Last Minute GMAT Grammar - Your GMAT Coach - Rowan Hand

Last Minute
GMAT
Grammar
Proven Methods To Increase
Your Sentence Correction
Score Overnight
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Rowan Hand
www.yourgmatcoach.com
Last Minute GMAT Grammar
Contents
Contents
Topic 1: Complete Sentences.............................................................................9

Topic 2: Subordinating Conjunctions.................................................................9
Topic 3: Relative Pronouns ..............................................................................10
Topic 4: Multiple Independent Clauses ............................................................... 10
Topic 5: Logical Operators .................................................................................. 11
Topic 6: Things and Actions ................................................................................ 12
Topic 7: Pluralizing Subjects ............................................................................... 14
Topic 8: Which Subject? ...................................................................................... 14
Topic 9: Beginning with Prepositions .................................................................. 14
Topic 10: Negative Limiting Phrases ................................................................... 15
Topic 11: How Many Data? .................................................................................. 15
Topic 12: How Many Salts?.................................................................................. 16
Topic 13: Today’s Business: How Many Businesses? ............................................ 16
Topic 14: A Means to Distinguish ......................................................................... 17
Topic 15: Entities and Organizations ................................................................... 18
Topic 16: The Group are Ready ........................................................................... 18
Topic 17: Money and Measures ........................................................................... 18
Topic 18: Titles Eschew the Plural ....................................................................... 19
Topic 19: Specific Indefinite Pronouns ................................................................ 19
Topic 20: Numbers for General Indefinite Pronouns ............................................ 19
Topic 21: Many vs. Much ..................................................................................... 20
Topic 22: Few vs. Less ......................................................................................... 20
Topic 23: Number vs. Amount ............................................................................. 20
Topic 24: Interrogative Words and Time.............................................................. 20
Topic 25: Interrogative Words and Nouns ........................................................... 21
Topic 26: The Awkward Why ............................................................................... 21
Topic 27: Interrogative Vagaries ......................................................................... 22
Topic 28: Yes-No Future ...................................................................................... 22
Topic 29: Accepted Fact is in the Present............................................................. 22
Topic 30: “To be” as Hypothetical ....................................................................... 23
Topic 31: “To be” as Binary Choice...................................................................... 23
2 — yourgmatcoach.com
Contents
Topic 32: Obvious Hypothetical Errors ................................................................ 23

Topic 33: The Subjunctive ................................................................................... 23
Topic 34: Establish the Proper Referent for Pronouns ......................................... 24
Topic 35: Pronoun Agreement ............................................................................ 25
Topic 36: They versus “He or She” ...................................................................... 25
Topic 37: Subject and Object Pronouns .............................................................. 26
Topic 38: Who and Whom ................................................................................... 26
Topic 39: Whoever and Whomever ...................................................................... 27
Topic 40: That and Which.................................................................................... 28
Topic 41: Common Abuse of “Which” .................................................................. 28
Topic 42: It Was They .......................................................................................... 28
Topic 43: One and You ........................................................................................ 29
Topic 44: One is One’s ......................................................................................... 29
Topic 45: Adverbs ............................................................................................... 30
Topic 46: Wrong Placement of Modifiers ............................................................. 31
Topic 47: Ambiguous Placement of Modifiers ...................................................... 31
Topic 48: Sentences Beginning with Modifying Clauses....................................... 32
Topic 49: Comparing Abstract to Abstract, Concrete to Concrete ........................ 33
Topic 50: Subject and Object in Comparisons ..................................................... 35
Topic 51: Incomplete Comparisons ..................................................................... 35
Topic 52: Comparisons within a Group................................................................ 35
Topic 53: Comparative and Superlative .............................................................. 36
Topic 54: Parallelism with Verbs ......................................................................... 37
Topic 55: Parallelism with Prepositions .............................................................. 38
Topic 56: Parallelism with Combined Subjects .................................................... 38
Topic 57: Parallelism with “not”/“but” Phrases ................................................39
Topic 58: Comparisons with “is" ......................................................................... 39
Topic 59: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs.......................................................... 40
Topic 60: Idioms ................................................................................................. 41
Topic 61: Formality in Writing ............................................................................. 47
Conclusion .....................................................................................................48
Sentence Correction Guide
Quick and painless?

This book is about developing a quick and There are five possible answer choices, often
effective grammar review that will help you with 3-5 errors per choice. Furthermore, there is
no matter where you are in your study of the no guarantee that the correct choice is actually
GMAT, especially if you suddenly realize you going to sound appealing.
don’t have as much time as you thought. As
takers of the GMAT realize, sometimes painfully, Remember, the GMAT is more about eliminating
a grammar review is necessary for both native incorrect answer choices than about choosing
and non-native English speakers. The main a correct answer choice. You have to be able to
difficulty with the Sentence Correction section discount the incorrect answer choices before
is that people think it is going to be very easy. you can be absolutely certain that the choice
This is not true. that sounds good is in fact the best choice.
First, let’s look at some (anecdotal) facts. In my The GMAT does a remarkable job of writing
nearly ten years of teaching and consulting for answers that don’t sound particularly good,
GMAT students, I have noted that the Sentence or don’t seem quite right to the ear. They are
Correction section is the section where perhaps a little bit awkward, but not too much.
students improve the most over the shortest Sometimes there is an answer choice that
period of time. Nevertheless, I also find to be sounds better, or more like speech. For most of
the section where students never quite get it us, that is how we choose what is “correct.”
right. Arguably, even people who score 780-
790 often miss most of their questions in the However, GMAT Grammar is decided upon rules
Sentence Correction section. called “Standard Written American English.”
This would better be called “GMAT English”
Put simply, it is easy to gain competence at because it differs in minor ways from most
Sentence Correction, but extremely difficult other schools of proper United States English.
to gain total mastery. This separates it from When usage deviates from United States
the other sections, where enough training will English (specifically, the Chicago Manual of
allow this type of mastery. This book will allow Style), I will note this.
you to determine the boundaries of what is and
is not on the GMAT. A large part of successfully Therefore, as usual with the GMAT, we must
eliminating incorrect answers is understanding learn quick ways to eliminate as many
what “incorrectnesses” actually exist on the answer choices as possible. How? Follow the
exam. Theoretically, I assume this is because it Standard Sentence Choice Procedure
is the section where the test-taker is forced to (SCP):
hold the most information in his or her head for
the longest period of time.
Sentence Choice Procedure (SCP)
1. Listen
2. Question Structure
3. Check Grammar
4. Make an Educated Guess
1. Listen
Imagine reading the sentences aloud. Listen to them.
Anyone whose level of English is sufficient to be taking the
GMAT has enough experience with English to understand
what “sounds like a good sentence” and what doesn’t sound
like a good sentence.
Some of these sentences sound particularly awful,

particularly awkward, or simply don’t sound like reasonable
sentences. If your ear tells you that the sentence is
unreasonable, there is a good chance that it is. Often this will
eliminate 3-4 of the answer choices.
However, there is a point where it breaks down.
The sentences that sound the best are sometimes technically

incorrect, and the sentences that sound “not as good” are
actually technically correct for a more obscure reason. Thus
we must find a more reliable method to determine exactly
how to choose an answer choice. This brings us to the
second point.
2. Question Structure
Many questions will have two answer choices with the same
basic grammatical structure and three answer choices with a
different basic grammatical structure.
Generally speaking, you can disprove one of these grammatical

structures quite easily. If, for example, you determine that a
particular preposition usage is incorrect and two sentences
have the same preposition usage, then both of those sentences
must automatically be incorrect. Even better, if you disprove a
usage where you have three sentences with the same usage,
you have disproven all three of those sentences.
The combinations tend to be 3-2, 2-2-1, 2-1-1-1, and variations

thereof. It is rare to find a question where none of the five
sentences share any similarities.
Remember, if you disprove a particular usage, you have

disproven every sentence that also relies on that usage.
3. Check Grammar
This is the point at which we sink our teeth into this program.
This is the boring stuff that perhaps you should have spent
more time with at school or learned from the textbook when
you were learning English for the first time.
Quite simply, no one’s grammar is good enough for the GMAT.

Even a newspaper copy editor or the editors of the Chicago
Manual of Style will have to adjust their “correct” usage to
the arbitrarily correct “GMAT Usage,” which is of course what
matters on the exam.
Remember that the GMAT provides questions that invariably

ask you to eliminate incorrect answers and NOT to choose
correct answers. Thus, what we are doing here is learning
how to eliminate incorrect sentences. This process will be
explained in much more detail as we progress.
4. Make an Educated Guess

Now, if you have gone through all the grammar points and
you are still stuck between two different choices, what
to do? This is where the technique becomes a little more
subtle. If you remember the first choice that appealed to
you when you looked at the answer choices, GO WITH IT.
That is, use your intuition. Remember that intuition is the
sum total of all your study and experience. That explains
why that particular answer jumps out at you.
However, intuition can be difficult to access and it is very

easy to second-guess yourself. When you see an answer
that appeals to you but you can’t justify it, that’s when you
move to the other three methods. They are there simply to
justify your answers.
First you note what seems correct; then you listen to

the sentence, look at the question structure, and look
at the grammar. Only then do you go back to the choice
that “seemed correct.” Intuition allows you to make a
comfortable choice based on something that might be
outside of your conscious grasp. Just remember, an
intuitively correct answer is still a correct answer.
That is , just because you can’t justify it doesn’t make it

wrong! More often than not, the answer that “seemed
correct” is going to turn out correct. So if you’re stuck,
remember what the first sentence that appealed to you
was before you started official analysis, and choose
that one
Time to turn the page and begin your preparation.

