Expert Global SC
Expert Global SC
Expert Global SC
o Concise Expression
o Crisp, cogent, and non-awkward.
o Correct Diction
o Following conventions of standard written English.
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Grammar
The fundamentals to begin with!
Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are the eight categories into which words are classified
according to their functions in sentences.
Examples:
Nina, India, office, letter, chair, bravery, reading, innovation,
joy.
Types of Nouns
o Common and Proper Nouns
o Countable and Uncountable Nouns
o Collective Nouns
o Possessive Nouns
o Concrete and Abstract Nouns
o Nouns that are used as Adjectives
Common and Proper Nouns
o A common noun is used to name a class/division among persons,
places, or things. In simple words, it is the generic (common, rather
than specific) name of a person, place or thing.
oboy, city, company
Example:
o production cost
Both “production” and “cost” are nouns; but “production” is functioning as an adjective
here as “production” qualifies or describes “cost”.
o car race
“car” is an adjective for “race” here.
o Pronouns are important because their use makes sentences less repetitive.
o Nobody was unhappy during the reign of the just and kind king.
Singular and Plural Pronouns
o Five pronouns that can be both singular and plural.
M- Many
A- Any
N- None
A- All
S- Some
Examples:
All milk was consumed.
o The castle belonged to the monarch _____ story the old man narrated.
o The castle belonged to the monarch whose story the old man narrated.
Verb
What is a Verb?
o Verb is a word that reflects ‘action’ or ‘state’.
Examples:
o ‘write', 'jump' express action
o 'be', 'exist', 'seem' express state
Example:
Run!
What is a Verb?
o Identify the verbs in the following:
The word “seemed” gives the idea of state. Note: “to belong” is an infinitive
(discussed later).
Helping and Main Verbs
o The main verb has a meaning of its own. A helping verb, however, does not.
Examples of helping verbs:
is, are, am, be, has, can, may, must
o The 'help'-ing verbs are used with main verbs. Even though they do not, on
their own, convey complete meaning, they are important for the grammatical
structure of the sentence.
Example:
'Henry can' has little meaning while 'Henry swims' has a definite meaning.
“can” is a helping verb, while “swims” is a main verb.
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
o A transitive verb is one that needs an object to express complete
meaning.
o The cat bit the boy.
oSince “the boy” is needed to express the complete meaning, “bit” is a
transitive verb.
A) Alfred tied.
B) Alfred kicked.
C) Alfred denied.
D) Alfred cried.
E) Alfred stitched.
Option D. Of the five options, only “Alfred cried.” conveys complete meaning and does not
need an object.
Other verbs need objects. E.g., Alfred tied what? Alfred denied what?, etc.
Active and Passive Verbs
o The active voice is used in speech most of the time. Here, the action
performed by the subject is received by the object.
o Juan wrote the book.
o “Juan” has performed an action on “the book”.
o The passive voice is not used so much in everyday speech. Here, the action
performed by the object is received by the subject.
o The book was written by Juan.
o The object “Juan” performs an action on the subject, “the book”.
o Henry is taller than Tom, but George is the tallest of all my friends.
Adverb
What is an Adverb?
o An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, another
adverb, a phrase, or a clause. It answers questions like 'how', 'when',
'where'.
o While most adverbs can be identified by the suffix –ly, others need
to be identified by looking at the functions the different words are
performing in the given sentence.
Adverb
o Stephen performed the task even more diligently after the training.
o The adverb “more” modifies the adverb “diligently”.
o The subordinating conjunction “although” introduces the dependent clause “Although the book has
been written in Spanish”.
Interjection
What are Interjections?
o Interjections are short exclamations that are often used in
speech, but not as often in writing. They have no grammatical
value.
o Object is the person (or thing) upon whom (or upon which) the action (verb)
is carried out.
o In “Sam is kicking the ball.”, “ball” is the object since the action is being
carried out on it.
o Subject is the 'who' part while object is the 'what' part of the sentence.
o Who is kicking the ball? Sam. Sam is the subject.
o What is Sam kicking? Ball. Ball is the object.
What is a Predicate?
o Predicate indicates what the subject does or is.
o In “Sam is kicking the ball.”, “is kicking the ball” is the predicate.
o A predicate must have a verb and a verb alone can be a predicate. But
remember that verb and predicate are not the same. A verb may not be a
predicate and a predicate may have words other than a verb.
o A clause is a group of words which contains a subject and an object, but may
still not be independent. A clause alone can form a basic sentence.
Complicated sentences can contain multiple clauses. Certain clauses can
contain clauses within them.
o In “The wall, which the King's men built, was not strong enough.”, “which
the King's men built” is a clause.
Phrase and Clause
o Phrases make up a clause and clauses make up a sentence.
o Clauses: That cruel man hit the monkey; That cruel man hit the monkey with a stick
Types of Phrases
o Noun Phrase: A noun + a few words that modify the noun. The noun phrase works
as noun in a sentence.
The boy in blue shirt is Jack.
o Prepositional Phrase: Starts with a preposition and mostly ends with a noun. What
prepositional phrase ends with is called object of preposition. A prepositional phrase
functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence.
The boy on the floor is Jack.
o Adjective Phrase: An adjective + a few words that modify a noun in the sentence.
Adjective phrase works as adjective in a sentence.
The boy in a nice red jacket is Jack.
Types of Phrases
o Adverb Phrase: An adverb + a few words that work as an adverb in a
sentence.
Jack works in a meticulous manner.
o Absolute Phrase: A group of words including a noun and a participle as well as any
associated modifier. Absolute phrase modifies the entire sentence. It resembles a clause
but it lacks a finite verb. It is separated by a comma or pair of commas.
Jack has been working hard on computer, his eyes sullen.
Types of Clauses
o An independent clause is one that makes complete sense on its own and
need not be joined to any other clause.
o A dependent clause is one that cannot make complete sense on its own
and needs to be joined to another clause.
oGerunds
oParticiples
oInfinitives
Gerund
o Gerund is a verbal that ends in –ing. It functions as a noun and so
occupies the same positions in sentences as nouns usually do.
o The two types of participles are the present participle (ending ing)
and the past participle (usually ending -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n).
o Here are some participles being used as adjectives:
Infinitive
o An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word 'to' plus a verb in its simplest form.
It functions as a noun (subject, direct object, subject complement), an adjective,
or an adverb. One must be alert to what function it is performing in any given
sentence.
o To sing in their presence was his desire. (subject)
o All he wanted was to escape. (subject complement)
o He wants to escape. (direct object)
o She no longer had the will to act. (adjective)
o Eager to reach home, he left the party early. (adverb)
Infinitive
o Be alert to the words. Do not confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase
beginning with 'to'; such a phrase contains 'to' plus a noun/pronoun
o For instance, 'to the beautiful moon', 'to them‘ are prepositional phrases
and not infinitives.
o Incorrect: The original inventor of the steam engine was James Watt, he
was born in Scotland in 1736.
o Correct: The original inventor of the steam engine was James Watt; he was
born in Scotland in 1736.
Or
o Correct: The original inventor of the steam engine was James Watt, born in
Scotland in 1736.
Colon (:)
o A colon is normally used in a sentence to lead from one idea to its consequences or logical
continuation.
o A colon must precede a list (at the end of an independent clause), a phrase, or a complete
independent clause.
Example:
o Correct: I have seen the greats, including Barrymore, Guinness, and Streep.
Semicolon (;)
o A semicolon is normally used to link two parallel statements.
o It is used to indicate a pause in a sentence, specifically one that is more pronounced than
that indicated by a comma.
In the following example, several cities and their respective states are listed in
the same sentence.
o The students in the class hailed from several different locations, including
Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Sacramento, California.
Hyphen (-)
o The hyphen or dash is used to avoid ambiguity and link words.
o “Fifty-odd people” and “Fifty odd people”.
o When the hyphen is used, the phrase means “approximately fifty people”.
o When the hyphen isn’t used, the phrase means “fifty strange people”.
In the history of feminist literature, three books: The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and
She are considered to be landmark novels.
A. three books: The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and She are considered
B. three books: The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and She; are considered
C. three books: The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and She, are considered
D. three books - The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and She - are considered
E. three books; The Female Eunuch, The Beauty Myth, and She, are considered
Hyphen (-)
o Explanation:
o Options A, B, and C are eliminated because a colon is used to denote a list
only at the end of an independent clause. Also, the sentence must conclude
with the list which isn’t the case here; “are considered to be landmark
novels” follows the list.
Example:
o For proper nouns ending in ‘s’, use apostrophe + ‘s’ to show possession.
o Those are Thomas’s books.
o To show plural possession, simply put an apostrophe after the plural form of the
noun (s or es).
o Example:
oguy’s night out
o Refers to one guy’s night out
oguys’ night out
o Refers to many guys’ night out
Apostrophe (’)
Avoid a common mistake:
o Do not use an apostrophe + ‘s’ to make a regular noun plural.
Examples:
o Where there are pairs of commas or dashes, see if you can skip the non-essential
information in between to focus on fundamental rules such as subject-verb or
pronoun agreement.
o Where there is a semicolon in one or more answer choices, check the other choices
to make sure they are not run-on sentences needing a semicolon.
thank you
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Meaning
Beyond the Grammar…
An Overview
Meaning
o Please understand that the GMAT’s sentence correction is not a test of English
grammar. The Grammar Nazi may falter on this question type while a smart
test taker, with average knowledge of English grammar but a strong ability to
spot and rectify the standard GMAT errors, may perform at ~90% accuracy!
o Hence, you must devote only limited time & emphasis on developing
grammar; enhancing the competence to spot and rectify errors is a lot more
important.
Meaning
o Further, the standard errors (covered in great detail, in further
chapters) will only rarely help you in eliminating 4 (of the 5) answer
choices; generally, they will help you in eliminating only 2-3 answer
choices. For the best answer choice among the remaining 2-3
choices, it will often boil down to…
‘Meaning’
Meaning
o Therefore, to master GMAT’s sentence correction, one needs
a combination of…
o You must choose an option that most lucidly expresses the intended meaning
of the given sentence. Avoid options that involve ambiguity.
Meaning
o If a given sentence unambiguously expresses intended
meaning, correct all other errors without altering this meaning.
Tip:
In a rare case where two answer choices lead to correct
sentences - grammatically as well as meaning-wise, go with the
answer choice that conserves the meaning suggested in the
mother (original) sentence.
Common Instances
Choice of
Words
Choice of Words
o It is important to determine whether the meaning and usage of chosen words
are correct. If a particular word has multiple meanings, you must ascertain
whether the right meaning, in view of the context, is being reflected.
o Slight changes in the choice of words can have much impact on the meaning
that the sentence seeks to convey. The following words and expressions, for
example, vary slightly but the meanings are quite different:
“loss of” means “no longer in possession of” while “loss in” means “decline in value”. Since the
intended, non-awkward meaning of the sentence is that Stephen was dejected owing to losing
the possession of his ancestral property, the first sentence is correct.
Position of
Words
Position of Words
o Different positioning of words in a sentence, may lead to different meanings.
Example:
o In the class of 60, only Stella can paint beautiful landscapes.
o In the class of 60, Stella can paint only beautiful landscapes.
o In the class of 60, Stella can only paint beautiful landscapes.
The first sentence indicates that Stella alone (in her class) is capable of painting beautiful landscapes.
The second sentence indicates that all that Stella can paint are beautiful landscapes.
The third sentence indicates that all that Stella can do is to paint beautiful landscapes!
Position of Words
Key:
o The Governor granted his immediate subordinate the authority to give orders.
Or
o The authority to give orders to his immediate subordinate was granted by the Governor.
( Note: Although grammatically correct, this is in passive voice and therefore, a less preferred option.)
Usage of
Helping Verbs
Usage of Helping Verbs
o Meaning is altered on the GMAT by changing helping verbs such as may, will,
must, and should. These helping verbs indicate varying levels of certainty and
obligation.
o While grammatically, both these sentences are correct, the level of certainty expressed
is different. The option you choose must conserve the intent of the mother sentence.
