans. SHE … so SHE must come after
the comma), she was immediately noticed by the men.

There is a common trouble with each of the sentences: The first part does not match in meaning with the
subject immediately after the comma, leading to nonsensical meanings.
38. Walking through the desolate lanes of the deserted city, (vandalism became apparent / it became apparent that
the city had been vandalized).

Walking through the desolate lanes of the deserted city (WHO was walking? ANSWER: Somebody must be
walking. So, immediately after the comma, we must have somebody), (vandalism became apparent / it became
apparent that the city had been vandalized).

Correct version:

Walking through the desolate lanes of the deserted city, I noticed vandalism all around.

39. Upon leaving the counter, the cashier handed the customer a receipt.

Upon leaving the counter (who was leaving the counter? ANSWER: The customer. So immediately after the
comma, we must have the customer), the cashier handed the customer a receipt.

Correct version:

Upon leaving the counter, the customer got a receipt from the cashier.

40. Unskilled in complex math, Bill's score on the entrance exam was poor.

Unskilled in complex math (Who was unskilled? ANSWER: BILL. So, immediately after the comma, we must have
Bill), Bill's score on the entrance exam was poor.

Correct version:

Unskilled in complex math, Bill scored poorly on the entrance exam.

41. Overjoyed by the quarterly results, a new bonus scheme was immediately announced by the manager.

Overjoyed by the quarterly results (who was overjoyed? ANSWER: The manager. So, immediately after the
comma, we must have the manager), a new bonus scheme was immediately announced by the manager.

Correct version:

Overjoyed by the quarterly results, the manager immediately announced a new bonus scheme.

MORE ON MODIFIER

Modifier errors occur due to the faulty placing of words or phrases in a sentence.

There are no fixed rules to correct these. All we need to make sure is that the right (intended) meaning is
conveyed using the least possible words. Your best friend in these situations will be your common sense, and of
course, experience gained from plenty of practice.

Read the following sentences. While you enjoy yourself, make a mental note not make such mistakes.

1. Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
2. If the baby does not thrive on fresh milk, it should be boiled. (What is to be boiled – the baby or the
milk?)
3. At the age of twenty, my father let me drive his car. (Who was 20, the father or the author?)
4. Walking back from the village, my wallet was lost. (Does your wallet walk?)
5. The store sold inflatable children‘s toys. (The sentence reads as though the children are inflatable,
instead of the toys.)
6. We provide restrooms for ladies that are clean and comfortable. (Paul Harvey said that about Wal-Mart
restrooms. What about ladies who are not clean and comfortable?)
7. Beautiful and sensually dressed, the men noticed her immediately. (Why were the men so dressed?)
8. Dressed in a silk nightgown, he thought his wife looked sexy. (What was he doing in the nightgown?)
9. I lost my hat running down the street. (Was the hat running?)
10. The other day, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. (How did the elephant get inside my pajamas, I‟ll
never know.)
 11. She claimed yesterday she saw a UFO. (Did she see the UFO yesterday? Or did she make the claim
yesterday? To be clear, we must rewrite the sentence.)
12. The assembly line workers were told they had been fired by the personnel director. (Did the personnel
director tell the workers they had been fired? Or was he the one who actually fired them and
somebody else told them? It‟s not at all clear.)
13. If your dog hates the cat, throw it out. (Throw out what – the dog or the cat?)

We are sure you have got a first-hand feel of what modifier problems are. So, ready for some BATTING
practice?

Incorrect Correct
Smoking a big cigar, the baby was Smoking a big cigar, the father admired
admired by its father. his baby.
Romeo almost kissed Juliet as soon Romeo kissed Juliet almost as soon as he
as he met her. met her.
I have fallen in love with the I have fallen in love with the woman’s
beautiful woman’s daughter. beautiful daughter.
Following are some useful tips for Following are some useful tips from the
protecting your person and property FBI for protecting your person and
from the FBI. property.
Manufactured in Italy, Abhishek Abhishek was delighted with the fine
was delighted with the fine quality quality of the leather shoes manufactured
of the leather shoes. in Italy.
OR
Manufactured in Italy, the leather shoes
delighted Abhishek.
The patient was referred to a The patient with several emotional
psychologist with several emotional problems was referred to a psychologist.
problems.
Two cars were reported stolen by the Yesterday, the police reported that two
police yesterday. cars were stolen.
 I n corr e ct C orr e ct
T h e yo u ng gi r l w as wa lk i n g t h e d og in a T he y o un g gi rl i n a sh or t sk i rt w as w al k i n g t h e
sh or t sk i r t . T h e do g w as c h asi n g t h e b oy do g. T he d o g w i t h t h e s pi k ed c o ll ar w as
wi t h t h e sp i k ed c ol l ar . ch as in g t he b oy .
I n a red sat i n go w n s pan gl ed wi t h C a t ch i n g si g ht o f he r i n a r ed s at i n go wn
se qu i ns , h e w as c ap t i v at ed by h er sp an gl e d w i t h s equ i n s, he w as cap t i v at ed by
bea ut y . h er bea ut y .
Mo t h er g av e t h e ca ke t o t h e h om el es s M o t h er g av e t h e h om el es s m an t h e c ak e t h at
m an t h at sh e h ad b ak ed an d i ce d s he h ad ba ke d an d i c ed y es t er day .
y es t erd ay .
I g av e a b oo k t o m y t eac he r t h at w as o l d I gav e m y t ea ch er a b oo k t h at wa s ol d an d
an d t a t t er ed. t a t t er ed.
T h e m ay or wa s de sc ri be d as a ro un d , T h e m ay or w as d esc ri b ed as a ro un d , s qu at
s qu at m an w i t h a dr oo py b ear d w ei gh i n g m an w ei g hi n g 6 0k g wi t h a d ro op y b ear d.
60 k g.
H ang i n g on t h e w al l , s he g l an ced i n t h e S he g l an ced i n t h e m i rr or ha ng i ng on t h e wa ll .
m ir ro r.
I b ou g ht a b u s f ro m an e ld er ly m an t h at I b o ug h t a bu s t h at w as i n go od ru nn i n g
w as i n g oo d ru n n in g co nd i t i on . co nd i t i on f r om an el der l y m a n.
H av i n g l o st p at i en ce , t h e m al f u nc t i on i n g H a vi n g l o st p at i en ce , t h e st ud en t rep l ac ed t h e
co m pu t er w as rep l ac ed. m al f u nc t i o ni n g c om p u t er.
H av i n g l eap ed o u t of a se co nd - s t o rey H av i n g l eap ed o u t of a se co nd - st o re y w i n do w ,
w in d ow , her l eg w as b ro k en by t he f a ll . t h e gi rl s uf f er ed a br ok en l eg i n t he f a ll . O R
Wh en t he g i rl l eap ed o u t of a se co nd - s t o rey
w i n do w, sh e b ro k e her l eg i n t he f a ll .
Wh i l e cl i m b in g t he t r ee, t h e bo t t l e W hi l e Mr . D ar oo ba z w as c li m b i ng t h e t ree , t h e
dr op p ed. bo t t l e dr op p ed.
OR
Wh i l e cl i m b i ng t he t ree, Mr . D ar oo ba z dr op pe d
t h e bo t t l e.