Whether it’s last minute or months from the exam, I
am sure you will find many useful tips on the following
pages.
Good luck with the exam!
Rowan Hand
Head Coach, Your GMAT Coach
November 2014
Topic 1: Complete Sentences

You would be surprised how many times you see fragments - incomplete sentences - rather than full
sentences as part of incorrect answer choices on the GMAT.
x Incorrect:The Titanic. The world’s largest cruise liner.
Obviously, the first sentence is not actually a sentence as it has no verb. The correction would read:
✓ Correct The Titanic was the world’s largest cruise liner.
Topic 2: Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is a conjunction that creates an incomplete or “subordinate” half of a
sentence–that is, the part of the sentence that cannot stand alone.
Words like “because,” “while,” “as,” “although,” “if,” etc. are subordinating conjunctions because
they imply something else occurring at the same time. This can be an explanation of a state of
affairs or an opposing viewpoint.
✓ The deadline was postponed because the editor fell ill.
“The deadline was postponed” functions as a complete sentence unto itself. You could put a period
there and it would make sense. But “because the editor became ill” does not function alone. Thus
it is the subordinate clause.
That is, a subordinating conjunction creates simultaneous action or provides an explanation for a
state of affairs discussed in the other clause. Sentences can begin with subordinating conjunctions,
but the second clause in the sentence must be independent.
✓ Because the editor became ill, the deadline was postponed.
Note that subordinate clauses are acceptable in speech as answers to a question.

However, subordinate clauses cannot stand alone on the GMAT.
x (incorrect on GMAT): Answer: Because the editor became ill.

(Implied question: Why was the deadline postponed?)
Topic 3: Relative Pronouns

The relative pronouns “which” and “who” provide a similar circumstance to subordinating
conjunctions. “Which” is used exclusively after a comma; “who” often is, as well.
Any clause beginning with “which” or “who” is subordinate and must be attached to an independent
(complete) clause.
✓ Accidents happen even to the best racers, who are miles ahead of the laggards.
✓ He chose Harvard, which lies the farthest north of all his favorite schools.
In each case, the first part of the sentence is completely independent. The subordinate clause adds
information, but it is not necessary to make the sentence a complete sentence.
Note that sentences using “who” and “which” to begin a subordinate clause cannot begin with the
subordinate clause. That is, “who” and “which” cannot begin a sentence, except as response to a
question. Again, you will not find the interrogative circumstance on the GMAT.
Topic 4: Multiple Independent Clauses

Two independent clauses must be separated by something more powerful than a comma. They are
each separate ideas, and more forceful punctuation is required for the reader to easily understand
them.
This punctuation can be either a semicolon or a period (full stop), depending on the force you wish
to use. A period is, of course, stronger than a semicolon.
Both are sufficient to separate independent clauses. The semicolon is often used stylistically to link
two ideas that the writer explicitly intends to connect.
✓ Peanuts are legumes; they are not nuts.
✓ The goat is an ungulate. The rabbit is a lagomorph.
It is the writer’s decision whether to use a period or a semicolon. On the GMAT, you will not be forced
to decide whether a semicolon or a period is more appropriate, as there is no “better” answer. It is
purely the writer’s discretion.
However, you must be aware of when semicolons or periods are preferable to commas, and vice-
versa. If you’re still feeling uncomfortable about semicolons, the rule of thumb is this: many use a
single dash to tack something on to the end of a sentence in e-mails.
Technically speaking, dashes are only used in pairs, as a stronger form of parentheses. A single dash
could often be replaced by a semicolon, because the phrase added on is an independent yet
connected idea.
Topic 5: Logical Operators

Logical operators, to me, are the road signs of speech. They correspond to “Stop,” “Go,” “Turn
Around,” or “Watch for Falling Rocks.” Sounds weird, doesn’t it?
Still, consider how you react when I use a word such as “however,” “nevertheless,” “thus,” “therefore,”
or “instead.” Each has its own meaning in your mind. It is guiding your thinking, just as road signs
guide your travel, even when you don’t realize it.
“HOWEVER” means a black-and-white difference.
“NEVERTHELESS” and “NONETHELESS” acknowledge one argument while introducing a competing

argument (“NEVER give argument X LESS consideration”).
“THUS” and “THEREFORE” literally point forward: they put the point of the argument “to the fore,”
or right in front of your face.
“INSTEAD” means “in its stead,” or literally “in place of.”
Often, these are called “adverbs.” I don’t know about you, but where I come from, adverbs only
modify verbs. Unfortunately, lazy grammarians like to categorize things into seven parts of speech
and they’ll toss anything they don’t fully understand (logical operators, modifications of amounts,
modifications of times or dates) into the “adverb” category.
This is just lazy thinking, so I’ve taken the French term “logical operators.” Logical operators are
strong. Very strong. They create independent clauses, and are not to be used as conjunctions. That
is, they are only used at the beginning of a sentence or after a semicolon.
✓ Michael was going to buy a monkey; however, he found the cost prohibitive.
✓ Guillaume shot the apple from his son’s head. Nevertheless, it was reckless to do so.
You might be tempted to use a comma in the above circumstance, but it would be incorrect. There
will be a corresponding subordinating conjunction if circumstances dictate that the sentence not
be split in two. For example:
✓ Michael was going to buy a monkey, but he found the cost prohibitive.
✓ Guillaume shot the apple from his son’s head, yet it was reckless to do so.
Beware logical operators. Make sure you provide them with the space they need to function: an
independent clause.
Topic 6: Things and Actions
Subjects and verbs may seem too obvious to discuss. Nevertheless, an overwhelming number of
errors on the GMAT Sentence Correction section are due to incorrect subject-verb correspondence.
The simple rule is that the subject and the verb must correspond to each other, no matter what
comes between them.
Three main things may come between the subject and verb. First are adjectival (modifying) phrases.
x Tools found in the northern regions of Mesopotamia indicates that there were people there
some 5000 years ago.
Do you see the error? The clever test writer has created the modifying phrase “found in the northern
regions of Mesopotamia” to split the subject, “tools,” from the verb that corresponds to it, “indicates.”
To further confuse, they have put a singular noun immediately before the singular conjugation of
the verb, so to the untrained eye the verb and (non-subject) noun will match. A correct version of
the sentence reads:
✓ Tools found in the northern regions of Mesopotamia indicate that there were people there
some 5000 years ago.
You can simply leave out “found in the northern regions of Mesopotamia” and your life will be easier.
Learn to eliminate modifying phrases, as they don’t tell you anything about the deeper structure of
the sentence.
Second are possessives. English borrows its possessive forms from French, as in “the book of
Daniel,” and from German, as in “Daniel’s book.”
The two forms are interchangeable. The choice is purely stylistic, to make the rhythm of a sentence
as smooth as possible. Remember that the GMAT doesn’t give a toss about poetry, so make sure the
logic is correct and damn the rhythm.
In the following sentence, the test writers have used the French possessive to confuse the test taker:
x The convenience and availability of the cellular phone is why it is popular.
Do you see the error? What is the subject? It is actually “the convenience and availability,” a pluralized
subject referring to abstract qualities of the physical object “phone.”
It is important to draw the distinction here that the thing doing the possessing may be the physical
object. Not to get into the nebulous world of linguistics, but grammatically the possessor doesn’t
really have “part of speech.” Thus it has no grammatical function and you can simply scratch it out:
✓ “The convenience and availability of the cellular phone are why it is popular.“
The simpler way to check the sentence, though, is to switch to the German possessive:
x “The cellular phone’s convenience and availability is why it is popular.”
Here, the error is clear: you can easily see that “convenience and availability are why it is popular”
would be the correct choice. When in doubt, switch to the German possessive to check.
Third are parentheticals. When I say “parenthetical,“ I do not mean only something within
parentheses, which you are unlikely to see in the Sentence Correction section, but something that
lies between two commas or two dashes.
A parenthetical is an aside; it is related to the original sentence but not important enough to require
its own sentence. Grammatically, it has no weight. The GMAT test writers love the parenthetical
phrase and use it all the time, to our great benefit.
Why? Because we can always test a sentence by simply scratching out a parenthetical phrase.
x The major predators, the largest of which is the lion, flourishes throughout the savanna.
Note that the error is the same as the last example, where the singular noun is put before the verb.
However, that singular noun is not the subject. Here, it’s a bit simpler to see because there is a
comma separating noun and verb.
Note that the sentence reads much more clearly if you simply remove the parenthetical.
x The major predators...flourishes throughout the savanna.
This is clearly incorrect, and we see that our answer must read, “The major predators flourish
throughout the savanna.”
Therefore, when you notice two commas or two dashes, the first thing to do is remove them and
note the structure of the sentence without them.
An exception is the situation where the thing possessed is a quantity.
✓ One-half of the members are leaving tomorrow.
Note that the verb is conjugated to “members,” the possessors, not the possessed. The one-half
is a single unit, but in English speech quantity words such as “one-third” or “75 percent” or “the
majority” might be singular, but the verb is conjugated to the thing possessing this singular item.
Thus, the verb agrees with “members,” which is plural.
Topic 7: Pluralizing Subjects

There’s only one grammatical way in English to make a plural subject, and it’s the obvious one: the
word “and.”
The GMAT will try to trick you into thinking all manner of phrases, such as “as well as” or my particular
favorite, “combined with,” are acceptable to use with a plural verb.
x Sleet combined with hail damage cars each winter.
✓ Sleet combined with hail damages cars each winter.
Notice that, in the previous example, the verb "damage" corresponds to the singular noun “sleet,”
simply avoiding reference to “combined with hail.”
✓ Sleet and hail damage cars each winter.
Topic 8: Which Subject?