Usage of Helping Verbs
o In common parlance, 'should' is often used to express likelihood. However,
technically (and so on GMAT), ‘should’ refers to a ‘moral obligation’.
Example:
A) The Headmaster announced that all students involved in the prank must pay for the
damage to the school property.
B) The Headmaster announced that all students involved in the prank should pay for
the damage to the school property.
Contextually, the Headmaster is not likely to impose a 'moral obligation' on the students; rather, he is
likely to impose his authority on the students (to pay, even against their will). So, the use of must is
correct. Hence, A is a better answer choice.
thank you
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Modifiers
Basics
What are Modifiers?
o A modifier qualifies another word or a group of words in a sentence by
describing some essential characteristic(s).
o Depending on what the modifier “only” is modifying (“the dog”/ “be given”/ “this biscuit”),
the meaning varies.
o The dog can only be given this biscuit; nothing else can be given to the dog.
o Only the dog can be given this biscuit; nobody else can be given this biscuit.
o The dog can be given only this biscuit; no other biscuit can be given to the dog.
Ways in which Modifiers are Generally Tested
o Generally, it is modifying phrases that are tested on the GMAT.
o An adverb modifies any grammatical element other than a noun or a pronoun i.e.
verb, adjective, another adverb, preposition, phrase, or clause.
o While Miss Catherine, it seems, usually remains in a pensive mood, the intended meaning here
is that she is in such a mood at the present moment. Therefore, sentence (a) is better as the
noun “mood” is modified by the adjective “usual”(She is in her usual mood).
Noun Modifiers
o A noun modifier is a phrase or clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
o There are a number of types of noun modifiers. The type is determined by the
initial one or two words of the modifier.
Types of Noun Modifiers
o Adjective: The first word (or a group of words) is an adjective. Such
noun modifiers are placed either before or after the noun.
oThe renowned orator addressed the crowd. (before the noun)
oThe orator, renowned for his skill, addressed the crowd. (after the
noun)
o The orator grieving for his assassinated leader addressed the crowd.
(after noun)
o Note that no commas are put to separate such modifier from the
rest of the sentence.
Types of Noun Modifiers
o Relative Pronoun: The first word of the modifier is a relative
pronoun. Such modifiers are placed after the noun.
o The siblings roamed the daisied fields in the afternoons, which were lush.
o In the given sentence, the modifying phrase, “which were lush”, is meant to describe the “daisied fields”, not the
“afternoons”. The modifier should, therefore, be placed next to “daisied fields”.
o In the afternoons, the siblings roamed the daisied fields, which were lush.
Dangling Modifiers
o When the noun to which the modifier is meant to refer is absent
from the sentence, the case is of a dangling modifier. In such
instances, the GMAT requires you to insert a suitable noun.
Example:
o More than one long modifiers that modify the same noun must be avoided.
Two long modifiers in a row before or after a noun may lead to awkwardly
constructed or incorrect sentences.
o (Please refer an example on the next slide)
Misplaced Modifiers
o Incorrect placement of modifier, commonly referred to as the error
of ‘misplaced modifier’, is a frequently tested concept on the GMAT.
Example:
o The ancient culture, evolved over a course of centuries, was not fully
appreciated for its beauty by the visitors.
Misplaced Modifiers – Two Common Forms
o Form 1: When participle phrases are used:
Be alert to the presence of a misplaced modifier when a sentence starts
with a participle phrase i.e., a phrase starting with a present or a past
participle (may or may not be preceded by a preposition).
o Moving through the driveway, Jack was struck by the garden's beauty.
Misplaced Modifiers – Two Common Forms
o Form 2: When adjectives or adjectival phrases are used:
The adjectives or adjectival phrases (an adjectival phrase is a group of words that acts as an adjective) should be
close to what they are meant to modify.
o Pick the correct option:
o A) Brave, chivalrous, and generous, Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales depicted the knight as the epitome of
knighthood.
o B) Brave, chivalrous, and generous, the knight in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales was indeed the epitome of
knighthood.
o C) Brave, chivalrous, and generous, the epitome of knighthood was depicted in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales in
the figure of the knight.
o D) Brave, chivalrous, and generous, the epitome of knighthood was the knight in Chaucer's The Canterbury
Tales.
o E) Brave, chivalrous, and generous, The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer depicted the knight as the epitome of
knighthood.
o Option B: The adjectival phrase “Brave, chivalrous, and generous” is modifying the subject, “the knight”. The
subject should be placed as close as possible to the phrase that modifies it.
Noun Modifiers with Relative Pronouns
o Relative Pronouns such as 'which', 'that', 'who', 'whose', 'whom', 'where',
'when' often introduce noun modifiers.
o There are certain rules relating to the use of relative pronouns. For instance,
'who' and 'whom' must modify people and 'which' must modify things.
o It is fine to remove 'that' or 'whom' when the modified noun is the object of
the modifying clause.
o The play that they performed was an adaptation of 'As You Like It'.
Or
o The play they performed was an adaptation of 'As You Like It'.
Noun Modifiers with Relative Pronouns
o 'Where' can be used to modify actual, geographical places such as
area, site, country, etc. 'Where' cannot modify condition, situation,
circumstance, arrangement, etc. To modify these, 'in which' is used.
o The period when the Guptas ruled is considered the Golden Age of Indian
history. – Correct
o The period in which the Guptas ruled is considered the Golden Age of Indian
history. – Correct
Essential and Non-Essential Noun Modifiers
o An essential modifier is one that provides necessary information. It
can help identify a noun or get linked with the noun from then on.
o This necklace, ____ was gifted to Lucy by her mother, is made of pearls and
precious stones.
o This necklace, which was gifted to Lucy by her mother, is made of pearls and
precious stones.
o The sentence refers to “This necklace” so a specific necklace is already identified, which makes the
modifier non-essential.
o Necklace ____ was gifted to Lucy by her mother is made of pearls and precious
stones.
o Necklace that was gifted to Lucy by her mother is made of pearls and precious
stones.
Verb Modifiers
o Verb modifiers, as the name suggests, modify verbs. They
provide answers to questions about the verb- 'how', 'when',
'where', 'why', etc.
o Preposition: The first word of the modifier is a preposition. Such modifiers are
placed either before or after the verb.
o During the long journey, Tim listened to Ida’s story. (before verb)
o Tim listened to Ida’s story during the long journey. (after verb)
Types of Verb Modifiers
o Subordinator: A subordinator is a word that begins a subordinate clause i.e., a
clause that cannot stand alone and needs a main clause to make sense. Some
examples of subordinators are: 'because', 'although', 'if', 'unless', 'while',
'when', 'so that'. Modifiers that have subordinators as their first words are
placed either before or after the verb.
o Although Tim could not bring himself to trust Ida, he listened to her
complete story. (before the verb)
o Tim listened to Ida’s complete story although he could not bring himself to
trust her. (after the verb)
Types of Verb Modifiers
o Present Participle (with commas): The first word of the modifier is a present
participle. Such modifiers are placed either before or after the verb.
o But, if we have…
oThe tax decreased to save the poor.
o It would mean that 'the tax wanted to save the poor' which doesn't make sense. The
sentence is incorrect.
A Note on Infinitive of Purpose
o Verb modifiers can be placed more freely than noun modifiers. But it
must be ensured that a verb modifier is placed such that there is no
ambiguity regarding the verb it modifies.
o It can even modify an entire clause (if this clause when converted into a noun phrase can
function as the subject of the verb that has taken the –ing form). This use is helpful when
the result of a main clause is to be expressed.
o Online courses are gaining popularity around the world, changing the way knowledge
was disseminated.
o A frequently used construction on the GMAT, indicating cause-effect relationship in sentences.
o A must know!
Special Cases
Exceptions to the General Rule for Modifiers – Case I
o The general rule is that noun modifiers must be placed next to the
nouns they modify. But there are certain exceptions to this general
rule.
Example:
o The young revolutionary has been killed who had given people hope by
encouraging them through his powerful oration to fearlessly rebel against the
authorities.
o The sentence is acceptable.
Exceptions to the General Rule for Modifiers – Case IV
o It is important to place a phrase logically. If the phrase makes logical sense when
placed between a noun and modifier, it should be placed thus (provided the phrase is
short).
o Correct the following sentence:
o Stella is interested in the study of narratives that are contingent upon memories,
perspectives, and firsthand experiences such as autobiographies.
o It is logical to put the phrase “such as autobiographies” between the noun “narratives” and its modifier “that are contingent
upon memories, perspectives, and firsthand experiences”.
o The tourists enjoyed having the dish cooked in the traditional style and
serving steaming hot.
o The tourists enjoyed having the dish cooked in the traditional style and
served steaming hot.
o Since the second modifier is also modifying the noun “dish”, it should be made parallel to the first modifier.
Possessive Nuances
o The construction Y of X's to mean 'Y belongs to X' is not considered
correct by the GMAT. You must choose either Y of X or X's Y.
o Many stories by survivors have brought to light the bone-chilling details of atrocities
committed during the war.
Subgroup Modifiers
o When a modifier is used to describe a part of a larger group, a Subgroup Modifier
construction must be chosen.
o Subgroup Modifier constructions use '…some of which…', '…some of them…', '…some…' to
indicate subgroups. Note that only the construction using 'which' has a working verb.
o 'Any', 'none', 'all', 'more', 'most', 'many', 'each', 'either', 'neither', 'half', 'one' and any other
number or pronoun that indicates a subgroup can be substituted in place of 'some'.
o On the GMAT, the correct constructions are scrambled in the wrong answer choices. Three
incorrect constructions that are often included in the answer choices are
o '…of which some were…'
o '…some of them which were…’
o '…some of which…'.
oHis eyes moist with tears, Philip talked about the tragedy.
o The absolute phrase “His eyes moist with tears” indicates the way Philip talked about the
tragedy. This phrase, therefore, functions as a verb modifier. Hence, “His eyes moist with
tears” refers to “Philip” and the sentence is alright.
Absolute Phrases
o An absolute phrase placed at the end of a sentence can be used to articulate a
second thought. The use of 'which' to do so is incorrect as 'which' must refer to
the noun that immediately precedes it.
o Researchers have used Planetarium Software to calculate the date of the Kurukshetra
war based on the positions of heavenly bodies indicated in the text, results that seem to
give more credence to the claim of the historicity of the war.
Absolute Phrases
o If the sentence in the previous example is written thus…
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Subject-Verb Agreement
Basics
Subject-Verb Agreement
o Every sentence must contain a subject and a verb.
o Subject: denotes ‘doer’.
o Verb: denotes ‘action’ or ‘state’.
o The sentence will only be a fragment if either the subject or the verb is
missing.
Fragment of a Verb
o On the GMAT, a fragment of a verb can never be the right answer.
oExample:
oJack running towards the tree house.
Note: connecting words (such as ‘although’ above) are also called subordinators because they
turn clauses they are attached to into subordinate clauses.
Making Logical Sense
o For a sentence to have a clear meaning, it must make logical sense.
o Logically, it is not the writing of the book that is expected to sell so many copies, but the
book itself.
o For a singular subject, the verb must be singular. For a plural subject, the verb
must be plural.
o The storyteller narrates the tale.
o The storytellers narrate the tale.
o Always look carefully at the sentence. In this case, for instance, it is the
“collection” that is the subject, and not “manuscripts”! Considering only the
words immediately before the blank can often result in error.
o The aforesaid are done in a number of ways on the GMAT, the most common
of which are…
o Although Alexander Pope had many detractors, the English poet who wrote 'The
Dunciad' among many classics was much appreciated.
Finding the Subject – Use of other Modifiers
o Other words can also function as modifiers, modifying or describing certain parts of the
sentence. For instance, present participles (-ing forms of the verbs) and past participles (-ed or –
en forms of the verbs) can act as modifiers.
o Dejected, Peter who had once been his fans’ favorite was sitting in a corner.
o Note: Commas are at times used to separate modifiers from the rest of the sentence.