Th e t ea ch er s ai d o n T h u rs day w e‘ d h av e On T h ur sd ay , t he t e ach er sai d we ‘d ha ve t o

t o wo rk h ar der on ou r m at h ex er ci s es. wo rk h ar der on ou r m at h ex er ci s es.
T h ou g h o nl y si x t e en , U C L A ac ce pt ed h er T h ou gh sh e w as o n l y s i xt een , U C L A ac c ept e d
ap pl i c at i on he r a pp li c at i o n.
D ef i n i ng y ou r t er m s cl e arl y st r eng t h en s D ef i n i ng y ou r t er m s w il l cl e arl y st r en gt hen
y ou r a rg um e nt . y ou r a rg um e nt . O R
A c l ear def i n i t i on of y o ur t erm s st r eng t h en s
y ou r a rg um e nt .
Na i na s ai d d ur i ng t h e m eet i n g Mai n a D u ri n g t h e m eet i n g , N ai n a sai d Mai na a ct e d
ac t ed l ik e a f o ol . l ik e a f o ol . O R
N ai n a sai d M ai n a act e d l i k e a f oo l d u ri n g t h e
m eet i n g.
D o n o t si t i n t h e c hai r wi t h o ut b ei n g Y ou sh o ul d no t si t i n t h e c h ai r u nl es s i t i s f u ll y
f u ll y as sem b l ed. as sem b l ed.
W h i le eat i n g d in n er , a f l y sl i pp ed i n t o Wh i l e sh e w as ea t i ng di n ne r, a f ly s li p pe d i n t o
h er s ou p. h er s ou p.
T he y b ou g ht a p u pp y f o r m y si s t er t h ey T he y b ou g ht a p u pp y t he y c al l Fi do f or m y
ca l l Fi d o. s is t er .
N earl y d ead , t h e p ol i c e f in al l y f ou n d t h e T h e p ol i ce f in al l y f ou n d t h e v i c t i m, w ho w as
v i ct im . ne arl y de ad.
Wal k i n g t h ro u gh t h e par k , t h e g ras s W al k in g t hr ou g h t h e pa rk , I f ou n d t h at t h e
t i c k l ed m y f eet . g ra ss t i c k l ed m y f eet .
A f i n e at h l et e an d s t u den t , t h e co ach T h e co ac h h on o ur ed t h e c a pt a in of t h e t en n i s
ho n ou red t h e cap t ai n of t h e t en n i s t eam . t e am , a f i n e at h l et e an d s t u de nt .
H e sai d t on i gh t h e' d ca l l m e. T o n ig h t , h e sa i d h e' d ca l l m e. O R
H e sai d he 'd cal l m e t o ni g ht . ( Sl i g htl y
d i f f ere nt m ea ni n g)

42. Although the area had little traffic and pedestrians, the developers were convinced that the restaurant should be
opened in the district; it was only a matter of time before urban sprawl would bring residents and visitors alike.

There is just one mistake in this sentence:

We may use the word LITTLE for traffic, but not for pedestrians… So we must have LITTLE traffic and FEW
pedestrians.

Correct Version: Although the area had little traffic and FEW pedestrians, the developers were convinced that the
restaurant should be opened in the district; it was only a matter of time before urban sprawl would bring residents
and visitors alike.
Some more confusions reported by students on this question are:

1. USE of SEMICOLON:
On the GMAT, the Semi-colon is used in the following situations:

If a sentence has 2 independent clauses (2 balanced sentences) that are logically connected but independent
in structure, then the semi-colon must be used to join them.

Imagine the sentence:

Jack and Joan are inseparable; they do everything together.

In this sentence, the 2 parts can be written as 2 independent sentences.

―Jack and Joan are inseparable.‖ IS A PROPER AND BALANCED SENTENCE.

―They do everything together.‖ IS A PROPER AND BALANCED SENTENCE AS WELL.

So, in this sentence, the use of the semi-colon is definitely justified.

The word THEY can surely be written in the second part… as the semicolon is about structural
independence and not about meaning independence.

Now imagine the sentence:

Although he is poor, he is very honest.

In this, the first part ―Although he is poor‖ is definitely not a full sentence… (this is called a dependent clause)

But the second part ―He is very honest.‖ Is a proper and balanced sentence. (this is called an independent
clause)

So in this case, the use of the semicolon is not justified… we have to use the comma only.