If you have a compound subject using “or” or “nor,” the verb will always conjugate to the nearer of
the two.
✓ She doesn’t know whether her daughter or her sons are responsible.
✓ She doesn’t know whether her sons or her daughter is responsible.
Both of these sentences are correct. It’s simply which comes closest to the verb. If they’re both
singular or both plural, good. Easy choice. Otherwise, look to the closer one.
Topic 9: Beginning with Prepositions

There are many cases in which we actually begin sentences with prepositions, especially giving
directions: “Outside, to the right, you’ll see a hot dog stand.”
These aren’t incredibly well written sentences, but they serve their purpose, and technically
they aren’t grammatically incorrect. The GMAT loves things that aren’t technically grammatically
incorrect, so you need to keep an eye out for them.
✓ Between Soho and the Strand lies Covent Garden.
Sure, it doesn’t sound very good, but it’s correct. The only thing of note here is that the verb and
subject are reversed in order. To check correctness, all you have to do is invert the sentence:
✓ Covent Garden lies between Soho and the Strand.
If you invert the sentence and it works properly, then your sentence is OK as it stands.
Topic 10: Negative Limiting Phrases

This topic is one that native English speakers probably won’t need to worry about, but it is a constant
struggle for non-natives. Even those non-natives I know whose spoken English is flawless tend not
to notice this when asked questions about it. Strangely, it is an error they do not make in speech.
However, seeing it written is something different altogether.
The negative limiter is something such as, “rarely,” ‘never,” “only since,” “only recently,” and anything
else that puts a restriction on the amount of time something has been happening.
When these words are used at the beginning of a sentence, the verb and subject are inverted, or a
“do” is inserted between subject and verb:
✓ “Rarely do I travel abroad.”
✓ “Only since she released her album does she consider herself a musician.”
Arguably, a statement such as “Always have I loved you” is also appropriate, so we could note this
for any adverb that provides a distinct time frame. However, as this type of construction is seen only
in poetry and wouldn’t be useful for the purposes of the GMAT, we can forget about it.
Topic 11: How Many Data?

English is a relatively simple language when it comes to plurals: save obvious exceptions like
“people” or “children,” you simply have to add “s” to most nouns in order to pluralize them.
However, there are more exceptions. For example, although you are unlikely to see this on the
GMAT, the names of many animals have irregular plurals, such as “one fish” vs. “many fish,” or “one
buffalo” vs. “many buffalo.”
More commonly, words taken directly from Greek and Latin tend to keep their Greek or Latin
pluralizations when used in English.
For example, the plural of a single “phenomenon” is “many phenomena,” “one stimulus” becomes
“many stimuli,” and “one matrix” becomes “many matrices.”
There are a number of these. Unfortunately, they must be memorized as there is no absolute pattern
to them. That said, as long as you are aware of the condition, you can basically guess that a Latin or
Greek word ending with a vowel is plural, and one ending in a consonant is singular.
✓ “One alumnus donated a park bench to the university, but it took many alumni to fund the
new Arts Center.”
The only exceptions to this rule are two words in common parlance: “data,” which is technically the
plural of the singular “datum,” and “media,” technically the plural of the singular “medium.”
The use of each depends on context: for purposes of the GMAT, “data” can be singular or plural,
although you will not be required to choose a correct answer based on this criterion. Normally
"data" is colloquial use while "datum" is scientific use.
In its scientific usage, as a substance through which information travels, “medium” can be either
singular or plural.
✓ Air and water are both media for the transmission of sound, but a vacuum is not a medium
through which sound can travel.
However, the plural form “media” is treated as singular when referring to the entity of “the media.”
✓ The media follows the heartthrob wherever he travels.
Topic 12: How Many Salts?

Now comes the difference between a “countable” and an “uncountable” noun.
In general, uncountable nouns are things you’re likely to find in your cupboard, such as flour, salt,
tea, coffee, etc.
Basically, these are words that are used almost exclusively in singular form, because it wouldn’t
make sense to count the number of “salts” you have in the salt shaker.
If you’re a scientist and counting different types of salt, “salts” would be an appropriate word, but if
you want to know the number of grains of salt in the shaker, you use just that word: “grains of salt.”
It would be pointless and futile to count the number of individual pieces of sand on a beach, so we
talk of “grains of sand.” Anything that requires a “piece of,” “grain of,” “bit of,” etc. before it in order
to count individual units would be an uncountable noun.
Some important ones are “piece of furniture,” “piece of software,” or the perennial favorite, which is
uncountable in English yet countable in many other languages: “piece of information.”
Topic 13: Today’s Business: How Many Businesses?

Depending on the context, many countable words also have an uncountable meaning. If you can
distinguish between different types of a general concept, you can use an otherwise uncountable
noun as a countable.
✓ There is much salt in the shaker; there are many pieces of salt in the shaker.
✓ There are many grains of salt in the shaker.
✓ Chemists work with many salts.
✓ I have a piece of business to discuss.
✓ He has started three businesses in the past ten years.
In these cases, the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns is totally dependent on
context. Make sure you can tell the difference.
Topic 14: A Means to Distinguish

Certain words taken from Latin also end with the letter “s” even when not plural. The primary
examples of this that we see on a daily basis are “means,” “series” and “species.” Their singular and
plural forms are exactly the same.
✓ The pond has only one species of frog but the swamp has many species of frogs.
There are still others that are Latin names for diseases, such as “diabetes” or “measles.”
✓ His diabetes was causing him great distress.
Another word that ends with “s” yet is not plural is the common word “news,” as there is no such
thing as “one new.”
✓ If the news is good, tell me now.
Additionally, academic subjects such as “mathematics” or “physics” can be considered singular.
✓ Physics is the course he enjoys most, but mathematics is a close second.
Certain words can have both a singular and a plural meaning. For example, “statistics” is singular
when referring to the academic subject but plural when referring to multiple pieces of data, or
“statistics.”
✓ He considered statistics his most difficult course.
✓ Of the thousands of statistics she collected for the study, only one statistic seemed not to
fit the norm.
✓ Economics is a difficult course at this school.
✓ The economics suggest it is a bad investment.
Topic 15: Entities and Organizations

As far as GMAT English is concerned, nouns that indicate collectives, such as “government,” “family,”
“audience,” “ministry,” etc. are nearly always considered to be singular nouns.
✓ The family is on vacation.
✓ The audience was displeased.
Furthermore, collectives, even those with technically plural names, are conjugated as singular.
✓ The Oil Producing and Exporting Countries is a powerful organization.
Topic 16: The Group are Ready

Nevertheless, with the two most common collective nouns, “group” and “team,” the previous
guideline is not always true. In fact, “group” and “team” can work as both singular and plural nouns.
The singular form emphasizes the group; the plural form emphasizes the individuals.
✓ The team are ready for the game. Every player is ready to go.
✓ The team is ready for the game. As a group, they have just completed weeks of intense
practice.
Topic 17: Money and Measures

When referring to measurements in inches, miles, centimeters, etc., the measurement itself is the
referent rather than the multiple number of, say, inches. Thus, the verb is singular.
✓ Three miles is a long way to walk.
Likewise, when referring to amounts of money, the type of currency is the referent rather than the
number of dollars or pounds, and the verb is therefore singular.
✓ A thousand dollars is a reasonable price to pay for a good suit.
NOTE: This is something like saying “two-hundred dollars is on the table," which could refer to the
amount “two-hundred dollars" as two one-hundred dollar bills, poker chips, or a check for two-
hundred dollars.
In the case that one says “two-hundred dollars are on the table," it indicates that two- hundred
single one-dollar bills are laid out on the table. This can be correct if the amount indicated is quite
small, and the separation of the numbers is intended. An example might be “For every pledge
donated to the program, eight dollars are given to homeless children."
In this case, the separation is intentional because “eight dollars is" doesn’t seem like a lot of money,
whereas “eight dollars" emphasizes the individual dollars, which makes it seem like a larger amount.
Topic 18: Titles Eschew the Plural

A pluralized title, such as “Tristan and Isolde,” “Troilus and Cressida,” or the obvious “Romeo and
Juliet,” is considered singular because you are referring to a play rather than to the individual
characters in the play.
Notably, plays and songs will be marked with quotation marks, while books, films, and television
series will be italicized or underlined. If the names are not italicized or in quotes, you may consider
them to be the individual characters.
✓ “Romeo and Juliet” is a famous play.
✓ Romeo and Juliet were star-cross’d lovers.
Topic 19: Specific Indefinite Pronouns

Specific indefinite pronouns–that is, those indicating something you could point to or pick out of a
group–are treated as singular.
These include words such as “each,” “either,” “everything,” “anyone,” “anything,” “something,”
“somebody,” etc.
✓ Something is rotten in Denmark.
✓ Anyone is capable of singing.
Topic 20: Numbers for General Indefinite Pronouns