Finding the Subject – Use of Appositives
o An appositive is a noun, pronoun or noun phrase that describes/renames a noun placed right next
to it.
o In the first sentence, the subject “Globalization” is in agreement with the verb “has”. You might get
confused into thinking that the second sentence is correct seeing the plural “times” next to the
plural “have”. To avoid such confusion, omit the part between commas, which is merely an
appositive.
Multiple Subject-Verb Pairs
o If there are more than one subject-verb pair to be matched, you should look to
meaning as the guiding factor to help decide which verb will go with which subject.
o Some other words and phrases, called Additive Phrases, can 'add' to a subject.
o Examples of additive phrases:
o along with
o in addition to
o as well as
o accompanied by
o together with
o including
'And' v/s Additive Phrases
o Additive Phrases do not form compound subjects. They function only as modifiers.
There is no change in the number of the subject. Thus, singular subjects followed by
additive phrases remain singular.
Hence,
Jack and Sam are going for the party.
Jack along with Sam is going for the party.
Such will be the correct responses because “and” leads to a compound subject but
“along with”, an additive phrase, does not.
o Note: Subjects such as 'Mathematics', activities such as 'aerobics', and diseases such as
'diabetes' are singular.
'And' v/s Additive Phrases
o Fill in the blanks:
o John and James, despite the illustrious ancestry, ____ given no special
concessions. (was/were)
o John as well as James, despite the illustrious ancestry, ____ given no special
concessions. (was/were)
o Singular subjects do not change into plural when they are followed by additive
phrases.
o John and James, despite the illustrious ancestry, were given no special
concessions.
o John as well as James, despite the illustrious ancestry, was given no special
concessions.
Confusing with Additives
o In certain cases, the words connected “and” may be thought of as a single unit.
So, the subject will be singular. You need to understand the intended meaning.
'Hansel and Gretel' is a famous fairy tale.
o Here, though Hansel and Gretel are two siblings, the name of the story is a single
unit. The word “tale” emphasizes that it is singular.
o Note: Consider the word following the verb. If it is singular, the verb will most
probably be singular too. The word here is “fairy tale” which tells us that the
sentence is talking about 'Hansel & Gretel' as a story and not about Hansel and
Gretel, the children.
'Or', 'Either…Or', and 'Neither…Nor'
o 'Or', 'either…or', and 'neither…nor' are used to link two
nouns.
o If one of the nouns is singular and the other plural, the verb
must agree in number with the noun nearest to it.
oExamples:
army, committee, crowd, orchestra, fleet, furniture
Indefinite Pronouns
o An Indefinite Pronoun does not have a specific referent.
o Indefinite Pronouns are almost always considered singular.
o Pronouns that end in –one, –body and –thing i.e., anyone, anybody,
anything; no one, nobody, nothing; someone, somebody, something;
everyone, everybody, everything
o Whatever, whoever
o Each, every
o However, there are seven indefinite pronouns that, depending on the context,
can be either singular or plural.
o These are: many, more, most, any, none, all, some (MMMANAS)
Indefinite Pronouns
Examples:
o Some humility is expected.
o Some students are missing.
o Any milk is healthier than none.
o Any people interested in the event are to register in advance.
o None of the oranges are rotten.
o None of the players is tired.
o All of these books hold interest for me.
o All oil has spilled.
o Fill in the blank:
Not one of those seemingly wonderful opportunities __ grabbed by him. (was/were)
Not one of those seemingly wonderful opportunities was grabbed by him.
if 'each' is made to follow the subject, the correct sentence will read:
The brothers each are inhabitants of the villa.
o Here, the plural subject “The brothers” requires the plural verb “are”.
'Each' and 'Every'
o Similarly, there are other singular subjects that are mistakenly seen as plural.
o The number of cottages in this area has increased greatly in the last two
years.
'The Number Of' v/s 'A Number Of'
o Fill in the blank with 'has' or 'have':
o Examples:
o The majority of the fruit trees in his garden are not bearing fruits properly.
oThe subject is “majority of trees” which is plural.
o The cult has gained significance because the majority is following it.
oThe subject is “the majority” which is singular.
Phrases and Clauses that Function as Subjects
In the shadows of the huge trees sits the forlorn Orlando, composing songs for Rosalind.
Turning the Word Order Over
o Identify the error:
In need of furnishing is the parlor and the dining room.
oThere are a sparrow and a crow on the broken trunk of the ancient
tree.
Inverted Subject-Verb Order in Subordinate Clauses
o Be alert to the inverted subject-verb order in subordinate clauses.
o However, keep in mind that only when the plural noun is followed by
that/who will the verb be plural. Otherwise the structure will be:
o One of the 'noun' (will always be plural) + singular verb (usually 'is')
o One of the eggs _____ cracked. (is/are)
o One of the eggs is cracked.
thank you
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Pronouns
Basics
Pronouns
o A pronoun replaces a noun (or noun phrase) so that the noun
does not have to be repeated in other parts of the sentence.
o Catherine Morland, the female protagonist in Northanger Abbey, was so
affected by her reading of Gothic novels that she looked for a dark secret
behind Mrs. Tilney's death.
o Here, the pronoun “she” refers to the noun “Catherine Morland”. “Catherine
Morland” is the antecedent of “she”. The same goes with “her” instead of “Catherine
Morland's”.
o Mom and Aunt were cooking dinner, and she led the proceedings.
o The error is that it is not clear who led the proceedings.
o Mom and Aunt were cooking dinner, and Mom led the proceedings.
Or
o Mom and Aunt were cooking dinner, and Aunt led the proceedings.
The Necessity of the Antecedent's Existence
o Correct the following sentence:
o The actors said that he cannot come for the shoot today.
o The plural noun “actors” must be replaced with a plural pronoun “they”.
o The actors said that they cannot come for the shoot today.
Or
o The actor said that he cannot come for the shoot today.
The Antecedent and the Pronoun Must Make Sense Together
o The antecedent and the pronoun must logically be in agreement. In other words,
if the noun is substituted in the place of the pronoun, the sentence must make
sense.
o The publication of the book has been stalled because it attacks the ideologies
favored by the ruling party.
o The antecedent in the given sentence is “The publication of the book” which obviously will not make sense if
substituted in place of the pronoun “it”. Therefore, the sentence needs to be edited so that it makes sense.
o The publication of the book has been stalled because the book attacks the
ideologies favored by the ruling party.
The Antecedent and the Pronoun Must Make Sense Together
o The antecedent and the pronoun that refers to it must always agree in number; if the
antecedent is singular, the pronoun must be singular and if the antecedent is plural, the
pronoun must be plural.
o When a city suffers with heavy pollution, most of their inhabitants are
affected.
o Antecedent-pronoun agreement needs to be ensured.
o When a city suffers with heavy pollution, most of its inhabitants are affected.
Or
o When cities suffer with heavy pollution, most of their inhabitants are affected.
Demonstrative Pronouns
o The demonstrative pronouns- 'this', 'that', 'these' and 'those'-can be
used as adjectives for nouns they are placed in front of.
o This Side, That Side: Restorying Partition reflects the social rather than
political history which lends these book a degree of authenticity.
o Since “book” (and the antecedent “This Side, That Side: Restorying Partition”) is singular,
a singular pronoun, “this”, should be used. The pronoun is functioning as an adjective
here.
o This Side, That Side: Restorying Partition reflects the social rather than
political history which lends this book a degree of authenticity.
Demonstrative Pronouns – 'That' and 'Those'
o 'That' and 'those' are often used to avoid repetition of the antecedent when
making 'copies' of it.
o When 'it', 'they‘, or other personal pronouns are used, the same antecedent is
referred to.
o The mangoes bought by Rose are riper than those bought by her mother.
o The mangoes bought by Rose and the mangoes bought by her mother are not the same. They are 'copies'.
o “those” refers to the mangoes bought by Rose’s mother.
o The mangoes bought by Rose are ripe and so they are being used for making ice-cream.
o Here, “they” refers to the 'same' mangoes bought by Rose.
Demonstrative Pronouns – 'That' and 'Those'
o 'That' or 'those' indicating a copy or copies of the antecedent must
be modified. How the new copy is different from the one first
referred to must be mentioned.
o Poultry farmers must give adequate food and water to the animals so that
they remain healthy, and can provide them the desired income.
o While it can be understood that “they” refers to the animals and “them” to the farmers, the
ambiguity in reference is not acceptable in a correct sentence.
o Poultry farmers must give adequate food and water to the animals so that
the animals remain healthy, and can provide the farmers the desired income.
Ambiguity in Pronoun Usage
o Important: There can be more than one possible antecedent for a single
pronoun. On the GMAT, a sentence with more than one possible antecedent for
a pronoun is not considered incorrect if only one of those antecedents is
reasonable enough in terms of meaning and parallelism.
o There are three students and five chairs in the classroom; they are each
intelligent.
o While the pronoun “they” has two possible antecedents- “students” and “chairs”, going by the meaning, it is only “students” that the
meaning “they are each intelligent” can apply to and therefore, the sentence does not suffer with pronoun ambiguity and is
acceptable.
Ambiguity in Pronoun Usage
o The most important noun in any given sentence is the subject. Therefore, it is
the subject that makes the best antecedent.
o Many painters have used windows in paintings when they have wanted to
depict a divide between the public and private worlds.
o This sentence is correct. “they” refers to the subject “painters”. There are two other possible
antecedents- “windows” and “paintings” but “they” occupies the subject position in the second
clause and so will refer to the subject. If the windows (or paintings) are talked about in the next
sentence, a phrase such as “these windows (or paintings)” would be used.
Functions for Nouns and Pronouns
o Subject Pronouns- 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', 'it', 'we', 'they', 'who'- can function as
subjects of sentences.
o I reached in the afternoon.
o Object Pronouns- 'me', 'you', 'him', 'her', 'it', 'us', 'them', 'whom'- can
function as objects of verbs or prepositions.
o The sermon was read to them.
o Possessive Pronouns- 'my', 'mine', 'your', 'yours', 'his', 'her', 'hers', 'its', 'our',
'ours', 'their', 'theirs', 'whose'- indicate ownership or a similar relation.
o His oration was greatly appreciated.
A Case with Possessive Pronouns
o The courtiers' dialogues, written by the young playwright, seemed
too lofty for them.
o In the given sentence, the pronoun “them” refers more to the “dialogues”.
Possessive nouns can be antecedents only to possessive pronouns (example:
“courtiers’ ” and “their” make a fine pair). So, removing the possessive noun is a
good option. To avoid ambiguity entirely, the pronoun itself should be replaced by
a suitable noun.
o “Itself” and “themselves” can also be used for the purpose of intensifying the
nouns.
o The perpetrators themselves had been victims once.
'One Another' and 'Each Other' as Pronouns
o When interaction between parties is being talked about, the
reciprocal pronouns 'one another' and 'each other' are used.
o The two competitors respected each other.
o Competitors must respect one another.
o Each other is used for two entities, one another for more than
two entities.
o Remember that these two pronouns cannot be interchanged with
'themselves'.
o The children exchanged gifts with themselves. – Incorrect
o The children exchanged gifts with one another. - Correct
'One Another' and 'Each Other' as Pronouns
o Correct the following sentence:
o The two partners of the firm discussed with themselves the pros and cons of
taking up the new project.
o The two partners of the firm discussed with each other the pros and cons of
taking up the new project.
o 'Other' and 'another' may not mean 'exactly like', but they mean
'additional of the same type'.
o After Stephen did exceedingly well on the important project, the management decided to
give him the responsibility of handling other projects of considerable importance.
o After Stephen did exceedingly well on the important project, the management decided to
give him the responsibility of handling another project of strategic importance.
'One' as a Pronoun
o To refer to an indefinite copy or an indefinite part of a
collection, the word 'one' is used.
o A single look at the cute little kittens was enough to make Mary adopt
them.
o This sentence indicates that all the kittens were adopted by Mary.
o A single look at the cute little kittens was enough to make Mary adopt
one; it seemed as glad to be held by Mary as Mary was to hold it.
o The definite pronoun 'it' is used for referring to the particular kitten that has been
bought by Mary.