To summarize:

Independent clause + Independent clause – use the semicolon

Independent clause + Dependent clause – use the comma

Dependent clause + Independent clause – use the comma

Dependent clause + Dependent clause – NOT a proper sentence.

Now in the given sentence:

Although the area had little traffic and FEW pedestrians, the developers were convinced that the restaurant
should be opened in the district; it was only a matter of time before urban sprawl would bring residents and
visitors alike.

The left part is definitely balanced… and so is the right part. So the semicolon is justified.

2. The use of WOULD:

The use of WOULD is justified here as this is “FUTURE (URBAN SPRAWL) with respect to PAST
(CONVINCED)”.
 3. Should the sentence be … ―convinced that the restaurant should be opened in the district‖ OR ―convinced
that the restaurant be opened in the district‖

Please understand that this is not SUBJUNCTIVE as the VERB “CONVINCED” is not
FUTURISTIC… so the rule

Futuristic Verb + THAT + ROOT Form or BE… does not apply here.

43. The Battle of Gettysburg, considered as the turning point of the Civil War, saw one-third of its participants killed
and injured.

The following are the problems with this sentence:

CONSIDERED AS is considered wrong idiom on the GMAT.

It is only CONSIDERED…

As per the meaning of the sentence, you cannot have somebody “killed AND injured”… it must be
“killed OR injured”.
The Battle of Gettysburg, considered as the turning point of the Civil War, saw one-third of its participants killed OR
injured.

This sentence should definitely tell you that Idiom and Meaning Clarity are very important on the GMAT.

44. Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.

This sentence may look wrong at first sight, as the second part doesn‟t have a verb.

However, this construction is considered correct on the GMAT – ALWAYS!!

This is called ABSOLUTE PHRASE.

Absolute Phrases

Notice the following sentences (such constructions are considered correct)

1. Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.

2. Tom paled when he came home, his mother standing in the doorway.
3. She returned to her bench, her face showing all the unhappiness that had suddenly overtaken her.
4. The boy watched, his eyes bulging in the dark.
5. About the bones, ants were ebbing away, their pincers full of meat.
6. Six boys came over the hill half an hour early that afternoon, running hard, their heads down, their
forearms working, their breath whistling.
7. Noiselessly Lenny appeared in the open doorway and stood there looking in, his big shoulders nearly
filling the opening.
8. Light flickered on bits of ruby glass and on sensitive capillary hairs in the nylon-brushed nostrils of the
creature that quivered gently, gently, its eight legs spidered under it on rubber-padded paws.

Notice in the above sentences:

The part after the comma (called the absolute phrase) has the following characteristics:

1. It starts with a possessive form (his, her, its, their etc.)

2. It only adds to the meaning (just additional or filler information). It is not core information.
3. It contains no verb (it is a phrase).
4. It is adverbial in nature (it goes back to the whole clause, not to a specific noun).

Absolute phrase construction is a preferred construction on GMAT SC.

NOTICE the sentences below:

Sound can travel through water for enormous distances, prevented from dissipating its acoustic energy as a result of
boundaries in the ocean created by water layers of different temperatures and densities.
A. prevented from dissipating its acoustic energy as a result of
B. prevented from having its acoustic energy dissipated by
C. its acoustic energy prevented from dissipating by
D. its acoustic energy prevented from being dissipated as a result of
E. preventing its acoustic energy from dissipating by

Ans. C

ABSOLUTE PHRASE CONSTRUCTION… similar to the above problem.

* take a look at this problem (along with its OA). take a look at the other problem.
* note, and memorize, the pattern of each correct answer.
* try to create your own sentences with the same structure, to reinforce your knowledge.

e.g.

Joe ran after the bus, his arms flailing wildly as he attempted to capture the driver's attention.

Some more real GMAT problems using this logic:

With surface temperatures estimated at minus 230 degrees Fahrenheit, Jupiter's moon Europa has long been
considered far too cold to support life, and with 60 square miles of water thought to be frozen from top to bottom.
A. Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life, and with
B. Europa has long been considered far too cold to support life, its
C. Europa has long been considered as far too cold to support life and has
D. Europa, long considered as far too cold to support life, and its
E. Europa, long considered to be far too cold to support life, and to have

(a)
"and with ..." isn't parallel to anything.
AND sets up parallelism, so there must be something to which "with..." can be parallel (other prepositional phrase, or
other adverbial modifier). there is no such thing.

(b)
correct.
this is a type of modifier with which you should be familiar. (i have no idea what it's called - sorry)
here's another example:
john, his arms flailing in the wind, called out desperately for help.

note that the presence of frozen water SUPPORTS the claim that europa is "far too cold to support life",
so it should be a MODIFIER.
this is done here.
it's inappropriate to place these two things in parallel with AND.

(c)
AND is rhetorically inappropriate (see above).
"considered as" is unidiomatic here.

(d)
this is not a sentence. (the clause before "and" doesn't have a verb; "considered" is a participle, not a verb, here)
"considered as" is unidiomatic here.

(e)
"considered to be" is wrong,
this sentence has no verb at all! the only verb forms present are participles and infinitives, none of which is eligible to
be the main verb of the sentence.
 Margaret Courtney-Clarke has traveled to remote dwellings in the Transvaal to photograph the art of Ndebele women,
whose murals are brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new iconography and in a
style that varies from woman to woman and house to house.
A. whose murals are brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new iconography and
in a style that varies from woman to woman and house to house
B. whose murals are brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries are embellished with old and new iconography,
and their style is varying among women and houses
C. whose murals are brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries are embellished with old and new iconography,
and they are in styles that vary from woman to woman and house to house
D. with murals brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new iconography, and their
style varies among women and houses
E. with murals that are brilliantly colored, their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new iconography,
and their styles vary among women and houses

One of the most difficult problems:

Here parallelism cannot be applied… ‗whose‘ refers to women… ‗their‘ refers to murals… SO ‗are colored‘ and ‗are
embellished‘ can never be parallel as there are 2 different subjects… so B and C are out…
D…
with murals brilliantly colored (PHRASE), their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new iconography
(PHRASE), and their style varies among women and houses (CLAUSE)… not parallel
E.
with murals that are brilliantly colored (CLAUSE) , their geometrical symmetries embellished with old and new
iconography (PHRASE), and their styles vary among women and houses (CLAUSE) … not parallel.
A uses Absolute phrase concept correctly…

45. The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, which ultimately failed.

The word WHICH is a pronoun… but there is no single NOUN for it to refer back to… so the usage is wrong!