The generalized version of these nouns–that is, ones where the referent cannot be specifically
identified–can be either singular or plural, depending on context.
These include words such as “any,” “some,” “none,” "all," "most," and "many."
✓ None of them were concerned.
✓ It is ten o’clock and all is well.
Topic 21: Many vs. Much

“Many” is used to refer only to countable nouns; “much” is used to refer only to uncountable nouns.
An easy way to remember this is to memorize the phrase “Many people require much information.”
“People” is certainly a countable noun, and we know–if only by memorization–that “information”
is uncountable. Thus, we can remember which number word applies to which.
✓ Many animals shed their fur in summer.
✓ Much of the software was considered unusable.
Topic 22: Few vs. Less

Likewise, “few” and its comparative and superlative forms (fewer, fewest) are used to refer to
countable words, whereas “little” and its comparative and superlative forms (less and least) refer
to uncountable words.
✓ There are fewer people in the room than there were yesterday.
✓ There is little salt in the shaker; in fact, there is even less than there was this morning.
Topic 23: Number vs. Amount

The final group of non-typical plurals includes “number” and “amount.” It is easy to remember that
“number” refers to a specific number, that is, a countable noun. Amount refers to a nonspecific
number; it is an uncountable noun.
✓ The number of seats available meant she could choose one next to the window.
✓ Her trip through the airport was slow because of the amount of luggage she was carrying.
Topic 24: Interrogative Words and Time

Interrogative words are the journalist’s favorite questions, or as I call them, the “W-H” words, for
obvious reasons (yes, even “how” counts: it has a “W” and an “H,” after all...): who, what, where,
when, how, and why.
Yes, even “how” counts: it has a “W” and an “H,” after all...
A question containing the word “when” consists of a clause that is not a fixed part of speech and
that specifies a time.
✓ When I buy a car, we will drive to the beach.
Notice that the “when” forces the first clause into the future, and the second clause requires “will,”
which also implies existence in the future.
Topic 25: Interrogative Words and Nouns

Interrogative words are often used on the GMAT in place of nouns, thereby creating faulty
comparisons. That is, if we compare a noun to something, the thing to which we compare it must
also be a noun. Many GMAT sentences, however, present situations such as:
x The proudest moment of his life was when he was made valedictorian.
The problem in this sentence is that “moment” requires a noun on the other side of “was.” “When
he was made valedictorian” is not a noun; rather it is an interrogative phrase with no real structural
meaning, although its content is perfectly clear.
Remember, however, that in GMAT world, structure is king. Content only serves as a guideline to
proper structure.
All that is necessary is to replace this interrogative phrase with an equivalent noun phrase.
✓ The proudest moment of his life was the day he was made valedictorian.
In this case, simply replacing “when” with a noun, “day,” fixes our problem.
x His favorite place is where he and his wife first kissed.
✓ His favorite place is the swing where he and his wife first kissed.
Again, simply specifying the place gives us a noun to use for the comparison. Furthermore, it uses
the interrogative term appropriately as a descriptor.
Topic 26: The Awkward Why

The GMAT loves to use “why” in cause-and-effect sentences.
x “His desire for glory was why he did it.”
At best, this is an awkward, backward phrase. At worst, it suffers from a problem similar to those
illustrated by the previous two examples. However, in this case, we can’t simply compare the first
noun to another noun. We have an effect, and we need to make the cause clear.
The simplest way to establish cause and effect, of course, is to use the term “because.”
✓ He did it because of his desire for glory.
Topic 27: Interrogative Vagaries

The other nasties of interrogative words, such as abuse of “who,” “what,” and “how,” basically just
make awkward sentences that could otherwise be phrased much more cleanly.
x He is the group’s leader, who is responsible for their well-being.
✓ As the group’s leader, he is responsible for their well- being.
x What the fear is would be his inability to use grammar correctly.
✓ He fears his inability to use grammar correctly.
x With swimming, how to do it is more important than speed.
✓ With swimming, method is more important than speed.
Topic 28: Yes-No Future

There are cases where we can use “if” in the first clause of a sentence and “will” or “can” in the
second clause to create a “yes or no” scenario in the future.
This is distinctly different from the hypothetical situation that would use “if” in the first clause and
“would” in the second clause.
If we know for certain that something will happen or that something will be possible, but only under
certain conditions, we can express this using this “if + will” or “if + can” construction.
✓ “If it is sunny tomorrow, I will go swimming.”
✓ “If the lake freezes, we can go skating.”
Topic 29: Accepted Fact is in the Present

When speaking about a scientific truth or something generally held to be true, it is common to use
the present tense in both circumstances.
x If an object is in motion, it will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
✓ If an object is in motion, it stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
Topic 30: “To be” as Hypothetical
Unlike in British English, in American English a hypothetical statement will always be “if. . . were”
even for the first-person and third-person singular.
x If I was there, I would know what happened.
✓ If I were there, I would know what happened.
Note that this works only in hypothetical situations: that is, situations that have a conditional
(“would,” “could,” etc.) in the second clause of the sentence.
Topic 31: “To be” as Binary Choice
The case where “if. . . were” does not hold true is not technically a hypothetical. In a situation where
an action has occurred in the past yet we do not know the outcome of the action, we still use “if. . .
was.”
✓ If the ticket stall was still open, she probably caught the train.
✓ If the boss went to the spa over the weekend, she will be calm this morning.
Note that the second clause of these sentences is likely to have a “probably” or a “will” in it, and
will never have a conditional.
Topic 32: Obvious Hypothetical Errors
Although it is clear from the structure of a hypothetical statement that it must be “if + conditional,”
the GMAT loves to give sentences with “would” in the first clause. These are obviously incorrect and
can be thrown out immediately.
x If he would simply do more homework, he would understand the material better.
✓ If he did more homework, he would understand the material better.
Topic 33: The Subjunctive

This word scares anyone who has ever studied a foreign language, even the native speakers of those
languages. Luckily, well spoken native English speakers tend to do this naturally, and it’s not very
hard in any case.
The subjunctive is a very simple verb form: it is the infinitive of the verb with the “to” removed.
The subjunctive form of the verb always follows a “that” in situations of certain social interactions:
request, resentment, requirement, recommendation, and suggestion.
✓ I dislike the suggestion that I pick up the trash.
The GMAT creates situations of redundancy by putting a modal operator, or a verb requiring a second
(auxiliary) verb after “that” in a subjunctive statement. The point of the subjunctive construction is
to eliminate need of the modal and its auxiliary.
To insert them is simply redundant. As we will see later, the GMAT absolutely despises redundancy.
x He resents that she will be allowed to continue.
✓ He resents that she be allowed to continue.
x She requires that you must write in cursive.
✓ She requires that you write in cursive.
The quick and dirty rule: as subjunctive is often used to describe recommendation or requirement,
it will replace “should” or “must.” If you see “should” or “must” after the “that“ in a subjunctive
construction, throw out the sentence.
Topic 34: Establish the Proper Referent for Pronouns

The purpose of a pronoun is to restate a noun without using the noun over again, as doing so creates
bulky, difficult-to-pronounce sentences.
x (stylistically incorrect): The professor disliked the professor’s heavy workload.
✓ The professor disliked his heavy workload.
However, it is very easy to mistake the referent of a pronoun for an unintended noun if the referent
is not made absolutely clear.
x If Jerry doesn’t get Mike to mow the lawn, he will have to mow it.
✓ If Jerry doesn’t get Mike to mow the lawn, he (or "Jerry") will have to mow the lawn himself.
In this case, the only thing necessary was to provide the “himself” to clarify the referent of the
pronoun. In other cases, it can be slightly more complex.
x Cowling and Wilcox fought over his estate.
✓ Cowling and Wilcox fought over Cowling’s estate.
Additionally, as is seen quite often informally, you could write: “Cowling and Wilcox fought over his
(Cowling’s) estate.” Clearly this lengthens the sentence, but it does make the referent clear. This
solution will not be seen on the GMAT.
Topic 35: Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns must agree in number to the object to which they refer.
X Everyone in the boat needs to wear their life jackets.
✓ Everyone in the boat needs to wear his or her life jacket.
Notice that because “everyone” is a singular, the pronoun used to refer to it, “his or her” must also
be singular.
The sentence could also be fixed by saying, “All of those in the boat must wear their life jackets.”
However, the GMAT will not force you to choose between a fully correct singular version of the
sentence and a fully correct plural version of the sentence. There will always be some sort of
secondary error in the less correct version of the sentence.
Topic 36: They versus “He or She”

Despite the clunkiness of “he or she” and “his and her,” these are the correct singular pronouns in
English.
Some time ago, it would have been acceptable to use simply “he” or “his,” but this has been replaced
in modern English due to concerns over its sexist nature.
To avoid the difficulty of spitting out “he or she,” singular pronouns are often incorrectly replaced
by “they” and “their,” but this is never acceptable on the GMAT.
X Everyone may do as they please.
✓ Everyone may do as he or she pleases.
Some professors accept use of “they,” which avoids using either “he” exclusively or the awkward
“he or she.” Clearly “they” avoids specifying the sex of its referent, but it is still a plural pronoun.
To use the plural “they” in such a manner on the GMAT is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately, for
purposes of the exam, you will have to live with “he or she” and “his or her."
Topic 37: Subject and Object Pronouns

