GMAT Verbal : GMAT Verbal
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #115 : Correcting Modifier Placement Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The king was the person only in the country who could exercise such power.
The king was the person only in the country who could exercise such power.
The king was the only person in the country who could exercise such power.
Only the king was the person in the country who could exercise such power.
The king was the person in the country who could exercise such power only.
The king was the person in the country only who could exercise such power.
The king was the only person in the country who could exercise such power.
In the sentence as it is written, "only" is floating between phrases, and it is not clear what exactly the word is modifying. The sentence is trying to say that the king was the singular person with the ability to exercise the power. So, "only" should be placed next to "person" to make this clear. The only answer choice that places "only" before "person" is "The king was the only person in the country who could exercise such power."
Example Question #116 : Correcting Modifier Placement Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Just he was seventeen when he first got arrested, and he was charged with a minor shoplifting violation.
He was seventeen just when he first got arrested
Just seventeen he was when he first got arrested
Just he was seventeen when he first got arrested
He was seventeen when he just first got arrested
He was just seventeen when he first got arrested
He was just seventeen when he first got arrested
The use of "just" at the beginning of the sentence is awkward and confusing, making it unclear what exactly the adjective is modifying. The word makes the most sense if it modifies "seventeen," to emphasize the subject's youth during his "first arrest." "He was just seventeen when he first got arrested" is the answer choice that best makes use of the word "just" by placing it directly before "seventeen."
Example Question #117 : Correcting Modifier Placement Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The race's winner was actually only the driver to complete the full race.
The race's winner was actually the only driver to complete the full race.
The race's winner was actually the driver only to complete the full race.
The race's winner was only actually the driver to complete the full race.
The race's winner was actually only the driver to complete the full race.
The race's winner was actually the driver to only complete the full race.
The race's winner was actually the only driver to complete the full race.
The placement of "only" in the sentence is confusing and odd, as it seems to imply that the subject was merely the driver who finished. The sentence will make the most sense if "only" is used to show that the winner was the one driver to finish. The sentence which best does this is "The race's winner was actually the only driver to complete the full race."
Example Question #118 : Correcting Modifier Placement Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices repeats the underlined portion as it is written.
Happy to get some new chow, the dog's food was quickly gobbled up by the dog.
Happy to get some new chow, the dog quickly gobbled up his food.
The dog's food was quickly gobbled up by the dog.
Happy to get some new chow, the dog was quickly gobbled up.
Happy to get some new chow, the dog's food was quickly gobbled up.
The dog quickly gobbled up his food, which was happy to get some new chow.
Happy to get some new chow, the dog quickly gobbled up his food.
The word "happy" in the original sentence is modifying "the dog's food", when we know it should be modifying the dog instead.
Example Question #21 : Correcting Misplaced Or Interrupting Modifier Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
The runner was the third person only from his home country to win a medal at the games.
the third person only from his home country
the third person from only his home country
only the third person from his home country
the third person from his home country only
the only third person from his home country
only the third person from his home country
The use of "only" in the sentence is confusing, and makes it unclear what is being modified by the adjective. The word can be better used by placing it at the front of the underlined phrase to show the subject was the third person from the country; therefore, the correct answer choice is "only the third person from his home country."
Example Question #1561 : Sentence Correction
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
A musician can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player after she graduates from a conservatory with a degree in music, depending on her skill and talent.
A musician can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player after she graduates from a conservatory with a degree in music, depending on her skill and talent.
The skill and talent of a female musician, after graduating from a conservatory with a degree in music, will determine whether she can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player.
After graduating from a conservatory with a degree in music, a musician’s skill and talent will determine if she can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player.
After graduating from a conservatory with a degree in music, depending on her skill and talent, a musician can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player.
Skill and talent determines whether a musician, after graduating from a conservatory with a degree in music, can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player.
Skill and talent determines whether a musician, after graduating from a conservatory with a degree in music, can pursue a career as a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, a music teacher, or a session player.
Eliminate the choices that incorrectly imply that the degree in music depends on the skill and talent of the musician. The modifier “depending on her skill and talent” is misplaced leading to possible confusion. Eliminate the choices that imply the talent graduates from a conservatory. The final choice will not show any modifier errors and will have no errors in syntactical logic.
Example Question #1561 : Sentence Correction
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
We couldn't find our tent among the thousands that lined the shoreline, with its unusual flag; someone must have taken down the flag.
We couldn't find the tent among the thousands that lined the shoreline, with its unusual flag
We couldn't find our tent, with its unusual flag, among the thousands that lined the shoreline
We couldn't find our tent among the thousands that lined the shoreline with its unusual flag
We couldn't find our tent among the thousands that lined the shoreline, ours with its unusual flag
We couldn't find our tent among the thousands that lined the shoreline, our tent with its unusual flag
We couldn't find our tent, with its unusual flag, among the thousands that lined the shoreline
The problem here comes down to a misplaced modifier. The incorrect answer choices do not place the modifying phrase next to the correct noun "our tent." It may seem like the shoreline had an "unusual flag," but the clause that follows seems to suggest otherwise. It is important to understand the sentence as a whole before attempting to resolve subtle problems.
Example Question #34 : Correcting Misplaced Or Interrupting Modifier Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
As an English as a Foreign Language instructor, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures, at an international university, and the cultural context in which said students are immersed.
At an international university and as an English as a Foreign Language instructor, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures
As an English as a Foreign Language at an international university instructor, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures
As an English as a Foreign Language instructor at an international university, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures
At an international university but as an English as a Foreign Language instructor, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures
As an English as a Foreign Language instructor, one must help students mediate, at an international university, between their respective cultures
As an English as a Foreign Language instructor at an international university, one must help students mediate between their respective cultures
The central problem here is modifier placement. The modifier "at an international university is most appropriate when written as part of the dangling modifier at the beginning of the sentence: "As an English as a Foreign Language instructor at an international university,". The other answer choices result in a modifier which inappropriately interrupts the sentence. Note the importance of thinking about the answer choices as they relate to the sentence as a whole.
Example Question #1563 : Sentence Correction
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
A dedicated student can pursue a career as a technician or data manager, a teacher, or a programmer after he or she graduates from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, depending on his or her area of expertise.
Depending on his or her area of expertise, after graduating from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, a dedicated student can pursue a career as a technician, data manager, teacher, or programmer.
Depending on his or her area of expertise, a dedicated student can, after graduating from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, pursue a career as a technician, data manager, teacher, or programmer.
A dedicated student can pursue a career as a technician or data manager, a teacher, or a programmer after he or she graduates from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, depending on his or her area of expertise.
A dedicated student can pursue a career as a technician or data manager or a teacher or a programmer after he or she graduates from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, depending on his or her area of expertise.
A dedicated student can, depending on his or her area of expertise, after graduating from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, pursue a career as a technician, data manager, teacher, or programmer.
Depending on his or her area of expertise, after graduating from our technical institute with a degree in computer science, a dedicated student can pursue a career as a technician, data manager, teacher, or programmer.
Eliminate the choices that incorrectly imply that the degree in computer science depends on the student's area of expertise. The modifier “depending on his or her area of expertise” is misplaced. Eliminate the choices that contain obvious errors in parallelism, such as excessive use of the conjunction "or". The correct choice will not show any modifier errors and will have no errors in syntactical logic.
Example Question #1761 : Gmat Verbal
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Mercantilism was an economic theory and practice, dominant in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, that promoted the governmental regulation of a nation's economy in order to augment state power.
that would promote
that promotes
that promote
that had promoted
that promoted
that promoted
The correct answer is the only one that uses the correct tense (the simple past) and correctly agrees with the "number" of the subject (singular).
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