CORRECTION: The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, a strategy that failed.

Abstract nouns modifying the entire clause (after a comma)

(If you have an appositive modifier that's an abstract noun - such as "strategy", "figure", "statistic", "findings",
"situation", "change", "difference", etc. - then such an appositive may be allowed to describe the entire situation
described in the previous clause.)

1. I only have one onion, a deficiency that will make it impossible to cook this dish.
2. The scientists discovered whale-fish bones in the Arctic, findings that prove the existence of whale-fish.
3. Scientists have found high levels of iridium in certain geographical formations around the world, results that
suggest the cataclysmic impact of a meteor millions of year ago.
4. An asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, Sixty-five million years ago, an event
that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous
Period.
5. The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, a strategy that failed.
6. X observed large concentrations of metals in the sediments, findings consistent with the history of deposits
in the region.
7. Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a finding that has shocked many in the scientific
community. OR Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a statistic that has shocked many in
the scientific community.
8. Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape's and so were probably without language, a shortcoming
that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.
9. Scientists have observed large concentrations of heavy—metal deposits in the upper twenty centimeters of
sediments from the Baltic Sea, findings consistent with the growth of industrial activity in the area.
10. I went to the bar with john smith, an excursion that was much more fun than working all night.
11. The general tried to get his troops to retreat before being surrounded, a strategy that ultimately failed.

Such abstract noun constructions are preferred on the test … always correct.
46. In America, as in anywhere else in the world, we must find a focus in our lives at an early age, a focus that is
beyond the mechanics of earning a living or coping with a household.

This question uses the concept of APPOSITIVE Phrases:

Appositive Phrases

Appositives rename noun phrases and are usually placed beside what they rename.

The bold part in the following sentences is the appositive. The appositives are nouns that refer to a particular
noun in the preceding part. They are adjectival in nature, i.e., they modify only a specific noun. Appositives provide
filler (not core) information about the main noun. Such constructions are preferred on the GMAT.

1. The lady, our president, spoke out against racism.

2. We waited in our favorite meeting place, the pub.
3. Our department head, a careful reader and outspoken critic, will review the memo before it is circulated.
4. My radio, an old portable, is in the repair shop.
5. The boys climbed the mountain, one of the highest in the West.
6. Lamp Trimmer Samuel Hemming, lying in his bunk, heard a curious hissing sound coming from the forepeak, the
compartment closest to the bow of the Titanic.
7. Ives and Ramirez parked, and upon approaching the entranceway saw Father Jimenez, an old man now in wire-
rim glasses peering out from behind the screen.
8. Three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed for
various bureaucratic reasons.
9. I went to the bar with john smith, a consultant in Los Angeles.
10. In America, as in anywhere else in the world, we must find a focus in our lives at an early age, a focus that is
beyond the mechanics of earning a living or coping with a household.

Notice the above sentence (#10) carefully. The word FOCUS is repeated. Such appositive constructions are the most
preferred on the GMAT.

If we want to refer to a previous noun in a sentence, this construction is preferred to a PRONOUN referring to a
noun…. This is essentially RENAMING…

The best construction as per the GMAT is when the SAME NOUN is written again after the comma… in
case such an option is not there, use the Appositive with some other NOUN.

Appositives function as NON Essential Modifiers… they are called phrases because there is no VERB in
them.

So in the given sentence, we find the same noun (FOCUS) repeated after the comma… this is the best
possible construction… so this is already correct.

In America, as in anywhere else in the world, we must find a focus in our lives at an early age, A FOCUS that is
beyond the mechanics of earning a living or coping with a household.

Some real GMAT questions using this construction:

Yellow jackets number among the 900 or so species of the world‘s social wasps, wasps living in a highly cooperative
and organized society where they consist almost entirely of females—the queen and her sterile female workers.
A. wasps living in a highly cooperative and organized society where they consist almost entirely of
B. wasps that live in a highly cooperative and organized society consisting almost entirely of
C. which means they live in a highly cooperative and organized society, almost all
D. which means that their society is highly cooperative, organized, and it is almost entirely
E. living in a society that is highly cooperative, organized, and it consists of almost all

Appositives (the word WASPS repeated after the comma… so A or B could be our answers)

This sentence identifies yellow jackets as one of 900 types of social wasps and provides an explanation of the term
social wasps. In this explanation, the society or population—not the individual wasps themselves—consists almost
entirely of females. The three descriptors of social wasps ( cooperative, organized, and consisting almost entirely of
females) are most effectively expressed in parallel structures.
A They, referring to wasps, is an incorrect subject for consist.
B Correct. The three descriptors of the wasp society are in parallel form, and consisting properly modifies society.
C Th e sentence structure makes it unclear what almost all females describes.
D And it is … violates the parallelism of the three descriptors of social wasps.
E And it consists … violates the parallelism of the three descriptors.
The correct answer is B.

Floating in the waters of the equatorial Pacific, an array of buoys collects and transmits data on long-term interactions
between the ocean and the atmosphere, interactions that affect global climate.
A. atmosphere, interactions that affect
B. atmosphere, with interactions affecting
C. atmosphere that affects
D. atmosphere that is affecting
E. atmosphere as affects

Appositive modifier… so the ―interactions‖ must repeat after the comma… Ans. A

'array of buoys' is plural and needs 'collect' not 'collects'. Eliminate B and D.