Native English speakers are always chided by our mothers as children that it is incorrect to say, “Me
and her are going to the store.” This is true.
The correct sentence reads, “She and I are going to the store.” The other person is always listed first,
and the personal pronouns are both part of the subject.
“I am going to the store;” therefore “she and I are going to the store.”
Because of this, many are apparently convinced that when referring to a compound object, as well
as a compound subject, one must always say, “I.”
This is patently false. If something happened to her and it also happened to me, then I say, “It
happened to her and me.” The form of the personal pronoun does not change because it has been
pluralized.
Thus, the correct sentence is, “It happened to her and me.”
Unfortunately, I have heard myriad newscasters, students and professors at some of the most
prestigious schools in the world using the incorrect form, saying, “It happened to her and I.”
To a grammarian, this sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard, but to most it doesn’t sound too bad.
And when something “doesn’t sound too bad,” you can bet it will be asked on the GMAT.
x “Her and me went to the park.”
✓ She and I went to the park.
x “The prize was awarded jointly to her and I.”
✓ “The prize was awarded jointly to her and me.”
Notice that to test these sentences, you can always split them into singulars. When pluralized, the
pronouns take the same form of subject or object as they do when singular.
“The prize was awarded to me,” and “The prize was awarded to her;” therefore, “The prize was
awarded to her and me.”
Topic 38: Who and Whom

Perhaps one of the most complicated distinctions for native speakers is that of “who” versus
“whom.” “Who” refers to a subject (the person doing the action). “Whom” refers to an object (the
person to whom the action is done).
x Who did it happen to?
✓ To whom did it happen?
You might think the correct sentence would be, “Whom did it happen to?” But this leaves a dangling
preposition at the end of the sentence. To correct the sentence, you need to place the dangling “to”
before the “whom” to complete the prepositional phrase.
Unfortunately, in cases such as the above sentence, it is simpler for the tongue to say “who did. .
. ” rather than “whom did. . . ” because the mouth does not have to close to make the “m” sound.
It sounds like a silly explanation, but any linguist worth her salt will explain that trends appear and
disappear in language based on the ease of speaking them.
There is a reason English speakers always use the formal “you” rather than the informal “thou”
construction. “You,” “your,” and “yours” are a lot easier to pronounce than “thou,” “thy,” and “thine.”
If you disagree, try carrying on a conversation using the English informal (this does not count if you
were raised Amish). So we naturally gravitate toward easy ways to say things, which is why the
incorrect “Who did it happen to?” is basically fully accepted in spoken English.
However, for the purposes of the GMAT, it is not accepted. The distinction between subject and
object is actually very important structurally and although the content makes it clear to whom we
refer, remember that the structure of the sentence must always be flawless.
Luckily, there is an easy way around this problem. If you consider, “Who did the director suggest for
the role?” you can test the sentence by replacing the “who” with a “he” or “him.” That is, change
the order of the sentence to say, “The director suggested him for the role.” If the “he” vs. “him”
distinction comes out “he,” then you use “who,” while if the distinction comes out “him,” then you
use whom. Simple.
✓ Who asked the question? (He asked the question).
✓ For whom did you buy the bow tie? (I bought the bow tie for him).
NOTE: don’t leave a dangling preposition! “Whom did you buy the bow tie for?” is not correct for
Example 111.
Topic 39: Whoever and Whomever

The same principle works for the distinction between “whoever” and “whomever.”
Simply replace the word with “he” or “him” and your answer will be clear.
✓ Whoever moved the whiteboard will be punished. (He moved the whiteboard).
✓ I’ll donate my coat to whoever needs it. (He needs it).
✓ The idea should be clear to whomever you suspect it would interest. (I suspect it would
interest him).
Topic 40: That and Which

The major structural difference between “that” and “which” is that “that” is only used when you are
adding essential information to the sentence.
A good rule of thumb here is that there will never be a comma before “that.”
✓ “Titanic” was once a term that was used to refer to anything of incredible size.
However, if the information is inessential to the sentence, it is presented in a clause that is connected
by a comma and then “which.” The first clause of the sentence will be independent, and the second
clause adds information that is not required to comprehend the sentence.
✓ The story focuses on the Titanic, which was the pride of the White Star Line.
Two basic rules will help you choose between “that” and “which.” First, the word “which” must
refer to an object that comes immediately before a comma. Second, if a comma is necessary to the
sentence, use “which.” If a comma is not necessary, use “that.”
Topic 41: Common Abuse of “Which”

In speech, it is common to continue an idea or link cause and effect with the word “which.”
x The craftsmanship is shoddy, which is why it sells for a low price.
Notice that this sentence does not use “which” to refer to an object. Rather, it tries to make “which”
correspond to an entire idea–in this case, to link a cause (“the craftsmanship is shoddy”) with an
effect (“it sells for a low price”). This does not work.
✓ It sells for a low price because the craftsmanship is shoddy.
Topic 42: It Was They

There is one particular archaic grammar use that is common on the GMAT. If I ask the question,
“Who set the fire?” The answer will come back “It was him.” This makes good sense and is correct
to most people’s ears. Technically speaking, this is incorrect. The correct version would be “It was
he,” as in “It was he who set the fire.” The “who” who set the fire is, of course, only implied, but the
pronoun must still allow for its presence.
If you’re American, you can remember this because this is how Americans are taught to answer the
phone. “Is this John?” “Yes, this is he (who is called John and who is speaking).” For non-American
native speakers, you can remember it as the bizarre way that Americans answer phones. Luckily,
the GMAT will provide sentences that are somewhat more obviously incorrect.
x It was her who made the decision.
✓ It was she who made the decision.
x It is them who are likely to win.
✓ It is they who are likely to win.
Of course, in conversational English, we would simply say, “She made the decision” or “They are
likely to win.” The awkward construction of “It was she. . . ” or “It is they. . . ” is seldom or never used.
But It will show up on the GMAT.
Topic 43: One and You

One of the classic GMAT errors, and thankfully one of the simplest to notice, is switching the pronoun
“one” to “you” in the middle of a sentence or vice-versa.
“You” is arguably more informal than “one,” but both are acceptable on the GMAT. As long as you
consistently choose one or the other, your answer will be correct.
x If one wishes to succeed, you must study hard.
✓ If you wish to succeed, you must study hard.
✓ If one wishes to succeed, one must study hard.
Topic 44: One is One’s

Now, when you choose to use “one” as a singular pronoun, you must remember that the possessive
form is “one’s” and not “their” or “his or her.”
This is difficult even for native speakers, as it doesn’t sound too bad to say, “One must mind his or
her own business.”
However, by the standards of the GMAT, it is incorrect.
✓ One must mind one’s own business.
Keep this in mind.
Topic 45: Adverbs

For all but a handful of adverbs, such as “fast” and “hard,” the adverb form of an adjective will end
with “-ly.”
The GMAT uses this to great effect when it presents adjectives modifying verbs. It’s very easy to read
this incorrectly if you’re not used to the vagaries of the GMAT.
x If motorcycles are not driven cautious, they can lead to many accidents.
Furthermore, certain adjectives have become almost acceptable as adverbs in American English.
x He thought the elephant was real big.
In any case where the adverb can take an “-ly” ending, it must on the GMAT.
✓ If motorcycles are not driven cautiously, they can lead to many accidents.
✓ He thought the elephant was really big.
This does not work for the irregulars. In the case of “fast,” there is no such word as “fastly.” In the
case of “hard,” the word “hard” is both adjective and adverb, while “hardly” is also an adverb, but
means “barely.”
✓ The rock is hard. (adjective)
✓ He worked hard on his paper. (adverb meaning “diligently”)
✓ He hardly worked on his paper. (adverb meaning “barely”)
The classic difference between adjective and adverb is the one taught in any beginning English
course, yet is often forgotten by native speakers.
The word “good” can be an adjective or a noun, but never an adverb.
x He studied good. (adverb)
✓ His good grades impressed the university. (adjective)
✓ He volunteered to help out the greater good. (noun)
Likewise, “well” can be an adverb or a noun, but never an adjective.
x His well grades impressed the university. (adjective)
✓ He plays tennis well. (adverb)
✓ They get their water from a well. (noun)
Now, if you change the sentence in Example 138 to make the act of playing tennis into a noun, you
can use “good.”
✓ His tennis is good.
This changes the sentence structurally to allow use of “good.” In this case, “good” modifies a noun
(“tennis”), so it is an adjective, not an adverb.
Topic 46: Wrong Placement of Modifiers

Certain words that refer to states of being such as “to feel,” “to taste,” “to smell,” etc. are often
modified incorrectly.
x The tea tasted coldly.
The problem here is that the adverb “coldly” actually modifies “tasted,” which leads to the bizarre
assumption that the tea has the ability to taste and it does so coldly.
If the tea is cold, it tastes cold.
✓ The tea tasted cold.
A good rule here is to replace the verb with a strong modifier, such as “nasty.”
x The sewage tasted nastily.
According to this sentence, the sewage has the ability to taste, and it does so with extreme prejudice.
✓ The sewage tasted nasty.
In this case, the sewage had a disgusting taste, which is clearly more in line with the content. When
in doubt, use an extreme word to test.
Topic 47: Ambiguous Placement of Modifiers