'One' v/s 'You'
o The pronouns 'one' and 'you' are often used while giving others advice or making
general statements.
o It is important to ensure that the two are not mixed up.
o Alice did not apologize for her fault although her mother insisted that she apologize for her fault.
o 'Do so' can refer to the action in its entirety. Repetition of the part of the sentence that first indicates the action is not
required.
o Alice did not apologize for her fault although her mother insisted that she did so.
o Just the helping verb can also be repeated without the word 'so'.
o Alice did not apologize for her fault although her mother insisted that she did.
'Do it' as a Pronoun
o 'Do it' is used when there is an actual noun antecedent that 'it' can
refer to.
oMaria failed to complete the task so Julia did it.
o “it” refers to “the task”.
o Another verb can also be used in place of 'do'. 'It' will, of course,
refer to the noun antecedent.
oMaria failed to complete the task so Julia completed it.
'Which' v/s 'That'
o 'That' and 'which' fall under the category of relative pronouns as
they are used to relate different parts of a sentence.
o The sentence 'The last book on the shelf, which has a red cover, was gifted to me by
my mother.' is incorrect.
o Even though which comes after a comma, it has an incorrect referent. The phrase
starting with “which” is meant to refer to the “last book”, not to the “shelf”.
o The directive made it possible for them to construct the building at that site.
o The directive made possible the construction of the building at that site.
Or
o The directive made the construction of the building at that site possible.
Eliminating Pronouns
o In certain cases, eliminating pronouns is a good option. To take an
example, when a pronoun such as 'it' or 'them' appears at the end of
a long sentence, there might be ambiguity relating to which
antecedent is being referred to and the pronoun should, therefore,
be eliminated in order to remove that ambiguity.
o After escaping the prison at midnight, the convict slept in the nearby
graveyard and the next day, ran as far away from it as he could.
o “it” can be assumed to refer to “the prison” but could also reasonably refer to the
“graveyard”.
o After escaping the prison at midnight, the convict slept in the nearby
graveyard and the next day, ran as far away from the prison as he
could.
Eliminating Pronouns
o Another way (more preferred on the GMAT) is to replace 'it' with a generic
synonym for the antecedent. This synonym functions like a pronoun. It is more
general than the antecedent, which is an example of the generic synonym.
o The contracts the firm had signed with different clients were given to the new manager
so that he could read those documents.
o “documents” is a generic synonym for “contracts”, which are types of documents.
o Words such as 'these', 'those', 'such' need not always precede generic
synonyms. A lot of times, 'the' may suffice.
o The forts of the dynasty were so marvelously constructed that enthusiasts of
architectural studies on their visits to the dynasty’s ruling centers found it hard to
leave the premises of the monuments.
Nuances of Pronoun Reference
o The suitability of a noun as an antecedent for a particular
pronoun is determined by several factors, the most important
among which is number and gender agreement.
o The antecedent must agree in number with the pronoun.
o The antecedent must have the same gender as the pronoun.
o Remember:
o 'He' and 'his' are masculine;
o 'She', 'her‘, and 'hers' are feminine;
o 'It' and 'its' are neutral; and
o 'They', 'them', and 'their' can be used for any gender.
Nuances of Pronoun Reference
o When pronouns are repeated in a given sentence, they must refer to the
same antecedent. Keeping the number principle in mind, you can understand
that this means that every 'it' and 'its' in the sentence must refer to the same
singular noun and every 'they', 'them' and 'their' must refer to the same plural
noun.
o The short animated film beautifully depicted how the little bird learnt its lesson in
independence as it observed the young of other creatures learning to function with self-
sufficiency.
o The members of the armed forces did their service to their country as they risked
themselves to save others.
o In the first sentence, both “its” and “it” refer to the singular noun “the little bird”. In the second sentence, “their” (both the uses),
“they”, and “themselves” refer to the plural “members of the armed forces”.
Nuances of Pronoun Reference
o The antecedent is usually placed before the pronoun. It is rare but
not grammatically incorrect for an antecedent to be placed after the
pronoun.
o For example:
o After he won the election, Michael gave a speech.
o The university now enjoys great prestige because of the excellent quality of
its faculty and students, its research facilities, and the skill set it develops,
despite the fact that it was just recently established and has to compete
with renowned universities that were established decades ago.
Nuances of Pronoun Reference
o In the original sentence on the last slide…
o For the pronoun 'it', the antecedent has to be singular and neutral in
terms of gender. In the given sentence, the two 'its' and 'it' obviously
refer to 'the university'. In the first clause, therefore, there is no
ambiguity.
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Parallelism
Basics
Understanding Parallelism
o Those parts of a sentence that are comparable must be structurally and
logically similar.
o The dissatisfaction arose among the stakeholders because of the continual fights, the
disagreements on crucial issues, and the non-existence of common interests or goals.
Parallel Markers
o Parallel Markers are words that link or contrast items and make it necessary for
those items to be parallel.
o The teacher mastered the art himself and then it was taught to his students.
o It is incorrect to shift from an active to a passive verb (“it was taught”) in the same sentence.
o The teacher mastered the art himself and then taught it to his students.
Parallelism Among Infinitives
o Infinitives (“to” + verb) need to be parallel in a sentence, unless the meaning requires a change in usage.
o Among accomplishments considered desirable for women in 19th-century England were the abilities to
play the piano, to sing, and dance well.
o The given sentence implies that “to” is needed only for the first and second options and not for the
third. Thus, the parallelism is faulty.
o Among accomplishments considered desirable for women in 19th-century England were the abilities to
play the piano, to sing, and to dance well.
Or
o Among accomplishments considered desirable for women in 19th-century England were the abilities to
play the piano, sing, and dance well.
Parallelism Among Infinitives
o Correct the following sentence:
o For a child's proper education, it is important to introduce him to the world of books, to
make him appreciate and love Nature, and develop in him compassion for all forms of
life.
o Parallelism missing in “develop in him”.
o For a child's proper education, it is important to introduce him to the world of books, to
make him appreciate and love Nature, and to develop in him compassion for all forms of
life.
Or
For a child's proper education, it is important to introduce him to the world of books,
make him appreciate and love Nature, and develop in him compassion for all forms of
life.
Parallelism Among Infinitives
o Identify the error:
o The workers have been asked either to comply with the demands of the
senior management or leave the organization.
o Since there is a parallel marker before the first infinitive, “to” must be used before the verb following
the second element of the marker.
o Thus, the sentence should be….
o The workers have been asked either to comply with the demands of the
senior management or to leave the organization.
Or
o The workers have been asked to either comply with the demands of the
senior management or leave the organization.
Parallelism Among Nouns
o To convey similar (parallel) meaning, similar noun forms must be
used.
oNear the banks of the Floss, Mr. Tulliver built a house and a mill.
Parallelism Among Adjectives
o To convey similar (parallel) meaning, adjectives in a sentence must be parallel.
o Old and ______, Lily is now not even a shadow of what she once was.
(wan/wanning)
o While it is possible to use “wanning” (the verb form of “wan”) in this context, the
adjective “wan” is more appropriate keeping in view the use of the word “old”.
o Note: Else, “ageing” and “wanning” can be used together.
oOld and wan, Lily is now not even a shadow of what she once was.
Parallelism Among Adverbs
o To convey similar (parallel) meaning, adverbs in a sentence must be
parallel.
o One's sense of responsibility recommends that one should properly feed one's pet and one
should properly bathe it.
Or
o One's sense of responsibility recommends that one should properly feed one's pet and properly
bathe it.
Parallelism Among Clauses
An interesting case.
o Correct the following sentence:
o Fantasy tales, products of the writers' imagination and which are, at
the same time, rooted in reality, are generally loved by children.
o Parallelism missing in “products of…” and “which are…rooted in reality”.
o Ensure that each element is complete. Do not remove words that are
important for expressing meaning and that guard against ambiguity.
o Correct the following sentence:
o There are many references in the tale to the works of those who are
canonical writers and who are not.
o “works of…who are not” does not make sense so the word “those” has to be added after “and”. The
term “canonical writers”, however, is understood in the second element.
o There are many references in the tale to the works of those who are
canonical writers and those who are not.
Lists Connected by “And”
o A list containing two or more items is connected using “and”. The “and” is placed before the last
item in the list.
o a and b
o a, b, c, and d
o On the GMAT, in lists containing three or more items, a comma is always inserted before the “and”.
o Correct: a, b, and c
o Incorrect: a, b and c
o A comma may be put before the “and” when this “and” is being used to link two clauses
(recommended when the clauses are long, independent, or both).
o comma + “and” is generally comparable to a semi-colon.
o The decision was made after proper discussion, and after weighing pros and
cons, and therefore, it is likely to turn out right.
Linking Verbs
o Linking verbs are verbs that express not the action of the subject,
but what the subject is or what state the subject is in.
o The nurse cared greatly for the old man, fed him, read to him, and helped him walk.
o In the given sentence, all the activities are provided equal emphasis. This sentence is only
superficially parallel. The main verb is “cared” and the other verbs are only providing additional
information about how the nurse cared. These other verbs should be parallel to each other, but not
parallel to the main verb.
o The nurse cared greatly for the old man, feeding him, reading to him, and helping him
walk.
What to Make Parallel
o It is important to ascertain which elements need to be made parallel.
Thus, paying attention to words and their use in the sentence is crucial.
oAlice went to the resort intending to get some respite from her hectic
schedule, relaxing her strained self, and having some fun.
o Here, “intending to” is common to all the three elements so those three should be
made parallel.
oAlice went to the resort intending to get some respite from her hectic
schedule, relax her strained self, and have some fun.
What to Make Parallel
o When a preposition such as “without” is placed before the first element of a
series, it is assumed to be referring to each element of that series.
o Early man survived winters without sweaters, without coats, and with only animal skins to keep
him warm.
Or
o Early man survived winters without sweaters and coats, and with only animal skins to keep him
warm.
Parallelism
Special Cases
Parallelism Among Concrete and Action Nouns
o Concrete Nouns refer to people, animals, things, places, events, or
time periods.
oSome examples of concrete nouns- boy, dog, chair, mountain,
holiday, year.
o Action Nouns refer to actions and are often derived from verbs.
oSome examples of action nouns- development, growth, pollution,
inspection, arrival, belief.
Parallelism Among Simple and Complex Gerund Phrases
o Gerunds, formed by adding –ing to basic forms of verbs, can be used as nouns
to indicate actions. There are two types of Gerund phrases- Simple and
Complex.
o Simple Gerund Phrases: These phrases function like nouns but the words are
arranged as if following a verb. This gerund phrase can be included in a
working verb phrase.
o Digitizing maps properly is essential for this project.
o The phrase “Digitizing maps properly” functions as a noun (a concrete noun can be substituted in its place). It
can be included in a working verb phrase: ‘
o Sitting near the harbor, the crew observed the arrival of ships, the
inspection of the cargo, and the unloading of the shipment.
Parallelism Among Action Nouns and Complex Gerund Phrases
o Do not create a complex gerund phrase if there already is a suitable action
noun for the verb in question. Rather, use the action noun. The sentence shall
sound better with the action noun than with the complex gerund phrase.
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Comparisons
Basics
Comparisons
o The concept of comparisons pertains to comparison between two or more parts of
a sentence.
o Certain words and phrases hint at the presence of a framework of comparison.
Examples:
o like, unlike
o more/less/faster than
o different from
o as (adjective) as, etc
o The parts of the sentence that are being compared must be carefully identified.
o The parts being compared should be structurally and logically parallel.
o And meaning-wise, comparable!
Logical Parallelism
o Comparisons must be logically parallel. Only those elements that are similar
(and therefore, logically comparable) must be compared.
o Elizabeth I's reign, like her father, has been the research interest of many scholars.
o “Elizabeth I's reign” cannot be compared to “her father.” The word 'reign' need not be repeated.
So,
o Elizabeth I's reign, like her father's, has been the research interest of many scholars.