In C : 'atmosphere that affects' - 'that' modifies 'atmosphere'. Atmosphere is not the one that affects but the
interactions b/w ocean and atmosphere.

In D: 'atmosphere as global climate' - changes the meaning.

The state has proposed new rules that would set minimum staffing levels for nurses, rules intended to ensure that at
least one nurse is assigned for every four patients put through triage in a hospital emergency room.
A. rules intended to ensure that at least one nurse is assigned for every four patients put through triage in a
hospital emergency room
B. rules with the intent of ensuring one nurse at least to be assigned for every four patients to be put through
triage in a hospital emergency room
C. rules intending to ensure at least one nurse is assigned for every four patients in a hospital emergency room
put through triage
D. with the intent of ensuring that at least one nurse should be assigned for every four patients in a hospital
emergency room that are put through triage
E. and this is intended to ensure one nurse at least to be assigned for every four patients put through triage in
a hospital emergency room

Appositive modifier… so the ―rules‖ must repeat after the comma…

C: "rules intending..." is incorrect, since the rules aren't intending to do anything. rules don't have intentions,
although their authors do.
this is a passive type construction. the rules are intended to do x, y, and z, so you need "intended", not "intending".

Ans. A

B has the same problem… rules cannot have an intent of their own.

"The rules intended to ensure that at least one nurse is assigned for every four patients put through triage in a
hospital emergency room."

"Intended" can be two things (at least!): it can be the simple past form of the verb "to intend" or it can be the past
participle of the verb "to intend." A past participle by itself is not a complete, conjugated verb form.

So, which is it here? Well, if we're going to use "intended" as the simple past tense form, then the subject has to be
the person or thing that is intending to do something. For example:

"I intended to study last night, but then I fell asleep." I am the one doing the action: intending to do something.

What do we have as the potential subject in this case? The rules. Can the rules intend to do something?
 Nope. We can intend to do something by making a rule. Rules can BE intended to do something. But the rules can't
intend to do something themselves. If we want a conjugated verb here to make this a sentence, then we need to
write this in passive voice. (Passive voice is used when the subject is not actually performing the action of the verb;
instead, the subject is having that action performed on it by something or someone else.) For example:

"The rules are intended to ensure X." (Someone has made some rules and that someone intends for the rules to
ensure X.)

"The rules were intended to ensure X." (Same thing as above, except in past tense.)

So, that bit after the comma is not a stand-alone sentence. It's a modifier. As a result, choice A is not a run-on.

47. If I meet her, I will tell her a story.

This is called a CONDITIONAL:

In this, we are talking about a ―POSSIBLE‖ future – the action is NOT IMPROBABLE in future.

In this case, use the PRESENT + FUTURE (WILL) form.

So the sentence ―If I meet her, I will tell her a story.‖ Means that there is a positive possibility of my meeting her in
the future…

Never use double future in such sentences:

If I WILL meet her, I WILL tell her a story. – WRONG.

But we may use the present tense in both parts if the context so demands:

If I meet her, I tell her a story.

In this case, ‗if‘ means ‗whenever‘… this is correct construction.

48. If I met her, I would tell her a story.

If I were to meet her, I would tell her a story.

Were I to meet her, I would tell her a story.

All of these forms mean the same thing… there is no preference for one to another.

To your surprise, even this form denotes FUTURE.

In this, we are talking about an almost ―IMPOSSIBLE‖ future – the action is IMPROBABLE in future.

In this case, use the

PAST + WOULD form

Or If + were + would form

Or Were + Would form….

So the sentence ―If I met her, I would tell her a story.‖ Means that there is a hardly any possibility of my meeting her
in the future…

SIMILARLY the sentence ―If I were to meet her, I would tell her a story.‖ Means that there is a hardly any possibility
of my meeting her in the future…

Similarly the sentence ―Were I to meet her, I would tell her a story.‖ Means that there is a hardly any possibility of
my meeting her in the future…
 In all “wish” sentence, the above structures are used.

49. If I had met her, I would have told her a story. ≡ Had I met her, I would have told her a story.

This sentence is not about FUTURE… this is about PAST that could not happen…

We always use

“If + had + would have” form OR

“HAD + would have” form here

Indians (in colloquial English) often commit a mistake in the above construction…

Most of us tend to use WOULD HAVE in both parts. Clearly WRONG!!

50. There are hopeful signs that we are shifting away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels: more than ten times as
much energy is (generated through wind power now as it was / generated through wind power now as was the
case) in 1990.

Option 1: There are hopeful signs that we are shifting away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels: more
than ten times as much energy is generated through wind power now as it was in 1990.

In this sentence, we must find an antecedent for the word IT… as we can see, there is no proper antecedent for IT,
we must remove the pronoun and try to introduce a NEW NOUN instead.

There are hopeful signs that we are shifting away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels: more than ten times as
much energy is generated through wind power now as was the case in 1990.