Many statements containing adverbs give us an ambiguous logical meaning that is clarified only by
the rhythm of the speaker’s speech. However, in many cases, this cannot be represented through
punctuation.
Unfortunately, in writing, we don’t have the luxury of hearing how the speaker intones a sentence.
x People who eat red meat frequently develop heart problems.
In this case does the “frequently” refer to the frequency of eating red meat, or to the frequency of
heart problems? It is totally unclear.
✓ People who frequently eat red meat tend to develop heart problems.
✓ People who eat red meat tend to develop heart problems more frequently.
Example 146 relates “frequently” to eating red meat, while Example 147 relates it to the development
of heart problems. Which you choose depends on which meaning you wish to convey.
Limiting words, such as “only,” “almost,” “hardly,” etc. must be placed immediately before the
words they modify.
Thus, we could correct the first example with a judicious use of “often” to produce either of the two
meanings.
✓ People who often eat red meat develop heart problems.
✓ People who eat red meat develop heart problems often.
Also, be careful of prepositions that lead to an ambiguous meaning.
x She hopes to appeal to a nice young man at the party, wearing a low-cut dress.
✓ Wearing a low-cut dress, she hopes to appeal to a nice young man.
✓ She hopes to appeal to a nice young man who is wearing a low-cut dress.
Remember, structure is king. Abuse content all you want, but changing content will never make a
sentence correct. On the GMAT, both of the correct examples above would be considered superior
to the incorrect one.
Topic 48: Sentences Beginning with Modifying Clauses

Sentences that start with gerundives (-ing words) or prepositions, thereby creating incomplete
clauses, must always have the referent of the clause immediately after the comma.
That was a mouthful, but look at some examples:
x Having spoken, the seat was taken by the groomsman.
Clearly the seat did not speak, the groomsman did. However, because “the seat” comes immediately
after the comma, it reads as though the seat spoke.
✓ Having spoken, the groomsman took his seat.
Note that this example was corrected by making the sentence active instead of passive. However,
the distinction between active and passive is a stylistic choice dependent on how the author wishes
the rhythm of the sentence to run. Modifier errors are true logic errors and trump the active/passive
distinction.
If the sentence begins with a preposition, a similar problem occurs. The reference of the preposition
must be immediately after the comma.
x With such aplomb, guests found the host charming and witty.
✓ With such aplomb, the host was found charming and witty by his guests.
Likewise, make sure that it is the person who has the aplomb and not something belonging to him.
Possessive errors are an old standard on the GMAT.
x With such aplomb, the host’s parties are always major successes.
✓ With such aplomb, the host always throws parties that are major successes.
Note: that modifiers may occasionally be placed at the end of sentences, referring always to the
subject of the main clause. If the end modifier can be placed at the beginning, the sentence is valid.
Topic 49: Comparing Abstract to Abstract, Concrete to Concrete

The distinction between “abstract” and “concrete” is more than a philosophical choice as far as
GMAT grammar goes.
The real question is what each of these words means in the context in which we need to use them.
Use a simple rule: if you can put something in a box, it is concrete. That is, it has a physical existence.
For example, a rock is obviously concrete, but something like a baseball game could also be
considered concrete. They’re put in boxes all the time: we call them stadiums.
If you can’t put it in a box, it is abstract. It is a concept, or something that undeniably exists, but does
not have a physical existence.Obviously there exist some gray areas here, and the more pedantic
among you will likely already have picked these up.
For instance, you could say that “mind” is an abstract concept, whereas “brain” is a concrete
concept. After all, you can put a brain in a box, but it seems difficult if not impossible to believe that
“mind” would follow a brain into a box.
Another classic example is the Ten Commandments: laws are considered abstract, but the tablet
Moses brought forth from Mount Sinai would be concrete.
However, I argue that I can recite the Ten Commandments from my head, without Moses’ tablet,
and therefore I would consider them separate from the physical entity of the tablet.
Enough philosophy!
For purposes of the GMAT, remember not to make things too complicated. There is a level at which
the cleverness of the test writers’ logic ends, and it is surely beneath the cleverness of a good
student's logic.
For purposes of the GMAT, the problem comes when we look at sentences with both abstract and
concrete terms.
x Sian’s problem was like many other young singers.
Now Sian is definitely concrete. It might not be nice to do so, but we can put her in a box. Her problem,
however, is abstract, as we cannot put it in a box. The other young singers are also concrete as they
can be put in a box (or perhaps boxes).
So the question here is what is the problem? Well, structurally, we’re saying that the problem is like
the other singers themselves, not the other singers' problem.
✓ Sian’s problem was like the problem of many other young singers.
The content of the sentence, of course, wants us to say that the problem is like the problem of the
other singers.
The difficulty here is not that the sentence is grammatically incorrect: it isn’t. However because
“the problem” is said twice in such a short span of time, the sentence sounds quite bad to the ear.
For this reason, English uses the relative pronoun “that” or “those” to replace “the problem.”
✓ Sian’s problem was like that of many other young singers.
x The Rolling Stones' songs rock harder than the songs of the Beatles.
✓ The Rolling Stones’ songs rock harder than those of the Beatles.
Thus, the word “that,” referring to the problem, eliminates our difficulty with an abstract noun
compared to a concrete noun.
Always remember, abstract to abstract, concrete to concrete.
Topic 50: Subject and Object in Comparisons

Remember that just as “She and I went to the store” and “It was she who made the decision,”
comparisons must also follow subject or object.
x He makes more money than her.
Note that this doesn’t really sound bad to a native speaker’s ear, so it is something that everyone
must pay attention to.
Technically, “he makes,” so “she makes,” as well. The comparison must keep the same form.
✓ He makes more money than she (does).
The “does” in this case is often implied rather than actually stated, but the rule is more that you
must be able to add the “does” at the end. If you can’t because you have used an object pronoun,
the sentence is technically incorrect.
Topic 51: Incomplete Comparisons

When comparing two things, it is necessary to make clear how the comparisons are made. Although
the intent is often known through tone of voice, it is very often unclear from the wording of sentences.
x Jim hates Dallas more than Susie.
The problem here is pretty clear: does Jim hate Dallas more than he hates Susie, or does Jim hate
Dallas more than Susie hates Dallas?
Which of the two is correct might be clear from content, but structurally, either way could be
interpreted from the sentence as it stands.
This can be easily remedied using the word “does” in strategic locations.
✓ Jim hates Dallas more than Susie does.
✓ Jim hates Dallas more than he does Susie.
Topic 52: Comparisons within a Group

There are many cases where the object being compared to a group is itself a member of a group.
Of course in this case, you are highlighting some sort of distinction, so it is logically necessary to
separate the object you refer to from the group itself.
x California has a greater GDP than any U.S. state.
Clearly in this case California is a U.S. state, but we need to make a clear distinction separating
California from all of the other states that are not California.
✓ California has a greater GDP than any other U.S. state.
This is an error that you would be unlikely to make in speech, but it is easy to miss when reading if
you’re not looking out for it.
In terms of content, the mind makes the distinction clear, whereas the structure does not make it
clear.
Topic 53: Comparative and Superlative

This sounds like another technical conversation, but I promise that it’s really very simple. The
“comparative” form simply means saying “more big” or “bigger,” depending on a couple of factors.
The two mean the same thing, and once again, the “more big” form comes from French and the
“-er” form comes from German.
For certain words, such as “beautiful,” you must say “more beautiful” as “beautifuler” doesn’t exist
and just sounds strange. Interestingly, this is also the best way to determine whether the “more big”
or “bigger” construction is correct: the force of the final syllable indicates whether it takes an “-er”
ending.
For words with a soft final sound, such as “beautiful,” “incognito,” “capable,” etc., the structure will
always be “more beautiful.” For words with a hard final sound, such as “big,” “hard,” “fast,” etc.,
you may use either depending on circumstance. In certain cases, the “more big” form might be
preferable due to the rhythm of the sentence.
Furthermore, for words with more than three syllables, the “more” form is generally preferable as
extending the word by adding an “-er” will often be too difficult to pronounce.
x The goat is independenter than the sheep.
✓ The goat is more independent than the sheep.
This situation is rare, however, and luckily you will not have to choose between “bigger” and “more
big” to determine which sentence is correct on the GMAT.
You will, however, need to make clear distinctions between the comparative and superlative forms.
The comparative form structurally requires two and only two objects of comparison. If there are
two objects of comparison, you must use the comparative form.
x The goat is the most independent and the sheep is the most docile.
✓ The goat is more independent and the sheep is more docile.
There is, however, a content-based confusion that is remedied by structure.
✓ California has a larger GDP than any other U.S. state.
Clearly we are referring to all 49 other U.S. states in this sentence, but the construction “any other
state” makes this a comparison of two states. The word “any” indicates that if we pick any one of
the other states, California will have a larger GDP than that state. So we are comparing only two
states, even though the context refers to all 49 other states.
When you have three or more objects, you must use the superlative form, which is “the most big”
or “biggest.”
x The goat is more independent, the sheep is more docile, and the cow is more large.
✓ The goat is the most independent, the sheep is the most docile, and the cow is the most
large.
Again, the suitability of the “-est” suffix depends on the final sound as well as the length of the
word. In Example 162, we would typically say, “and the cow is the largest.”
Topic 54: Parallelism with Verbs