Or
o Elizabeth I's reign, like that of her father, has been the research interest of many scholars.
Logical Parallelism
o Correct the following sentence:
o Members of the club like visiting places of historical significance more than engaging in
adventure sports.
Omitting Words
o Certain words in the second part of a comparison can be omitted. For instance,
when possessive nouns are used.
o Provided that the combination makes logical sense, the noun that possesses can
be singular or plural, regardless of whether the (implied) noun that is possessed is
singular or plural.
oThe first tank has a capacity of 500 gallons while the second has a
capacity of 1000 [gallons].
oI paint better than Sam does [paint].
oThe old women danced as skillfully as [they danced] when they
were younger.
Omitting Words
o Only when there is a need to remove ambiguity should words not be omitted
or appropriate helping verbs (such as 'be', 'do' ,'have') be added.
o Nina likes mangoes more than she does bananas.
o It is clear that “bananas’ is the object. Omitting “she does” will not make the sentence ambiguous. Thus,
o Nina likes mangoes more than bananas.
oKate feels that roses are more beautiful than lilies are.
- also correct
Comparative and Superlative Forms
o The Comparative Form of an adjective or an adverb is used when comparing two
things while the Superlative Form is used when comparing more than two things.
o For the regular Comparative Forms, add the suffix –er to or, 'more'/ 'less' before the
adjective/adverb.
o For the regular Superlative Forms, add the suffix –est to or, 'most'/ 'least' before the
adjective/adverb.
o Irregular forms need to be kept in mind. Some examples of such forms are:
o good/better/best
o bad/worse/worst
o far/farther(or further)/farthest(or furthest)
Comparative and Superlative Forms
o Fill in the blanks.
o Rose is the _______ inquisitive among the five sisters. (more/most)
o Comparison among five girls – Superlative Form
o Rose is the most inquisitive among the five sisters.
o Rose appears to be _____ than her older sister but isn’t so. (tall/taller/tallest)
o Comparison between two girls – Comparative Form
o Rose appears to be taller than her older sister but isn’t so.
Comparative and Superlative Forms
o The suffix –er must not be added for comparison to an adverb
ending in –ly. Instead, the word 'more' must be added before the
adverb.
o This little girl draws neatly; she draws neater than her brother.
o Incorrect. Here we are comparing 'action of drawing'. So we need comparative form of
“neatly”.
o This little girl draws neatly; she draws more neatly than her brother.
Or
o The little girl draws neatly; her drawings are neater than those of her brother.
o Here, we are comparing 'drawings' and not 'the action of drawing‘.
Comparative and Superlative Forms – Some Special Adverbs
o There are a number of adverbs that do not end in -ly. For these, -er
is added to get the comparative form.
o Jim's exams will finish soon; his exams will finish sooner than Tom's.
o “sooner” is an adverb here. The comparison is alright.
Using 'Than' for Comparisons
o The use of 'than' is necessary with a comparative form. It is not
enough to imply a comparison using 'than'- the explicit use of 'than'
is required.
o In simple words…
o ‘Like’ is used for comparing nouns.
o ‘As’ is used for comparing actions.
'Like' v/s 'As' - Examples
o ______ her grandfather did, Kate possessed a keen eye for observation.
o “her grandfather did” is a clause (“did” is the working verb). So, “As” should be used to compare the two
clauses- “Kate possessed a keen eye for observation” and “her grandfather did”.
o As her grandfather did, Kate possessed a keen eye for observation.
o Examples:
o As Jack saw the photographs, he relived old times.
o (duration; meaning of ‘as’ here: 'while'/ 'during')
o There is no need for an explanation, as the facts are well-known to you.
o (causation; meaning of ‘as’ here: 'since'/ 'because')
o You should speak as you have been taught to.
o (comparison; meaning of ‘as’ here: 'in the same way')
As
o When 'as' is used for comparison (to mean 'in the same way'), 'just',
'so', or 'so too' may be used with it.
o Examples:
o Example:
o As on previous occasions, the builder did not keep his commitment.
o “on previous occasions” is a phrase here.
o The sentence is correct.
As
o When a preposition, 'as' appears with a noun or a noun phrase. It can be used
to indicate function, equation, or stage.
o Important: In any prepositional use (or otherwise), 'as' does not mean 'similar to'.
o Examples:
o As the President of the Board, she has the right to take the final decision.
o (function; ‘as’ used for the meaning 'in the role of')
o She thinks of him as a father figure.
o (equation; meaning here: 'for her, he is a father figure')
o As a child, Shawn loved fairy tales.
o (stage; meaning here: 'when Shawn was')
As
o Indicate the difference in meaning:
o Organisms like lizard and chameleon belong to the same reptile family.
o Incorrect. “lizard” and “chameleon” serve as examples in the sentence.
o Organisms such as lizard and chameleon belong to the same reptile family.
Like Vs Such As
o Jack enjoys playing board games like/such as monopoly.
o “board games” sufficiently identifies the types of games. “monopoly” serves as an example. So,
“such as” is the correct usage.
o The red building is four times taller than the yellow one.
o Incorrect
o The red building is four times as tall as the yellow one.
o Correct
Comparisons Using Numbers
o In order to indicate direct multiplication, 'times‘ (or twice/thrice) should be
used without 'as' or 'than'.
o The admission fee is $100, twice the fee five years ago.
o The sales this month amounted to $10,000, four times than the sales last
month.
o The sales this month amounted to $10,000, four times the sales last month.
Comparisons Using Numbers
o In order to relate two quantities by addition or subtraction, one
must use 'more than' or 'less than’.
o Examples:
oI own less than him.
o ‘less’ is a noun/pronoun here.
oI own less land than I did earlier.
o ‘less' is an adjective here.
oI practice less than what is desirable.
o ‘less’ is an adverb here.
Comparisons Using Numbers
o When making numerical comparisons, one must use 'high' and
'low', plus 'higher' and 'lower' only as adjectives.
o The occurrence of the phenomenon in the East exceeds its occurrence in the West.
Or
The occurrence of the phenomenon in the East exceeds that in the West.
Other Comparison Constructions
o 'In addition to' can be used at the beginning of a sentence to add
another example to the subject or to another noun in the sentence
(for instance, the object of the verb).
o Examples:
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Tenses
Basics
What is Verb Tense?
o Verb Tense indicates the time of the action taking place.
o
o Imperative
o To express commands.
o Example: Jack must eat.
o Subjunctive
o To express possibilities.
o Example: Jack wishes he were a king.
What is Verb Voice?
o Verb Voice indicates who or what is performing the action.
o Active Voice
o In this voice, the action is performed by the subject of the sentence.
o Passive Voice
o In this voice, the action is performed on the subject of the sentence by someone or something.
o Hence, grammatically, the subject becomes the object and vice versa.
o Active voice is a direct, concise form of expression and thus, a preferred choice on
the GMAT.
o Please understand that this does not mean that choices in passive voice are always incorrect.
o Don’t discard answer choices in passive voice straightaway.
o Use this concept while eliminating among the final 2-3 answer choices.
Simple Tenses – Present and Past
o Simple Present: This is mainly used when expressing permanent states
(of something) and frequently occurring events.
o It rains very heavily in Washington.
oThe sentence means that as a general rule, it rains very heavily in Washington.
o Past Continuous: This indicates an action that was in progress at some point
in the past.
o Miranda was teaching her children last evening.
o Past continuous tense is also used to indicate that one action took place (simple past) while another was in
progress (past continuous).
o Nancy cooked the meal while Miranda was teaching her children.
Continuous Tenses – Future
o Future Continuous: This tense indicates an action that will be in
progress at some point in the future.
o When two continental tectonic plates collide, mountains or even whole mountain ranges form at
the point of collision.
Continuous Tenses – Some Rules
o On the GMAT, the everyday-kind of use of the Present Continuous
to indicate future actions is not accepted (Simple Future is to be
used for such purposes).
o Jane will present a paper at the international conference that is to be held on the
coming Monday.
Continuous Tenses – Some Rules
o Verbs that indicate general states- for example, the words 'know', 'signify',
'understand'- do not usually take progressive forms.
o The task is accomplished more quickly when the doer is knowing the best
approach for it.
o Either one knows or doesn't know. There is no “is knowing” state. Hence, simple tense must be
used.
o The task is accomplished more quickly when the doer knows the best
approach for it.
Same Tenses for Actions in Same Time Frame
o When all actions indicated in a sentence are taking place in the same time
frame, all the tenses in that sentence will be the same.
o At the party, Maria plays the piano and will sing a song.
o Since both actions are intended to take place in the same time frame, the same tenses should be
used. “will” applies to both verbs – “play” and “sing” (concept of parallelism).
o At the party, Maria will play the piano and sing a song.
Different Tenses for Actions in Different Time Frames
o When the different actions indicated in a sentence are taking place
at different points in time, suitable tenses should be used to reflect
the intended meaning of that sentence.
o Tom remains happier these days as he achieved his long-desired target last
month.
Importance of Actions
o When two actions are equally important, they will have the same tense.
o Philip was taking out his books when his tutor arrived.
o We have two actions here – “was taking out his books” and “tutor arrived”. “was taking out
his books” is happening in the background when “tutor arrived” happens in the foreground.
In such cases, the foreground action takes the simple past and the background one takes the
past continuous.
Present Perfect Tense
o Present perfect tense is used when expressing an action that started
at a moment in the past, but continues into or has some applicability
in the present.
o The cook has baked pancakes for the party this evening.
Using Present Perfect Tense
o The present perfect tense is also used to denote actions that just got
completed (and thus, their effect still applies).
Note the difference in the meaning:
o The cook baked pancakes, which the children have eaten with relish.
o In this sentence, the effect of “children have eaten” is still on if we are talking about a time when the
children have just eaten.
o The cook baked pancakes, which the children ate with relish.
o This suggests actions in past, with no effect on present.
Note: Grammatically, both the sentences are correct; they lead to slightly different
meanings.
Using Present Perfect Tense
o Terms such as 'since', 'within the past…', 'in the last…‘ indicate the
effect of an action in past into present, and are often the triggers for
present perfect tense.
oSince the election of the current President, the party saw many
victories.
o Because “Since” indicates relevance to current time, we need present perfect tense.
oSince the election of the current President, the party has seen
many victories.
Using Present Perfect Tense
o Present perfect can be used when there is no reference to a specific time.
o For example, 'when' can mean 'at the same time' or 'after'.
o When you do the work, give Rose a call.
o The sentence can either mean that the call is to be made during the work or after it.
o The past perfect tense takes the form: [had + past participle]
Example:
o Although the professor had left, the students stayed in the class.
o “the students stayed” (simple past) suggests an action in the past.
o “professor had left” (past perfect) suggests an action further back in the past.
Past Perfect Tense
o Fill in the blanks:
o The ceremony had begun when Stephen arrived with his family.
o Means that the ceremony began earlier, Stephen reached later.
o Jack went to London in May and found that the summer had begun.
o Correct.
o “went” and ‘found’ suggest simple past tense.
o “summer had begun” suggests past perfect tense, as the event happened further in the past.
Using Past Perfect Tense
o Often, when the sequence of the past events is obvious, the past perfect form
may not be used and the simple past can be used for each event.
o Summer had started in London before Jack arrived.
o Jack’s arrival in London happened after summer had started.
o In London, summer had started in April and Jack arrived in the city in May.
o Each sentence is incorrect.
o “before” in the first sentence, “after” in the second sentence, and “May” & “April” in the third sentence make it
clear which action happened first. Hence, simple past tense, and not past perfect tense, must be used.
o His father ____(grant) permission but Tim’s mother ____ (refuse) to do so.
o His father had granted permission but Tim’s mother refused to do so.
o Incorrect.
Example:
o Jack will have graduated with a master degree in law by 2022.
o Owing to its peculiar usage, it is one of the lesser used tenses in English
language.