Also, REMEMBER this construction… AS is the case… as was the case… as would be the case… as will
be the case… as has been the case etc. … such constructions are always considered RIGHT on the
GMAT.
 PRIME
Other components

Preferences
Avoid Use
Instead of Rather than
Due to Because of
2 times Double / Twice
Being …
Compare to Compare with
Do it Do so
May be Perhaps
If Whether
Hopefully It is hoped
As well as And
Enough So
Ability Able
Capability Can
As a result of Result from
One time Once
4 times Quadruple
Economical Economic
Try and Try to
Liable Likely
Ought to Should
But Although
―Which‖ after the comma A NOUN form
Just like Just as / Just as … so / just
as … so too
Like Such as
Like As if / as though
Noun form Verb Form
Apostrophe / Possessive forms Nominative forms

 In case there is a choice between the left column word / expression and the right column expression, the GMAT will prefer the
word / expression on right column.
 Preferences are the last on the list of priorities on SC.
 Only after checking Rules (Grammar), Meaning Clarity, and Idioms should you think of these as the tie-breakers.
 The use of preferences before checking Rules (Grammar), Meaning Clarity, and Idioms will certainly land you in trouble in
tougher problems.
 For example, there are a few sentences in the Official Guide in which the use of ―BEING‖ is correct.
 Also, remember the entire phrase: for example the choice is between ―Instead of‖ and ―Rather than‖, not between ―Instead‖
and ―Rather‖.
 Apply these with a lot of caution.

Cases to avoid:

Such like Occurring Seeming On account of Owing to Lesser Not any And also

Words followed by „to be‟/ „to‟/‟that‟: Seem, Known, Thought, Estimated, Believe, Appear, Qualify, Likely,
Predict, Project

Incorrect: The game was postponed due to rain. Correct: The game was postponed because of rain.

Correct: The game‘s postponement was due to rain.

V-A-N Pattern 1: Prefer a Verb to an Action Noun

Wordy: The townspeople's REVOLUTION WAS AGAINST the king. Better: The townspeople REVOLTED AGAINST the king.

An Action Noun, such as revolution, is a noun that expresses an action. Try to express actions with verbs (such as
revolt), rather than with action nouns (such as revolution). Generally, a short, simple verb is stronger than a phrase
with the relevant action noun and a generic verb, such as be or make. In the other examples listed below, notice how
the nouns create wordy prepositional phrases.

Wordy: They are subject to the applicability of rules. Better: Rules apply to them.
Wordy: His conception of money was as a goal. Better: He conceived of money as a goal.
Wordy: The cost of storms to the country is billions. Better: Storms cost the country billions.
Wordy: Her decision was to go. Better: She decided to go.
Wordy: His example was an influence on me. Better: His example influenced me.
Wordy: Her example was an inspiration to me. Better: Her example inspired me.
Wordy: They made a reference to the strike. Better: They referred to the strike.
Wordy: The weight of the apples is a pound. Better: The apples weigh a pound.

However, note that, like all other patterns of wordiness and conclusion, this pattern does NOT provide hard-and-fast
rule. As you start to notice these patterns, do not fall in love with them! Always use concision last. Moreover, in many
cases, a difference among answer choices involving Concision also hinges on other issues.

V-A-N Pattern 2: Prefer a That-Clause (with Verbs) to a Series of Phrases (with Nouns)

Wordy: The hypothesis ABOUT the COMPOSITION OF the universe AS largely dark energy seems strange.

Better: The hypothesis THAT the universe IS largely COMPOSED OF dark energy seems strange.

When you tack a long thought onto a noun, try to put the thought in a That-Clause rather than in a long series of
prepositional phrases. A That-Clause starts with the word that and contains a working verb (one that, as is, can be
the main verb of a sentence by itself). Is composed is a working verb.

"Idea" nouns, such as hypothesis, idea, or suggestion, lend themselves particularly well to this pattern. Other
examples include belief, discovery, evidence, indication, and report. These sorts of nouns are often modified by That-
Clauses that contain full sentences:

The BELIEF THAT the Earth is flat is contradicted by EVIDENCE THAT the Earth is round and the DISCOVERY
THAT the Earth circles the Sun.

V-A-N Pattern 3: Prefer a Verb to an Adjective

Wordy: The artist WAS INFLUENTIAL TO the movement. Better: The artist INFLUENCED the movement.
Wordy: This rash is aggravating to the pain. Better: This rash aggravates the pain.
We are able to go to the store now. Better: We can go to the store now.
This signal is indicative of a problem. Better: This signal indicates a problem.
Her example was inspirational to me. Better: Her example inspired me.
This painting is suggestive of calm. Better: This painting suggests calm.

V-A-N Pattern 4: Prefer an Adjective to a Noun

Wordy: THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF funds for school construction. Better: Funds for school construction ARE ABUNDANT.

Wordy: She has the ability to juggle. Better: She is able to juggle.
The best form here is ―She can juggle.‖

Wordy: She has the capability to juggle. Better: She is capable of juggling.
Wordy: I am of the conviction that they are right. Better: I am convinced that they are right.
Wordy: We have a disinclination to stay. Better: We are disinclined to stay.
Wordy: He is in isolation. Better: He is isolated.
V-A-N Pattern 5: Prefer an Adverb to a Prepositional Phrase

Wordy: Oil prices have fallen, but prices at the gasoline pump have not fallen TO A COMPARABLE EXTENT.
Better: Oil prices have fallen, but prices at the gasoline pump have not fallen COMPARABLY.

To modify a verb phrase (e.g., have not fallen), use a simple adverb rather than a long prepositional phrase that
means the same thing. Since prepositional phrases contain nouns, this is another example of the V-A-N principle.

Notice also that the first example above is suboptimal for another reason. The phrase ‗fall to‘ often indicates the ‗level‘
to which something falls, rather than the ‗extent‘: Prices have fallen to under a dollar. As a result, you might misread
the first example.

Wordy: to a considerable extent Better: considerably

Wordy: to a significant degree Better: significantly

Two other concision patterns do not fit the V-A-N framework but are worth noting. Both of these patterns involve
overuse of the generic verb to be. As we have already seen, the verb to be can appear in many instances of
wordiness. When you search for the most concise answer, run an "Elimination BE": get rid of any unnecessary uses of
be. (Remember that the verb to be can take on many other forms: am, are, been, is, was, were.)

V-A-N Pattern 6: Prefer an Adjective to an Adjective Clause with Be

Wordy: Marcos is a professor WHO IS ADMIRABLE. Better: Marcos is an ADMIRABLE professor.