Parallelism is our first foray into style instead of structure.
It is debatable whether certain parallelism errors are in fact actual grammar errors; grammar books
differ on this. However, the GMAT considers bad parallelism an error, so you must, too.
The idea, as you might imagine, is that items in a list must be parallel to one another.
That is, if you have a list of three items and one is a noun, the other two must also be nouns.
x His long absence was due to an extended vacation, the Christmas holiday, and because he
broke his wrist.
Notice that “because he broke his wrist” is an explanation clause, which is not a noun. All you need
to do is add a noun to make the form work.
✓ His long absence was due to an extended vacation, the Christmas holiday, and the fact
that he broke his wrist.
Furthermore, all objects in a list must share the same verb form.
x He enjoys hiking, boating, and to ski.
As the first two are in the gerundive (-ing) form, keep the final one in the same form.
✓ He enjoys hiking, boating, and skiing.
Topic 55: Parallelism with Prepositions

Another use of parallelism is in a prepositional phrase. There are generally two ways to do this:
either use the preposition once at the beginning or repeat it every time.
Often on the GMAT you will see places where a preposition is repeated twice, but not the third time.
x He attended shows in Chicago, New Orleans, and in Portland.
✓ He attended shows in Chicago, New Orleans, and Portland.
Topic 56: Parallelism with Combined Subjects

A combined subject is a situation in which the subject is “X and Y,” “either X or Y,” or “neither X nor Y.”
In each of these cases, what you choose as your X and your Y must both be in the same form, whether
verb or preposition.
x He will either go hiking or skiing.
In this case, the sentence doesn’t sound particularly bad, but the “go” part of the verb is not parallel.
On the GMAT the “go” would either be placed before “either,” or stated before “hiking” and before
“skiing” in order that the sentence be parallel.
✓ He will go either hiking or skiing.
✓ He will either go hiking or go skiing.
That is, the two-verb construction “go hiking” and “go skiing” allows us to split the verbs. Our
sentence would either read “...go either X or Y,” or “...either go X or go Y.”
Since the first verb is the same, which is the reason we are tempted not repeat it after “or,” we can
put it in front of the either.
This works for prepositions, as well as verbs.
x She has decided to live either in Dallas or Houston.
✓ She has decided to live in either Dallas or Houston
Topic 57: Parallelism with “not”/“but” Phrases

Both parts of the idiomatic phrase “not. . . but” and “not only. . . but also” must be comparable.
The easiest culprit in these cases is the interrogative phrase. Remember that interrogative phrases
create a nebulous “noun-like content” that is not structurally considered a noun.
x The advantage of the new shop is not its prices but where it is located.
Notice that “prices” is clearly a noun, whereas “where it is located” is an interrogative phrase that
gives us a feeling of location, but it certainly isn’t a noun.
✓ The advantage of the new shop is not its prices but its location.
A more common error for the “not only. . . but also" construction is to repeat the subject and verb
(the subject often in pronoun form) in the “but also” clause.
Because the construction is idiomatic–we know that “not only” will always be followed by “but
also"–we don’t need to worry about restating things.
It doesn’t sound particularly bad to do so as people often make this error in speech. Simply consider
this part of the GMAT’s consistent campaign against redundancy.
x Nicola Tesla was not only a brilliant scientist, but he was also a polyglot.
✓ Nicola Tesla was not only a brilliant scientist, but also a polyglot.
Topic 58: Comparisons with “is"

The simplest sort of comparison uses various forms of “is” (infinitive: to be).
✓ To have loved and lost is better than to have never loved at all.
Notice the “to have” and “to have” remains parallel in this situation. Situations that would be
incorrect in this circumstance might seem a bit odd or obvious, but it happens more than you might
think in speech.
If it happens in speech you are much less likely to appreciate it as an error upon seeing it written.
x To hike is better than skiing.
In this case, the verb form is different. We simply need to pick one of the two and be consistent.
✓ To hike is better than to ski.
✓ Hiking is better than skiing.
Again, we encounter the interrogative problem frequently. If the first part of the comparison is a
noun, it is a good tip-off that the second, interrogative part is incorrect.
x The best time he ever had was when he went to the waterpark.
Again, the “when he went to the waterpark” sounds like a distinct time, but structurally it isn’t. All
we have to do is to replace “when” with a noun, such as “time."
✓ The best time he ever had was the time he went to the waterpark.
Topic 59: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

The transitive property in mathematics says: if A = B and B = C, then A = C.
This makes good sense. “Transitive” is a big word, but at its root is the Latin prefix “trans-,” meaning
“across.” Basically, in the Transitive Property, you have to cross B to associate A with C.
Transitive verbs work in this way. You have to have an A, a B, and a C in order for them to work. If you
don’t have all three parts, they are not used correctly.
If the verb is used correctly without all three parts, then, like most verbs, it is intransitive. The
transitive/intransitive distinction is one of the most frequent errors made by native English speakers.
The key transitive/intransitive distinctions on the GMAT are between “raise”/“rise” and “lay”/“lie.”
“Raise” is transitive; it must have a direct object. “Rise” is intransitive; it has no direct object.
Let’s look at an example:
x I raise from my chair.
✓ I rise from my chair.
In this case, although there is a chair, I am not performing any action on it. I am simply rising from
it, and it is left unaffected. “Chair” is not a direct object.
✓ I raise my hand.
Here, I am doing something to something else (“hand”). “Hand” is the direct object of the action
verb “raise.” Therefore, “raise” is transitive.
x I rise my hand.
Here, we try to force an intransitive verb to be transitive and it sounds as incorrect, as it is.
✓ I rise from bed.
Here, again, I do the rising. I act upon myself. The bed is incidental. I could easily say “I rise” and it
would be a complete phrase with subject and verb. “Rise” is intransitive; it does not require a direct
object. The other key transitive/intransitive pair on the GMAT is “lay”/“lie.” “Lay” is transitive (has a
direct object), and “lie” is intransitive (has no direct object).
X lay down.
This is a common phrase, but it is incorrect. I am not acting on anything but myself, and “lay” is
transitive so I (A) must act (B) upon something (C).
✓ I lay the book down.
Now, let’s consider the intransitive verb “lie.”
x I lie the book down.
Here again, we are forcing the intransitive verb to be transitive, which both sounds bad and is
incorrect.
✓ I lie down.
Here I act only on myself and, as the verb is intransitive, everything works as it ought.
Topic 60: Idioms