Tense Sequence
o When a speech that mentions a number of actions in different tenses is reported by
using a verb in the past tense (such as 'announced', 'declared', 'asserted'), each
action is moved one step back in time. For example:
o Simple Present changes to Simple Past
o Simple Past changes to Past Perfect
o Simple Future changes to Conditional Tense (which uses 'would' + base form of
the verb)
o Rita: The project took over two years of hard work but if it turns out as well as is
expected, it will help the firm grow by 200%.
o Rita asserted that the project had taken over two years of hard work but if it turned
out as well as was expected, it would help the firm grow by 200%.
Using 'Would'
o 'Would' expresses future from the point of view of the past. Thus,
the Past Tense and the Conditional Tense can be used together. But
the use of the Past Tense with the Future Tense should be avoided.
o The young actor hopes that his first film would be appreciated by the
masses as well as the film critics.
o Incorrect.
The Subjunctive Mood
o In English, the Subjunctive Mood has two forms:
o The Command Subjunctive: This is used to talk about proposals, desires, and
requests which are formed using suitable verbs and the word 'that'.
The Hypothetical Subjunctive
o The Hypothetical Subjunctive's basic form is equivalent to the Simple Past
form of any given verb, with only one exception. For the verb 'to be', while the
Simple Past forms are 'was' and 'were', the Hypothetical Subjunctive always
uses 'were'.
o Owing to its similarity in form to the Simple Past, it is sometimes referred to
as the 'Past Subjunctive'.
o Rose loved her sister's son as though he ___ her own. (was/were)
o He was not actually her son. His being her son is, then, an unreal condition. Therefore, the Hypothetical
Subjunctive will be used. So, 'were' is the correct choice.
o Note: On the GMAT, 'would' and 'should' must not be used in the 'if'
clause.
o If Rita would travel by air, she will feel dizzy.
o Incorrect.
o If Rita travels by air, she will feel dizzy.
o Correct.
The Command Subjunctive
o This is used with certain verbs that tell people to perform specified
actions.
o Bossy verb + “that” + base form of verb
o Option C
o Please note that option E is also grammatically correct but C is a better choice as
the meaning is better conveyed through subjunctive mood.
The Command Subjunctive
o Remember that while in British English 'should' with the base form
of verb is often used instead of the Command Subjunctive, this is
considered incorrect on the GMAT.
oWe propose that the clientele should vote for or against this
decision.
oWe propose that the clientele vote for or against this decision.
Using Subjunctive Mood
o There is no rule to determine whether a verb will take a subjunctive
or an infinitive construction.
o Hence, meaning is important.
o Certain nouns that are derived from verbs that are used for
subjunctive –such as 'a demand', 'a request'-take the Command
Subjunctive.
oHer demand that she be compensated for her loss was duly met.
Using Subjunctive Mood
o In the construction 'It is X…', where 'X' is an adjective expressing
urgency, the Command Subjunctive may be used. An infinitive may
also be used in such a construction.
o Her countenance suggests that she is satisfied with the way things have
transpired.
o Here, the meaning of “suggests” is “probably means”. There is no subjunctive mood here.
Active and Passive Voice
o Verbs use either the Active or the Passive Voice.
o In the Active Voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action.
oThe renowned dancer taught the eager students.
o Verbs other than 'to be' should not be used to form the passive
voice.
o The announcement regarding the imposed fine was made in the morning by the
Principal of the school.
Intransitive Verbs in Passive Voice
o Remember that intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take direct objects)
cannot be written in the Passive Voice. Only transitive verbs can be written in
the Passive Voice.
o Most of the guests arrived on time for the party.
o The verb 'arrive' is intransitive and hence, the sentence can be written in active voice only.
o The given sentence is correct.
o At times, the Passive Voice may stylistically be the better choice. For
instance, in cases where the doer of the action is not as important as
the action itself.
o The statue was erected to serve as a symbol of the conqueror's might.
o Here, those who erected the statue (not mentioned) are not that important for the intended
meaning of the sentence.
Active Voice - Passive Voice Parallelism
o It is not necessary to make active or passive voice parallel
throughout a sentence.
o Fill in the blanks with appropriate past forms of the verbs in the
brackets.
o The student ____ (play) pranks on his teacher and ____ (punish) for the same.
o The student played pranks on his teacher and was punished for the same.
o “played” and “was punished” are not parallel per se, but the sentence is correct.
Special Cases
Helping Verbs
o Helping verbs extend the meaning of the main verb.
o 'Have’ (and its variants: ‘has’/ ‘had’/ ‘will have’) generally trigger the perfect
tenses.
o Have, has + verb: present perfect tense
o Had: past perfect tense
o Will have: future perfect tense
o Mike’s parents possess great skill at the vernacular, but Mike does not.
o The helping verb “does” refers to “possess great skill at the vernacular”.
Helping Verbs
o The tense of the helping verb that stands for longer verbs or verb phrases should
usually match the tense of the first instance of the verb. In order to use different
tenses in such cases, you must repeat the whole verb in the required tense.
o William has never gone to a summer camp, but last year his sister did.
o William has never gone to a summer camp, but last year his sister went to one.
o “has never gone” cannot be referred to by “did” because of the difference in tenses.
o William has never been to a summer camp, but his sister has.
o “has” can refer to the verb phrase “has been to a summer camp”.
o The sentence is correct.
Helping Verbs
o When a helping verb is used to stand for a longer verb or verb phrase, ensure
that the sentence is grammatically sound.
Example:
o Jack/Rose/I/You/She/He/They/We must follow law.
o The modal helping verb “must” agrees with all the subject options in this sentence.
oShould you follow the guidance well, you will surely succeed.
oIf you follow the guidance well, you will surely succeed.
o The noun “soldiers” is the subject of the main verb “guarded” and
the implied subject of the infinitive “to keep”. The object “it” refers
to “the treasury”.
Infinitives
o Though infinitives can function as nouns, their structure is different
from that of the usual nouns. While it is possible to use infinitives as
subjects of verbs, it is better to postpone such a subject using a
Placeholder 'It'.
o In 'I love Stella painting.', the suggestion could be that 'I' love her when she is
painting. But 'I love Stella's painting.' clearly suggests that her painting is loved.
o In some cases, both constructions are possible- the –ing form functioning as
a noun and functioning as a noun modifier.
o Present participles are –ing forms that can be used to modify nouns, verbs, or entire
clauses.
o
o So the –ing form has four major uses: it is used as a verb (continuous tense); a noun
(gerund); an adjective (present participle); and an adverb (present participle).
o Examples:
o Katy is writing a research paper. (continuous tense)
o Writing a research paper is a mentally exhausting task. (gerund)
o The woman writing the research paper is a former student of Mr. Richardson. (present participle,
adjective)
o Katy stayed awake all night, writing the research paper.
(present participle, adverb)
Participles
o The major uses of the past participle form are two: it is used as a verb in
perfect tense or as an adjective.
o Examples:
o They have honored the minister. (perfect tense verb)
o The honored minister will address the audience. (adjective)
o Having ______(crack) the exam, she has been _____(party) all day.
o Having cracked the exam, she has been partying all day.
Present Participle Vs Infinitive
o One should be alert to the differences between using a present participle and using an infinitive at the end of
a sentence.
o The present participle tells the result. It does not express intention.
o The infinitive, in contrast, tells about the intention. It does not express result.
Example:
o Mark Antony stressed on the undeservedness of Caesar's assassination, inciting anger in the mob against
the conspirators. (present participle)
o Incorrect
o Mark Antony stressed on the undeservedness of Caesar's assassination to incite anger in the mob against
the conspirators. (infinitive)
o Correct
o To incite anger in the mob against the conspirators, Mark Antony stressed on the undeservedness of
Caesar's assassination. (infinitive)
o Better
Present Participle Vs Infinitive
o Generally, if there is no deliberate intention (for example, if an
inanimate object is the subject of the sentence), the present
participle should be preferred over the infinitive.
o The youth helped the underprivileged kids learn, making the nation proud.
o The present participle is better here, for “making the nation proud” is not the intention – the intention rather
is to be of service.
o The strategy itself is not winning the game. So, the infinitive should
be used.
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Idioms
Concept
Concept
o Idioms are words or group of words that convey certain standard meanings.
o Thus, correct idiomatic usage is essential for correct English usage and for
ensuring that the correct meaning is conveyed.
o Whenever there is an authoritative term such as ‘mandate’, ‘state’, ‘requires’, etc, the only conjunction that can
follow is ‘that’. Minister stated that, law mandates that, etc.
o ‘That’ should also follow terms such as ‘assume’, ‘observed’, ‘proved’, etc. Hence, for thoughts suggesting authority,
wish, or hypothesis, ‘that’ is the right conjunction.
o ‘Few’ is used for countable things and ‘little’ is used for uncountable things.
o ‘Do it’ is for nouns, ‘Do so’ is for actions; ‘do so’ applies more often.
o Act as
o The mountains act as a natural wall against invaders.
o Allow for
o Heavy workout allows for a high calorie meal.
o As....as
o For some individuals, soft drinks are as good as water in the summers.
o Associate with
o One associates Antarctica with ice.
o
o Attribute to
o The poor first quarter results are attributed to the high inflation.
Frequently Asked
o A responsibility to
o The President has a moral responsibility towards all the citizens.
o A result of
o The recent slag in the stock market is a result of high crude oil prices.
o A sequence of
o The recently discovered ancient sculptures have a sequence of complex symbols.
o Among
o Tom distributed chocolates among all students in the class.
o
o Appear to be
o Jack appears to be a nice boy.
Frequently Asked
o As good as / better than
o The new bike is as good as any other bike on the market.
o The new bike is better than any other bike on the market.
o The new bike is as good as or better than any other bike on the market. - Redundant.
o Attribute X to Y
o The success of the quarterly result can be attributed to the new CEO.
o
o Based on
o The paper is based on the research by Thomas Elva Edison.
o Begin to
o After running five miles, Tom began to pant badly.
o Believe X to be Y
o Till a few thousand years back, trees were believed to be non-living things.
o Between A and B (Used when two things are involved. When there are more than two, among is used.)
o Lilly was confused when her father asked her to choose between chocolate and a packet of chips.
Frequently Asked
o Care about
o Tim never cares about the result after taking his exams.
o Centers on + person/thing
o The GMAT centers on the knowledge of Mathematics and English.
o Choose to
o Moon chose to join a lower ranked university because that university offered her full scholarship.
Consistent with
o Today’s weather was consistent with the CNN’s weather forecast.
Consider + Noun
o Isaac Newton is considered the father of modern Physics.
o Considered as – Incorrect
o Considered to be – Incorrect
o Please note that “consider” is same as “regard as”.
Frequently Asked
o Contend that
o Mary contends that the professor has a regional bias.
o Continue to
o If you continue to run three miles per day for a month, you will have better stamina.
o Contrast A with B
o Kim was asked to contrast a river with a lake.
o Count on + noun
o Hanna is counting on Mike to learn playing the guitar.
Frequently Asked
o Concerned with
o John was sad to learn that his younger brother was more concerned with scoring marks than with learning concepts.
o Conform to
o Henry tried to conform to the culture of China during his stay there.
o Decide to
o After securing poor grades in the first semester, John decided to work sincerely on his subjects.
o Decide on
o We decided on the conclusion reached by the team.
o Depend on
o One’s result depends on the efforts one puts in.
o Different from
o The way kindergarten students are taught now is quite different from how they were taught ten years back.
Frequently Asked
o Difficult to
o Jack found it difficult to learn statistics.
o Distinguish X from Y
o Rose asked her student to distinguish a valley from a delta.
o Except for
o Except for Jack, every member of the family likes eating sweets.
o Flee from
o Heavy surveillance was kept to ensure that the terrorists did not flee from the city.
o Grew from
o Ashley grew from an average student to a gold medalist in Mathematics.
o Indicate that
o The recent surveys indicate that migration to United States will continue to rise for another ten years.