An adjective clause that contains the verb to be (in any of its forms) is generally wordier than the adjective by itself.

In particular, if the main clause contains be as well, try to use the adjective alone. The first example has two
occurrences of the word is, one of which is unnecessary. The second example has only one is, because the adjective
admirable has been moved in front of the noun professor.

This principle works similarly with nouns that identify or describe other nouns:

Wordy: Joan, WHO IS a FIREFIGHTER, works in Yosemite Park.

Better: Joan, a FIREFIGHTER, works in Yosemite Park.

V-A-N Pattern 7: Remove IT IS ... THAT. ..

Wordy: IT IS without fear THAT children should play. Better: Children should play without fear.

The first construction is perfectly grammatical and even useful when you want to emphasize some aspect of the
situation (such as without fear). But the GMAT avoids such constructions in correct answers. You should do the
same as you make your choice.

Again, none of these Concision patterns expresses a rule but rather a preference. Make use of these
patterns judiciously. In particular, be wary of shortcuts. Words or phrases such as being or the fact that do not
automatically indicate that an answer choice is wrong. In The Official Guide 12th Edition, both of these common
signals of wordiness are present in correct answers. The other answer choices are all grammatically wrong.

Preference: Don't Make It Too Short

As you cut out unnecessary words, be careful not to cut too much out of the sentence! Avoid creating awkward
phrasings or introducing new errors.

The GMAT sometimes tries to trick you with false concision: tempting expressions that are too short for their own
good. Some patterns are listed below.

"Too Short" Pattern 1: Keep the Prepositional Phrase if You Need To

Too Short: I talked to the BOSTON SOLDIER. Better: I talked to the SOLDIER FROM BOSTON.
Too Short Better
Aegean Sea salt salt FROM the Aegean Sea
Ural Mountain ore ore FROM the Ural Mountains
Danube River access access TO the Danube River
Changes IN the population of honeybees population changes of honeybees
Memorial Day week OR Memorial Day's week the week OF Memorial Day
The merger year the year OF the merger
The oxygen amount the amount OF oxygen
The honeybee population density the density OF the honeybee population
OR the honeybee population's density

Preference: Keep „That Of‟ or „Those Of‟ if You Need To

Too Short: The face I see in ads every day is a famous actor.
Better: The face I see in ads every day is THAT OF a famous actor.

Wordy: The fields I most enjoy studying are THOSE OF physics and chemistry.
Better: The fields I most enjoy studying are physics and chemistry.

Preference: Keep “That” after a Reporting Verb (such as indicate, claim, contend, or report)

Too Short: The study INDICATES the problem has vanished.

Better: The study INDICATES THAT the problem has vanished.

The criminals AGREED THAT gold would be the scam. They CLAIMED THAT gold was growing scarce.
They CONTENDED THAT the price of gold would rise. They DECLARED THAT they had discovered gold.
Investors FOUND THAT they could not get answers. An article INDICATED THAT the mine was worthless.
An investigation REVEALED THAT the gold was a mirage.
The court RULED THAT the criminals were guilty of fraud. This story SHOWS THAT crime does not pay.

Other common Reporting Verbs include announce, assert, believe, confess, demonstrate, doubt, expect, hold, know,
mention, observe, proclaim, reason, recognize, repeat, state, think, and warn, as well as various forms with the verb
be, such as be convinced, be certain, be assured, and so forth.
 PREFERENCE
Absolute Phrases
Notice the following sentences (such constructions are considered correct)

1. Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.

2. Tom paled when he came home, his mother standing in the doorway.
3. She returned to her bench, her face showing all the unhappiness that had suddenly overtaken her.
4. The boy watched, his eyes bulging in the dark.
5. About the bones, ants were ebbing away, their pincers full of meat.
6. Six boys came over the hill half an hour early that afternoon, running hard, their heads down, their
forearms working, their breath whistling.
7. Noiselessly Lenny appeared in the open doorway and stood there looking in, his big shoulders nearly
filling the opening.
8. Light flickered on bits of ruby glass and on sensitive capillary hairs in the nylon-brushed nostrils of the
creature that quivered gently, gently, its eight legs spidered under it on rubber-padded paws.

Notice in the above sentences:

The part after the comma (called the absolute phrase) has the following characteristics:

1. It starts with a possessive form (his, her, its, their etc.)

2. It only adds to the meaning (just additional or filler information). It is not core information.
3. It contains no verb (it is a phrase).
4. It is adverbial in nature (it goes back to the whole clause, not to a specific noun).

Absolute phrase construction is a preferred construction on GMAT SC.

PREFERENCES:
Appositive Phrases
Appositives rename noun phrases and are usually placed beside what they rename.
The bold part in the following sentences is the appositive. The appositives are nouns that refer to a particular
noun in the preceding part. They are adjectival in nature, i.e., they modify only a specific noun. Appositives provide
filler (not core) information about the main noun. Such constructions are preferred on the GMAT.

1. The lady, our president, spoke out against racism.

2. We waited in our favorite meeting place, the pub.
3. Our department head, a careful reader and outspoken critic, will review the memo before it is circulated.
4. My radio, an old portable, is in the repair shop.
5. The boys climbed the mountain, one of the highest in the West.
6. Lamp Trimmer Samuel Hemming, lying in his bunk, heard a curious hissing sound coming from the forepeak,
the compartment closest to the bow of the Titanic.
7. Ives and Ramirez parked, and upon approaching the entranceway saw Father Jimenez, an old man now in
wire-rim glasses peering out from behind the screen.
8. Three days ago he received a payment for $1000, part of the long-overdue pension that had been delayed
for various bureaucratic reasons.
9. I went to the bar with john smith, a consultant in Los Angeles.
10. In America, as in anywhere else in the world, we must find a focus in our lives at an early age, a focus that
is beyond the mechanics of earning a living or coping with a household.