The problem with idioms is that they’re idiomatic. That is, they’re part of the language and are
simply things that are that way for no better reason.
For example, prepositions and their association with certain verbs are always idiomatic.
Furthermore, these tend to change from language to language, so it is actually quite difficult for
non-native speakers to use prepositions correctly in any language even if their syntax is otherwise
flawless.
The nice thing about idioms, however, is that you hear them all the time. They are part of the
language and the more you immerse yourself in the language, the easier they will become. If you
spend time in a country where the first language is English, most of these idioms will be familiar
to you from day-to-day language. For native English speakers who are not American, please note
that these idioms are presented in American English and they can be distinctly different from other
forms of English.
While I have chosen to present some common representations here, the work is really up to you, the
student: the only way to tell what the GMAT wants in terms of idioms is truly observation.
Some idioms seem "obvious and correct," such as "between/and," but others arbitrarily reflect
whatever trailer park the testwriter grew up in, e.g., the correctness of phrases such as "so long as."
In the case that an idiom changes the correctness/incorrectness of a practice question, I suggest
writing the combination down for future reference.
1) “Either”/“or” and “neither”/“nor”
There is no exception to this: if you use “not either,” your complement is “or.”
x My choice would not be either one nor the other.
✓ My choice would not be either one or the other.
✓ My choice would be neither one nor the other.
2) “Between” and “among”
“Between” is used only in relation to two things. The “be” root means “state of being,” and the
“tween” root means “flanked on two sides by. . . ” Thus, if you break the word apart, it only works
properly as a preposition if there are two things to consider and a third entity that is shared between
them.
x The secret was shared between the 20 individuals in the room.
That is, a person can be between two other people or an idea can be shared between two people.
“Between” is a relation of three and only three things. “Among” is used to describe something that
is in the middle of a group of three or greater.
Thus, “among” describes a relation of four or more things. This doesn’t sound particularly bad,
as it is an error that is very common, especially in American English. However, as a secret shared
by 20 people is clearly an object in relation to a group of three or greater, the correct word in this
circumstance is “among.”
✓ The secret was shared among all of the people in the room.
Remember that these two words describe specific circumstances, and “among” cannot be used as
a catchall.
x He split the splice of cake among her and himself.
✓ He split the slice of cake between her and himself.
Note that “between” and “among” both take the object form of the pronoun. It is fairly common to
hear “between he and she” or “between she and him” and other strange jugglings of subject and
object pronouns.
This is most likely because “between you and me” is very common and correct, and there is no way
to distinguish between the subject and object form of “you.”
Following this rule, it is incorrect to say “between you and I.” Nevertheless, this is a commonly
heard error.
So, for the record, “between him and her” and “among them” are the only acceptable pronoun uses.
3) “From”/“to”
If you’re talking about time, distance, or anything measured by degree, something goes “from” one
point “to” another.
x The line stretches from here toward eternity.
✓ The line stretches from here to eternity.
x He walked from the table at the bar.
✓ He walked from the table to the bar.
4) “Not only”/“but also” and “not”/“but”
If you have “not only,” it must be followed by “but also.”
In recent years, especially in journalism, there has been an increase in “not only”/“but,” but this will
not be considered correct on the GMAT. Make sure that both “not only” and “but also” are there.
x He is not only wealthy, he is also handsome.
✓ He is not only wealthy, but he is also handsome.
For the case of “not”/“but,” the idea is a little clearer.
x He is not a juggler, and he is a musician.
It is clear that the two clauses in this sentence do not carry enough opposition to make proper
sense. We have to use the word “but” in order to make the opposition sound correct.
✓ He is not a juggler, but he is a musician.
5) “In order that”
The phrase “in order that” takes the subjunctive form.
x We have to use “but” in order that the opposition sounds correct.
✓ We have to use “but” in order that the opposition sound correct.
6) “Different from”
This one can be quite easy to remember, because “to” means “toward,” while “from” represents a
moving away.
Something being “different” is a move away rather than a move toward. What could be clearer?
Nevertheless, “different than” and “different to” are two variations on “different” that are acceptable
in many places. “Different than” tends to be a lazy Americanism.
"Different to” simply comes from another planet–moving toward the thing you distinguish as
different? Yet it seems to be quite widespread in the rest of the English-speaking world.
Even Americans will often say “different than,” so this may not sound terrible to the ear of an
American English speaker. However, on the GMAT, the only acceptable preposition to follow
“different” is “from.” Just note it.
x His pink shoes are different than those of the rest of the class.
x His pink shoes are different to those of the rest of the class.
✓ His pink shoes are different from those of the rest of the class.
7) “Like”/“as”
When comparing two similar things, use “like” if the two things are nouns and “as” if they are verb
clauses.
x The goat is as the sheep in that both animals have hooves.
✓ The goat is like the sheep in that both animals have hooves.
x He is quick-witted, like a lawyer ought to be.
Note that “ought to be” creates a verb clause, so we need to replace “like” with “as.”
✓ He is quick-witted, as a lawyer ought to be.
Depending on the comparison, it is possible to use almost exactly the same sentence. However,
if the clause of the sentence making the comparison uses a verb, make sure to use “as” for your
comparison.
✓ He scaled the rock face like a mountain goat.
✓ He scaled the rock face as a mountain goat does.
8) “Because”/“because of”
Similarly to the “like”/“as” distinction, something happens “because of” a noun, whereas it happens
“because” a verb happens.
x The buildings were destroyed because a tornado.
✓ The buildings were destroyed because of a tornado.
However, if we change the clause after because into a verb clause, we can use “because” rather
than “because of.”
✓ The buildings were destroyed because a tornado struck.
9) “Estimate to be”
It is extremely common to hear “estimate at” on the news. However, for the purposes of the GMAT,
this is considered incorrect.
Thus, special attention is required to correctly answer questions using the word “estimate.”
x The damage from the hurricane is estimated at $14 billion.
✓ The damage from the hurricane is estimated to be $14 billion.
10) “Prefer to”
Again working with the “to”/“from” distinction, if you prefer something, you wish to move toward
it. Thus, “prefer to” is the correct preposition association.
x I prefer going to the park
✓ I prefer to go to the park.
11) “Prevent from”/“prohibit from”
Because prevention and prohibition push something away–or perhaps if you wish to prevent
something, you don’t move toward it–the appropriate combination is “prevent from” or “prohibit
from.”
x I want to prevent him swimming.
x I prohibit him smoking in the garden.
✓ I prohibit him from smoking in the garden.
12) “Credit with”/“credit to”
If the word “credit” is used as a verb, the preposition is “credit with,” whereas if it is a noun, it is
“credit to.”
x I credit him to save her life.
✓ I credit him with saving her life.
x He is a credit with his school.
✓ He is a credit to his school.
13) “Differ with”/“differ from”
If you disagree with someone, you “differ with” that person, but if you wish to highlight differences
between you and that person, you “differ from” that person.
x I differ from him on many issues.
✓ I differ with him on many issues.
x I differ with him in many physical features.
✓ I differ from him in many physical features.
14) “Compare to”/“compare with”
If you want to highlight the similarities between two items, usually in a complimentary way, use
“compare to.” It is a favorite of poets since at least Shakespeare.
✓ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
If you wish to highlight the differences between two things, use “compare with.”
✓ Compared with her, his drumming skills leave much to be desired.
Topic 61: Formality in Writing

The issue of formality isn’t exactly a burning crisis on the Sentence Correction section as the
sentences are all presented in a rather formal style.
However, the difficulty in formal writing is that it can sound quite different from normal speech. We
need to be able to distinguish situations where the formal “written” English is correct and where it
is not.
1) The word “get.”
Although you will never see the word “get” in a Sentence Correction section as it is possibly the
least formal word in the English language, the test writers have figured out clever ways to make you
think about it.
Basically, the word “get” is a lazy word. It means about 40 different things. Actually, I haven’t
counted, but you get the point. Sometimes “get” works alone, meaning things such as “fetch,”
“receive,” “understand,” and so forth.
In other cases, it is paired with a preposition to create completely new meanings, such as in the case
of “get up,” “get down,” “get by,” “get over,” etc.
The interesting thing in each of these cases is that there is always a more formal way to say any of
these words. That is, for every use of “get,” there is a “better” (more formal) way to state exactly the
same thing. Leave it to the test writers to find a semi-exception to this.
In further instances, “get” is part of common idioms, such as “get married.” This is a favorite on the
GMAT, as the way to say “get married” more formally is not immediately obvious.This will appear in
trick questions such as the following.
x The general wishes to divorce his wife so as to marry his secretary.
In this case, the error isn’t obvious and to many it might seem that “so as to get married to his
secretary” is the proper fix. However, the mistake is actually in the idiom “so as to marry,” as it does
not specify who is getting married.
“To marry” is a perfectly appropriate, and decidedly more formal, replacement for “to get married.”
✓ The general wishes to divorce his wife so that he can marry his secretary.
Just remember that you won’t see “get” in the Sentence Correction section and it is never an
appropriate fix in GMAT English.
2) “Like” vs. “such as”
It is perfectly acceptable to use “like” to introduce a list in speech. This is, however, very informal.
Conclusion
I hope that this conversational introduction to the grammar topics on the GMAT has been useful to
you. It has been designed to read quickly and to make you aware of the nature of the topics at hand.
After more study of the Official Guide, I encourage you to revisit this guide and make further notes.
The Last Minute Guide to Sentence Correction is currently being written and will detail how to apply
these grammar concepts in detail.
Please feel free to contact the author at rowan@yourGMATcoach.com with questions, comments,
and observations.
Follow @yourGMATcoach on Instagram for more updates about ways to improve your methods of
thinking and studying.
Join our mailing list at www.yourGMATcoach.com for more details and a free 7-day GMAT e-mail
course!
Good luck with your study!

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Topic 1: Complete Sentences.............................................................................9

Topic 32: Obvious Hypothetical Errors ................................................................ 23

Quick and painless?

Some of these sentences sound particularly awful,

The sentences that sound the best are sometimes technically

Generally speaking, you can disprove one of these grammatical

The combinations tend to be 3-2, 2-2-1, 2-1-1-1, and variations

Remember, if you disprove a particular usage, you have

Quite simply, no one’s grammar is good enough for the GMAT.

Remember that the GMAT provides questions that invariably

4. Make an Educated Guess

However, intuition can be difficult to access and it is very

First you note what seems correct; then you listen to

That is , just because you can’t justify it doesn’t make it

Time to turn the page and begin your preparation.

Good luck with the exam!

Topic 1: Complete Sentences

x Incorrect:The Titanic. The world’s largest cruise liner.

✓ Correct The Titanic was the world’s largest cruise liner.

Topic 2: Subordinating Conjunctions

✓ The deadline was postponed because the editor fell ill.

✓ Because the editor became ill, the deadline was postponed.

Note that subordinate clauses are acceptable in speech as answers to a question.

x (incorrect on GMAT): Answer: Because the editor became ill.

Topic 3: Relative Pronouns

Topic 4: Multiple Independent Clauses

✓ Peanuts are legumes; they are not nuts.

✓ The goat is an ungulate. The rabbit is a lagomorph.

Topic 5: Logical Operators

“HOWEVER” means a black-and-white difference.

“NEVERTHELESS” and “NONETHELESS” acknowledge one argument while introducing a competing

“INSTEAD” means “in its stead,” or literally “in place of.”

Topic 6: Things and Actions

x The convenience and availability of the cellular phone is why it is popular.

x “The cellular phone’s convenience and availability is why it is popular.”

x The major predators...flourishes throughout the savanna.

An exception is the situation where the thing possessed is a quantity.

✓ One-half of the members are leaving tomorrow.

Topic 7: Pluralizing Subjects

x Sleet combined with hail damage cars each winter.

✓ Sleet combined with hail damages cars each winter.

✓ Sleet and hail damage cars each winter.

Topic 8: Which Subject?

✓ She doesn’t know whether her sons or her daughter is responsible.

Topic 9: Beginning with Prepositions

✓ Between Soho and the Strand lies Covent Garden.

✓ Covent Garden lies between Soho and the Strand.

Topic 10: Negative Limiting Phrases

✓ “Rarely do I travel abroad.”

Topic 11: How Many Data?

✓ The media follows the heartthrob wherever he travels.

Topic 12: How Many Salts?

Topic 13: Today’s Business: How Many Businesses?

✓ There are many grains of salt in the shaker.

✓ Chemists work with many salts.

✓ I have a piece of business to discuss.

✓ He has started three businesses in the past ten years.

Topic 14: A Means to Distinguish

✓ His diabetes was causing him great distress.

✓ If the news is good, tell me now.

Additionally, academic subjects such as “mathematics” or “physics” can be considered singular.