Frequently Asked
o Invest in
o Jack is repenting his decision to invest in IT stocks at that point in time.
o Identical with
o Tom was convicted when his fingerprints were found to be identical with those found in the room where robbery took
place.
o In contrast to
o In contrast to Justin’s verbal aptitude, his quantitative aptitude is weak.
o Independent from
o The saint was independent from worldly aspirations.
o Leads to
o Lack of recreation leads to fatigue.
o Modeled after
o The statue has been modeled after a masterpiece by Picasso.
o More…than
o John has scored more marks in Mathematics than any of his classmates.
o Need to
o Spending a vacation in Kashmir is something every traveler needs to try.
Frequently Asked
o Necessary….to
o It is necessary to concentrate well in the professor’s class to understand Accounting.
o
o Neither….nor
o Neither Jack nor his brother likes to get up early in the morning.
o Priced at ‘a figure’
o Mushrooms in this shop are priced at $10/lbs.
o Refer to
o One must refer to the basic books before starting a new course.
o Regard as
o Regard to be – Incorrect
o Jack regards his uncle as his father.
o ‘Regard as’ and ‘consider’ mean the same.
o Require + noun + to
o One requires a good GMAT score to attend a good U.S. business school.
o Rivalry between
o There is a healthy rivalry between the captain and the vice-captain of the team.
Frequently Asked
o Responsible for
o The CEO took responsibility for the weak policies and stepped down.
o Seems to be
o Ashley seems to be a confident person.
o Subscribe to
o The professor asked students to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal.
thank you
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Redundancy
Basics
Redundancy
o A correct sentence must be free of serious redundancy and
awkwardness.
o There are no absolute rules for going with concision on the GMAT
but certain patterns are very often (though not always) followed.
Main Forms of Redundancy
o Wordiness
o When more words than needed are taken for conveying a thought.
o Doesn’t qualify direct elimination of an answer choice.
o Repetition
o When multiple words convey the same meaning.
o Example: ‘revert back’
o Qualifies direct elimination of an answer choice.
o Passive Voice
o When action is performed on the subject.
o Leads to indirect, wordy expression.
o Doesn’t qualify direct elimination of an answer choice.
o Awkwardness
o Bulky, incoherent, indirect expression.
o Generally, doesn’t qualify direct elimination of an answer choice.
Concision - Verb
o Usually, an active verb is stronger and more concise than an adjective/adverb or an
action noun.
o The ideals of the French Revolution became the inspiration for many writers and
poets.
o The ideals of the French Revolution inspired many writers and poets.
o The belief about the existence of God as the controller of the universe
is strongly held by many.
o The belief that God is the controller of the universe is strongly held by
many.
Concision – Verb v/s Adjective
o A verb is preferred over an adjective.
o A sentence sounds more emphatic when a verb form of the action is used to express
what happened rather than the adjective form with the verb 'to be'.
o
o The instructor is sure that her student has the capability to learn the game
well.
o The instructor is sure that her student is capable of learning the game well.
Concision – Adverb v/s Prepositional Phrase
o An adverb is preferred over a prepositional phrase.
Note: This pattern is only redundant and not an error per se; hence,
this doesn’t qualify direct elimination of an answer choice.
Concision – 'It is…That…'
o In certain cases wherein something needs to be emphasized,
these constructions are useful. For instance, if you wish to
emphasize 'without fear', it may be useful to write, 'It is
without fear…'. But since these constructions are avoided by
the GMAT, you should do the same on the exam.
o It is with pride that parents relate their children's achievements.
o If, for example, you were to say, 'The report suggests the existence of the monster was a
myth.', a certain ambiguity would come in while reading the early part of the sentence,
“The report suggests the existence…”.
o On the GMAT, these reporting verbs should take 'that' whenever they are followed by a
main clause: 'report', 'agree', 'claim', 'contend', 'declare', 'find', 'indicate', 'reveal', 'rule',
'show'. It is advisable to use 'that' with other reporting verbs such as 'announce', 'assert',
'believe', 'demonstrate', 'know', 'mention', 'observe', 'state'. Additionally, 'that' should be
used when the verb 'be' appears – 'be convinced', 'be assured', etc.
Reporting Verb
o Suitably change the following sentence:
o The jury agreed the case was getting murkier.
o The jury agreed that the case was getting murkier. - Correct.
o On the GMAT, putting 'that' after the verb 'say' is not required. This is so probably because
the chances of confusion are little in such cases.
o The King was so fair and just that his subjects said he was the sort of king who must
definitely live long.
o There is no ambiguity in meaning involved in “…his subjects said he was…”.
o NOTE: On the GMAT, 'say' will be followed by an entire thought (the use of 'that' not being
necessary). An entire thought is expected because it is not possible to say he (though the
word 'he' can be articulated, of course) as it is possible to say a prayer.
Usages Generally Redundant on GMAT
o Being
o On account of
o As far as ___ is concerned
o The fact that
o The reason why
o It is apparent that
Remember: Meaning Wins Over Brevity
o Since all the above mentioned patterns are not rules, they must be used only
when really required. 'Being', 'the fact that', etc do not indicate the
incorrectness of an option. It is more important to ensure that the option
chosen is, in terms of grammar and meaning, the best available.
o Eliminate only that part which is unnecessary. Do not cut out in a way that the
intended meaning of the sentence is changed. Ensure that the final sentence is
neither awkwardly phrased nor grammatically incorrect.
o Very often on the GMAT, the most concise option is not the best option.
o But yes, it has a slightly higher chance of being correct.
o Hence, if you need to guess on a few SC questions, opt for the shortest answer choice.
o In CR and RC questions, opt for the longest answer choice.
o Remember, these are only back-up tips.
An Exhaustive List
An Exhaustive List
o absolutely complete
o absolutely essential
o absolutely nothing
o accidentally stumbled
o actively + engaged
o actual + experience
o adequate + enough
An Exhaustive List
o advance + warning
o advance forward
o advance planning
o also + and
o although + while
o although + yet
o although/though + but/nevertheless/yet
o Aluminum/iron etc + metal
o AM + morning or PM + evening
An Exhaustive List
o amount + as much as
o and + also
o and etc
o annually + per year
o appreciate/depreciate + in value
o arrive on the scene
o ask the question
o assembled together
o attach together
An Exhaustive List
o attempt + try
o basic + fundamentals
o because + reason
o because + therefore
o before + in the past
o blue in color
o both + as well as
An Exhaustive List
o brief in duration
o but + if
o by means of
o can/may + potentially
o check up on
o circle/circulate/revolve/rotate around
o close + proximity
An Exhaustive List
o collect/combine together
o cooperate + together
o compared to/with + more/less
o complete + total
o complete + unanimous
o connect together
o consensus + of opinion
An Exhaustive List
o consequent + results
o consolidate together
o continue on
o continue to remain
o cooperate + together
o couple + two
o Decline/decrease + down
An Exhaustive List
o desirable + benefits
o despite + still/yet
o diametric + opposite
o disappear + from sight
o disregard altogether
o double + verb
o due to + with
o each and every
o empty cavity
o enclosed herewith
o endorse on the back
An Exhaustive List
o end + result
o end product
o entirely destroyed
o equally + as good as
o estimated + at about
o expired + terminated
o extremely immoderate
o fast in action
o few in number
An Exhaustive List
o filled to capacity
o final + outcome
o final completion/conclusion
o finally ended
o first beginnings
o following after
o free + gift
o funeral obsequies
o fused together
An Exhaustive List
o growth + increased
o heat up…heat
o hidden + pitfall
o hope + optimism
o important + essentials
o in place + substitute
o including + among
o join + together
o joint cooperation
o joint partnership
o just exactly
An Exhaustive List
o large/small in size
o lift up
o linked + together
o living incarnation
o main + essentials
o may + likely/possibly/probably/perhaps
o melt down
o mingle together
o mix together
o more + rather than
o more preferable
An Exhaustive List
o mutual cooperation
o necessary requisite
o new + innovation/acquisition/development
o now + currently
o one and the same
o one definite reason
o particular example
o part and parcel
o past + experience
o past + previous
An Exhaustive List
o period + time
o personal + friend
o personal opinion
o pervade the whole
o place + where
o plan ahead
o plan for the future
o plan in advance
o postponed until later
o PM + afternoon/evening/night
An Exhaustive List
o prolong the duration
o provisions + provide
o qualified expert
o Re+verb + again (repeat again, regain again, restore again, etc)
o really and truly
o reason + why
o reason + because
o recommended + should
o recur again
o reduce down
o regain + again
An Exhaustive List
o regress back
o regular + daily/weekly/monthly/yearly etc (+ event)
o remand back
o repeat again
o resultant effect
o retrospect + back
o return/revert/refer/reply + back
o Rise/increase/soar/hike/spike + up
o same + identical
o same exact thing
An Exhaustive List
o seems + apparent
o separate + distinct
o shuttle (verb) + back and forth
o single unit
o skirt around
o small in size
o soar + up
o specific example
o still continue
o still remains
An Exhaustive List
o successfully + passed
o sudden/unexpected + surprise
o suddenly + without warning
o suddenly collapsed
o sufficient enough
o sum + total
o summarize + briefly
o summer months
o surround on all sides
An Exhaustive List
o surrounding circumstances
o temporary + reprieve
o ten miles distant
o terrible + disaster
o three hours of time
o throughout + entire
o time + when
o to the northward/southward etc
An Exhaustive List
o total of ten
o traverse across
o true + fact
o twice + compare to
o twice as much as the increase
o two + twins
o ultimate end
o underlying + behind
o universal + the world over
An Exhaustive List
o unsolved + problem
o until + such time
o usual/habitual + custom
o visit with
o ways and means
o whether or not
o young + boy/ girl
thank you!
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00
Miscellaneous Topics
Connecting Words
o For grammatical correctness, ensure that there are no errors relating to (i) subject-
verb agreement, (ii) parallelism, (iii) pronouns, (iv) modifiers, (v) verb tense, mood,
and voice, (vi) comparisons, and (vii) idioms.
o Besides these, connecting words, connecting punctuation, and quantity are also
important to ensure that the sentence is error-free.
o Connecting Words are important for linking phrases and clauses so as to form a
grammatically correct sentence.
o A correct sentence contains at least one main clause (makes complete sense on its
own). If a correct sentence has more than one main clause, the correct punctuation
and/or connecting words should be used to join the clauses.
Connecting Words – Run-on Sentences
o If two main clauses are to be joined, a comma is not sufficient. If a
sentence does use only a comma to join two main clauses, it is called
a 'Run-on Sentence'.
o Coordinating Conjunctions- 'and', 'but', 'or', 'for', 'nor', 'yet', 'so'- are
connecting words that can suitably link two main clauses. The
comma should be retained.
o Please see examples on the next slide.
Connecting Words – Run-on Sentences
o Ravi wants to take up this job, his father is not happy with his decision to not join the family
business.
o The given sentence is a run-on. A connecting word that makes sense has to be added.
o Ravi wants to take up this job, but his father is not happy with his decision to not join the
family business.
o John Milton was appreciated by many for having done good for Christianity through
'Christianizing' the epic in 'Paradise Lost', the Romantics saw in his masterpiece elements of
subversion.
o John Milton was appreciated by many for having done good for Christianity through
'Christianizing' the epic in 'Paradise Lost', but the Romantics saw in his masterpiece elements
of subversion.
Connecting Words – 'And' and a Comma
o Whenever 'and' is used after a comma, there can be two
possibilities: (i) it is placed before the last element in a list, or (ii) it is
used to join two main clauses.
o This dagger, once owned by the King whose grave this is, was used in the killing of
one who had been his most trusted servant, and since the moment of that killing,
it has not been used by anyone else.
Connecting Words – Subordinators
o A subordinator is a connecting word that reduces one of the clauses
to a subordinate clause (when a coordinating conjunction is used,
the two main clauses remain equal). The subordinate clause can be
attached to the main clause using a comma.
o John Milton was appreciated by many for having done good for Christianity
through 'Christianizing' the epic in 'Paradise Lost', the Romantics saw in his
masterpiece elements of subversion.
o From the intended meaning of the sentence, it is clear that 'although' is required as a subordinator.
o Although John Milton was appreciated by many for having done good for
Christianity through 'Christianizing' the epic in 'Paradise Lost', the Romantics
saw in his masterpiece elements of subversion.