Notice the above sentence (#10) carefully. The word FOCUS is repeated. Such appositive constructions are the most
preferred on the GMAT.
 Preference: Abstract nouns
Abstract nouns modifying the entire preceding clause (after a comma)

(If you have an appositive modifier that's an abstract noun - such as "strategy", "figure", "statistic", "findings",
"situation", "change", "difference", etc. - then such an appositive may be allowed to describe the entire situation
described in the previous clause.)

1. I only have one onion, a deficiency that will make it impossible to cook this dish.
2. The scientists discovered whale-fish bones in the Arctic, findings that prove the existence of whale-fish.
3. Scientists have found high levels of iridium in certain geographical formations around the world, results that
suggest the cataclysmic impact of a meteor millions of year ago.
4. An asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into North America, Sixty-five million years ago, an event
that caused the plant and animal extinctions that mark the end of the geologic era known as the Cretaceous
Period.
5. The coach tried to put 5 receivers on the line, a strategy that failed.
6. X observed large concentrations of metals in the sediments, findings consistent with the history of deposits
in the region.
7. Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a finding that has shocked many in the scientific
community. OR Recent studies have shown that X is 60 percent of Y, a statistic that has shocked many in
the scientific community.
8. Neanderthals had a vocal tract resembling an ape's and so were probably without language, a shortcoming
that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.
9. Scientists have observed large concentrations of heavy—metal deposits in the upper twenty centimeters of
sediments from the Baltic Sea, findings consistent with the growth of industrial activity in the area.
10. I went to the bar with john smith, an excursion that was much more fun than working all night.
11. The general tried to get his troops to retreat before being surrounded, a strategy that ultimately failed.

Such abstract noun constructions are preferred on the test … always correct.
Important: Usually on the GMAT, you will need to choose between a pronoun (‗which‘ or ‗it‘) that refers to a verb
and an abstract noun that refers to the entire preceding clause / situation. In such a case, you must choose the
Abstract noun construction. ALWAYS!

Finer points related to the word “Twice”

If you say "twice as many", then this construction should be paired with a countable noun.
e.g., twice as many dogs --> "dogs" is a countable noun
If you said "twice as much", then this construction should be paired with an uncountable noun.
e.g., twice as much water --> "water" is an uncountable noun
If the noun in question is already an explicitly numerical quantity, then you should use neither "much" nor
"many". instead, you should just use "twice" or "double" by itself.
e.g., twice the increase --> "increase" is an explicitly numerical quantity
twice as much water --> correct, since "water" is an uncountable noun (but is not an explicitly numerical quantity)
twice the water... --> incorrect, since water is not a numerical quantity
twice as much as the increase... --> incorrect; redundant
twice the increase... --> correct

Twice vs. Double:

Twice is used as an adjective … it must refer to a noun mentioned in the sentence elsewhere.
Double is used as a verb or a participle (in cause and effect etc.) … it does not refer to a specific noun.
 PRIME

IDIOMS
List of GMAT-Idioms – can‟t do without
o Idioms are expressions that are the way they are
o There can be no explanations / reasoning for idioms
o You have to memorize a list, e.g.,
o Forbid to do NOT from doing
o Cope with NOT cope up with
o Comprise NOT comprise of ; although in the passive voice, is comprised of is correct.
o Mistake A for B NOT mistake A as B
o Neck and Neck competition, NOT neck to neck
o Laid up with fever NOT laid down
o Consider NOT consider to be or consider as… The list continues

2 Lists on the next page … to be remembered

 PRIME

Meaning Clarity
The central part of SC is meaning clarity … at least 80% of the questions on the GMAT test Meaning Clarity. It
simply means that the correct answer must make commonsensical sense in the real, day-to-day world.

PRIME
Elimination
How to eliminate
 Read the full sentence: Even the non-underlined portion … no exception to this rule.
 Grammar RULES: Intuition is your last resort… So any choice that seems right, feels right, sounds right, smells
right, etc. may not be the right answer.
 Most of the errors on GMAT-SC occur at four potential places
o The Beginning of the Underlined Portion
o The End of the Underlined Portion
o After the Comma
o One word / phrase before the underlined portion
 Read the full sentence and understand the meaning of the sentence. This is the most crucial step.
 SCAN: Use Horizontal / Vertical Scanning to look for differences in the choices
 SPLIT: Look for a 2/3 or a 3/2 split. Most likely you are likely to narrow down to two choices
 POE: Don‘t try to select the correct answer – eliminate wrong ones
 Paper: Use a tick cross system with a pencil. Don‘t rely on memory.
 TRAP: Choice ―A‖ can be the right choice in a substantial number of questions.
Concision

AVOID USE
Despite the fact that Although
Have the capability Can
Exactly the same Same
In close proximity to Near
Past experience Experience
Final Outcome Outcome
 TENSES

Explanation Past Present Future

Simple Past Simple Present Simple Future

action that takes place once, never He played football He plays football He will / is going to play
or several times every Tuesday. every Tuesday. football every Tuesday.
actions that happen one after He played football and He plays football and He will play football and
another then he went home. then he goes home. then he will go home.
State He loved football. He loves football. He will love football.

Past Continuous Present Future Continuous

Continuous
action going on at that moment He was playing He is playing He will be playing
football. football. football.
actions taking place at the same He was playing He is playing football He will be playing
time football and she was and she is watching. football and she will be
watching. watching.

Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect

action taking place before a certain He had won five He has won five He will have won five
moment in time; emphasizes the matches until that matches so far. matches by then.
result day.

Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect

Continuous Continuous Continuous

action taking place before a certain He had been playing He has been playing He will have been
moment in time (and beyond), football for ten years. football for ten playing football for ten
emphasizes the duration years. years.