Connecting Words – Subordinators
o Only one connecting word should be used at one time.
o Although the woods were dark, yet we could see the ferocious animal, probably
waiting to catch its next prey.
o Although the woods were dark, we could see the ferocious animal, probably
waiting to catch its next prey.
Or
o The woods were dark, yet we could see the ferocious animal, probably waiting to
catch its next prey.
Connecting Words – Meaning
o The connecting word must contribute to conveying the intended
meaning.
o Rose loves her aunts dearly, but she visits them often.
o If she loves her aunts, she can be expected to visit often to enjoy being in their company.
The use of “but” (suggesting contrasting information) is not appropriate.
o The party in power has been worried about the increasing discontent among the general
public caused by disagreement with party’s policies may harm its prospects in the next
elections.
o In the given sentence, “The party…policies” is the main clause. The verb phrase “may harm its prospects in the
next elections” has no subject. “increasing discontent” that seems to be the subject cannot play two roles
simultaneously- object of the preposition “about” and subject of the verb “may harm”. If “about” is replaced by
“that”, what follows “that” becomes the subordinate clause (what is before “that” is the main clause), within
which “increasing discontent” becomes the subject of “may harm”.
o The party in power has been worried that the increasing discontent among the general
public caused by disagreement with party’s policies may harm its prospects in the next
elections.
Connecting Punctuation
o To connect parts of a sentence, four major punctuation marks are
used:
ocomma(,)
osemicolon(;)
ocolon(:)
odash(-)
Connecting Punctuation - Comma
o On the GMAT, the usage of comma is not the sole determining factor in
finalizing an answer choice.
o The leader has promised to bring in reform; he has said he will 'demolish' corrupt structures of
governance.
Connecting Punctuation - Semicolon
o When a semicolon is used, the two parts of a sentence must be related. The
original intent must be preserved. For instance, if one part was meant to be
subordinate to the other, it should be kept that way.
o The Commander-in-Chief has asked for a memorial to be erected, where the soldiers
achieved martyrdom.
o The intended meaning is that he wants the memorial to be erected at the place the soldiers laid down
their lives. The sentence is acceptable. However, if a semicolon is used and the sentence is changed…
o The friendship between Anna and Victoria had soured, nevertheless, it was
Victoria who looked after Anna when Anna fell seriously ill.
o The friendship between Anna and Victoria had soured; nevertheless, it was
Victoria who looked after Anna when Anna fell seriously ill.
Connecting Punctuation - Semicolon
o In cases wherein the items in a list themselves contain commas,
semicolons (not commas) are used to separate the items.
o Buy pancakes, bread, and biscuits from the bakery, chicken from the butcher's
shop, and capsicums and potatoes from the vegetable stall.
o Buy pancakes, bread, and biscuits from the bakery; chicken from the butcher's
shop; and capsicums and potatoes from the vegetable stall.
Connecting Punctuation - Colon
o The colon is used to add to or further explain what precedes it. For
instance, in equating a list with its components, the colon can be used.
o Always keep in mind that what precedes the colon must be able to stand
alone as a complete sentence. However, what follows the colon does not
need to stand alone as a complete sentence.
o Five basic elements form all things in nature: earth, water, fire, air, and
space.
o The use of passive voice is justified here. What is to be explained should be placed as close
as possible to the colon.
o All things in nature are formed by five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air,
and space.
Connecting Punctuation - Colon
o A main clause can be used after the colon provided that this clause explains
what precedes the colon (perhaps the entire preceding clause).
o Shakespeare did not dream of becoming the legend that he actually did become: his
intention, at least the initial impulse, was to make writing a source of livelihood.
o The King adopted the new religion to project a change of heart and took great
pains to popularize it, but the real purpose remained the same - he wanted to rule
people, if not through military, then through mental conquest.
o Here, the dash can be replaced by a colon.
Connecting Punctuation - Dash
o At times, the use of a dash is preferred. For example, a dash is preferred when
an appositive is to be separated from an item in a list.
o The brothers, Frank and Joe, and Nancy solved the mystery that a number of detectives
had lately been preoccupied with.
o With the commas, it might be wrongly assumed that five people – two brothers, Nancy, Frank, and
Joe – solved the mystery.
o The brothers- Frank and Joe- and Nancy solved the mystery that a number of detectives had
lately been preoccupied with.
o Use of dashes removes the ambiguity.
Connecting Punctuation - Dash
o The dash can be used in cases wherein you want to emphasize,
restate, or explain what appears earlier in the sentence. The dash,
unlike the colon, need not be immediately preceded by the part
needing explanation.
o The newly developed machine greatly reduced the manhours required to finish
the project – by as much as 40%.
o The word “greatly” is emphasized through the phrase after the dash (the use of “greatly” is
justified). In such sentences, the use of a dash is preferred over the use of a colon.
Quantity
o In English, nouns can be countable or uncountable.
o Some examples of countable nouns are boy, city, chair, feeling(s), snowstorm.
o Some examples of uncountable nouns are milk, loyalty, sleep, snow.
o 'More', 'most', 'enough‘, and 'all' can be used with countable (plural) as
well as uncountable (singular) nouns.
o Example: 'enough chairs', 'enough confidence'.
Quantity
o It is important to keep in mind that while common in everyday speech, the
use of 'less' with countable nouns is incorrect.
o There were less guests than expected.
o Since 'guests' are countable, 'fewer' should be used instead of 'less'.
o Many consider Ovid the best poet of the Augustan Age in Rome.
Quantity – Number
o The way the word 'number' is used may lead to different meanings. It is important,
therefore, to keep in mind certain rules.
o The number of theories proposed about the possible reason(s) for the disappearance of dinosaurs
____ huge. (is/are)
o The number of theories proposed about the possible reason(s) for the disappearance of dinosaurs
is huge.
Quantity – Number
o 'The numbers of' is usually considered incorrect. 'The number of' is the correct
usage.
o The numbers of players competing for selection to the final team are considerably more than last
year.
o The number of players competing for selection to the final team is considerably more than last year.
o The word 'numbers' can be used in certain contexts. When using 'numbers',
'greater than' (not 'more than') must be used for comparison.
o The tiger is not as endangered now; its numbers are much more than what they were some years
ago.
o The tiger is not as endangered now; its numbers are much greater than what they were some years
ago.
Quantity – 'Increase'/'Decrease' Vs 'Greater'/'Less'
o 'Increase' and 'decrease' suggest the change in a thing occurring over a
period of time.
o The rate of production is considerably _____ than what it was last year. (increased/greater)
o The rate of production is considerably greater than what it was last year.
Quantity – Redundancy
o It is important to be alert to possible redundancy in sentences
containing the words 'increase' and 'decrease'.
o One of the causes of the anger that found vent in the French Revolution was an increase
in the price of bread to the extent that the average daily wage worker had to spend 88%
of his wages on bread, way higher than the previous 50%.
Or
o One of the causes of the anger that found vent in the French Revolution was a rise in the
price of bread to the extent that the average daily wage worker had to spend 88% of his
wages on bread, way higher than the previous 50%.
Number Words
o It is important to understand the use of number words as different ones
are used for countable and uncountable elements.
oOther cows produce ____ liters of milk than Jersey cows. (lesser)
oOther cows produce fewer liters of milk than Jersey cows.
o While qualities, ideas, and states of mind are uncountable, there are some like joys,
sorrows, dreams with which words treated as countable can be used, as per the
intended meaning.
o For example, in the second sentence above, the intended meaning is on the lines of ‘number of reasons
for joy’.
'Where' and 'When'
o ‘Where’ is used only while referring to a particular location.
o Option B
o 'where' is used to refer to a particular location.
'Each Other' Vs 'One Another'
o 'Each other' is used when referring to two persons/things.
o As children of God, we are all brothers and should love ____. (each
other/one another)
o As children of God, we are all brothers and should love one another.
'Whether' Vs 'If'
o 'If' is used while expressing a conditional idea or an idea with a single possibility.
o ______ you do well in life is contingent on a number of factors. Yet, _____ you work
hard for it, you stand greater chances of achieving success. (whether/if in each
blank)
o Whether you do well in life is contingent on a number of factors. Yet, if you work
hard for it, you stand greater chances of achieving success.
'Everyday' Vs 'Every Day'
o 'Everyday' means ordinary or commonplace. It is an adjective.
o This is an everyday occurrence.
o Words such as 'for' and 'but' can act as both preposition and
conjunction.
Prepositions or Conjunctions?
o First, divide a given sentence into two parts-one that precedes and
the other that follows the preposition/conjunction.
o If the two parts into which the sentence is divided make sense on
their own, it means they are two different sentences. As
conjunctions are used to join sentences, the word must be a
conjunction.
o If, therefore, the two parts are not making sense on their own, the
word is a preposition.
Prepositions or Conjunctions?
o Point out the function 'after' is performing in the given sentences:
o “We went home” and “he left the office” make complete sense while “office hours” does not.
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition
o Just because a sentence ends with a preposition does not necessarily mean that it is
incorrect.
o Shorter sentences are preferred on the GMAT. So, if a shorter sentence effectively
conveys the meaning, it will be preferred, even if it ends with a preposition.
o Option B
o It is shorter and conveys the meaning appropriately.
'Compare With' Vs 'Compare To'
o 'Compare with' is used for comparison- for pointing out the
similarities as well as differences between two similar things.
o Hence, if two things are similar (in qualities, purposes, etc.), using 'compare with'
is recommended and if they are dissimilar, using 'compare to' is recommended.
'Compare With' Vs 'Compare To'
o Fill in the blanks:
o The sonneteers' beloveds were _____ the things of beauty in nature by the
sonneteers. (compare to/ compare with)
o The sonneteers' beloveds were compared to the things of beauty in nature by
the sonneteers.
oTwo dissimilar things are being compared. Here, the beauty of the beloveds
is emphasized. There is no 'absolute comparison'.
o Jane was _____ her mother by Tim. (compare to/ compare with)
o Jane was compared with her mother by Tim.
oHere, Jane is actually being compared with her mother. There is 'absolute
comparison'.
'Due to' Vs 'Because of'
o 'Due to' cannot replace 'because of'.
o 'Due to' can only replace 'caused by'.
o Thus, meaning is important in deciding the correct usage.
o I ____ (agree to/ agree with) your father. You should have ____
(agree to/ agree with) do the job.
o I agree with your father. You should have agreed to do the job.
'Will' Vs 'Would' Vs 'Should'
o Use 'will' to talk about an event that will happen in the future in
relation to the present.
o I know you ____ build your house close to the sea. (will/would)
o I know you will build your house close to the sea.
o I knew you ____ build your house close to the sea. (will/would)
o I knew you would build your house close to the sea.
o 'Will' is used to refer to some event that will happen in the future in relation to the present. 'Would' is used to
refer to the future in the past.
'Will' Vs 'Would' Vs 'Should'
o Fill in the blank:
o You ____ practice singing every day. (will/would/should)
o You should practice singing every day.
o 'Should' is used to give recommendation or suggestion.
o Note: Always 'and' (not 'or') is used with 'between' and 'among'.
oElizabeth could not choose between the pink or the red gown.
oElizabeth could not choose between the pink and the red gown.
o 'Further' is used when referring to degree, quantity, time, or another such quality that
cannot be or is not being precisely measured.
o They ____ each other in their opinions on adherence to societal norms. (differ with/
differ from)
o They differ with each other in their opinions on adherence to societal norms.
'Rather Than' Vs 'Instead Of'
o To express preference of one thing over another, ‘rather than’ is a more
appropriate usage than ‘instead of’.
o If you were to say 'I want to eat a pizza rather than a burger.', you mean you would prefer eating
a pizza but a burger would do too.
o There is a difference in the pronunciation too. For 'advice', the last consonant sound
is 'sss' while for 'advise', it is 'zzz'.
support@expertsglobal.com
+91-8800-2828-00