GMAT Verbal : GMAT Verbal
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #181 : 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.
The scholar, who had paid three research assistants to help him write a new book and invested countless hours in the project, was frustrated with their progress when it came to securing a publication date.
their progressing when it came to securing a publication date
their progressing when it came to securing a publication date
their progress when it came to having secured a publication date
his progress when it came to securing a publication date
their progress when it came to securing a publication date
his progress when it came to securing a publication date
In this sentence, the plural possessive pronoun “their” does not correspond to the singular antecedent “scholar.” The correct answer is "his progress when it came to securing a publication date" because it uses the masculine singular possessive pronoun "his," which agrees with the sentence's male "scholar," instead of "their."
Example Question #182 : 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.
Despite it’s widespread popularity, many critics detested the new action film because it had no artistic value.
its widespread popularity, many critics detested
their widespread popularity, many critics detested
their widespread popularity, there were many critics detested
its widespread popularity, many critics detesting
it’s widespread popularity, many critics detested
its widespread popularity, many critics detested
“Its” is used to show possession, while “it’s” is the abbreviated version of “it is.” Here, possession is being shown, and so “its” should be used.
Example Question #183 : 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.
When you go to see a movie, it is wise for one to always bring a form of identification because certain films have minimum age requirements.
to always bring forms of identifications because
for one to always bring a form of identification because
for you to always bring a form of identification because
for everyone to always bring a form of identification because
to always bring a form of identification because
to always bring a form of identification because
If a sentence is describing how “you” should behave, it creates discontinuity to then begin using the word “one" in place of "you" as a pronoun. Therefore, “one" should be changed to "you," or in this case, omitted from the sentence, without introducing other errors.
Example Question #184 : 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.
A pilot must maintain their focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives depend on that person’s navigational abilities.
their focus on the flight, as there are hundreds of lives
its focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives
his or her focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives
his or her focus on the flying, as hundreds of lives
their focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives
his or her focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives
In this sentence, the plural pronoun “their” does not correspond to the singular antecedent “pilot.” Pilots can be men or women, so we shouldn't assign one gender or the other to the pilot the sentence is discussing. So, "their" should be replaced by "his or her." The correct version of this sentence would be, "A pilot must maintain his or her focus on the flight, as hundreds of lives depend on that person’s navigational abilities."
Example Question #185 : 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.
The United Nations was frustrated by the lack of cooperation on the part of the international community when it came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so they will be adopting more proactive measures.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking and so it will be adopting more proactive measures.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so they will be adopting a more proactive measure.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so it will be adopting more proactive measures.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so they will be adopting more proactive measures.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so they have been adopting more proactive measures.
came to addressing the issue of human trafficking, and so it will be adopting more proactive measures.
In this sentence, “they” does not correspond to the antecedent “United Nations,” which is a single organization, and therefore singular. (This is made obvious by the phrase, “United Nation was,” as opposed to “United Nations were.”) The correct version of this sentence would therefore use “its” instead of “they.” Additionally, proper comma usage is necessary to avoid run-on sentences.
Example Question #96 : 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.
Japan claimed that its whale hunt in the Southern Ocean is for scientific purposes, but the claim was not being agreed with by the International Court of Justice, who ruled that it must stop.
the claim was not being agreed with by the International Court of Justice, who ruled that it must stop.
the claim was disagreed with by the International Court of Justice, who ruled that the hunt must stop.
the claim was disagreed with by the International Court of Justice, who ruled that it must stop.
the International Court of Justice ruled that it must stop because they disagreed with this claim.
the International Court of Justice disagreed with this claim and ruled that the hunt must stop.
the International Court of Justice disagreed with this claim and ruled that the hunt must stop.
The original sentence has several problems that the correct answer fixes. "It" is an ambiguous pronoun that could refer to "the claim" or the "whale hunt"; one can clarify the sentence by replacing "it" with "the hunt." "Not being agreed with" is a confusing way of saying "disagreed with." Finally, the original sentence is needlessly in the passive voice, and the correct answer makes it active.
Example Question #186 : 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.
The High Court of Australia has recently made a controversial ruling; they have recognized a third "neutral" gender.
ruling, it has recognized a third "neutral" gender.
ruling; recognizing a third "neutral" gender.
ruling; they have recognized a third "neutral" gender.
ruling; it has recognized a third "neutral" gender.
ruling, they have recognized a third "neutral" gender.
ruling; it has recognized a third "neutral" gender.
The original sentence has a plural pronoun "they" that does not agree with its singular antecedent, "The High Court of Australia." The correct answer replaces this with the singular pronoun "it" and adjusts the verb as necessary. The punctuation is correct; semicolons are used to separate two independent clauses.
Example Question #187 : 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.
Rebecca knows that price is a concern of Lisa's when it comes to choosing a restaurant, so when a new diner came into town, she thought they should visit it.
she thought she
they thought they
she had thought they
Rebecca thought they
she thought they
Rebecca thought they
In this sentence, "she" is an ambiguous pronoun because it can refer to either Rebecca or Lisa. Therefore, the better way to construct this sentence would be to replace "she" with "Rebecca" in order to eliminate the ambiguity.
Example Question #188 : 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.
It broke Lisa's heart to see the dog limp out of the house, wincing each time it's broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time his broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time its broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time their broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time it's broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time her broken paw barely scraped the ground.
wincing each time its broken paw barely scraped the ground.
The correct answer is "wincing each time its broken paw barely scraped the ground."
Given that a dog is not a person, it would be acceptable to use "it" as a pronoun. The possessive form of "it" is "its."
Given that a gender is not specified for the dog, "his" and "her" would not be appropriate. Additionally, there is one dog, so "their" would not be appropriate either.
Example Question #2 : Business Passages
While hotels have traditionally held a firm grip on the market of vacation-goers, the emergence of companies fostering short-term rentals are dramatically changing the landscape of the travel industry. Before the advent of the modern online forum, short-term rentals were an arrangement limited by sheer logistics. Information about the availability of (and desire for) a short-term rental was difficult to transmit and share. However, with the current explosion of social media and cyber enterprise, the business model of short-term rentals has blossomed.
In 2011, 40% of travelers reported that they would be staying in a short-term rental during the year, as opposed to a traditional hotel. By 2013, this figure had jumped up to a staggering 49%. The short-term rental business is a $24 billion market, holding 8% of the total market of U.S. travel. Rapidly expanding and growing with the innovations of creative renters, the question that hangs in the air is what this means for communities. Short-term rentals have had a polarizing effect in many ways, becoming a source of joy for venturists and cause of dismay for many homeowners.
In recent news, there have been incredible scandals in which short-term renters have abused the property loaned to them, causing thousands of dollars' worth of property damage. Other accusations include disturbing the peace and the commission of criminal acts. Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) have been up in arms, and the legal backlash has been significant. New York enacted firm restrictions on short-term renters, and many HOAs now embed limits on the purposes that a space may be used for, barring short-term rentals.
However, this reaction is an over-reaction, and a detrimental one at that. Cities and towns that set hard limits against short-term rentals are halting the economic growth that would otherwise accompany them. Vacationers are likely to be deterred from venturing out to towns that have banned more affordable short-term rentals. While some vacationers might opt to stay at a hotel in desirable locations, as the short-term rental industry continues to grow, it will become more and more likely that vacation-goers will simply choose alternative destinations that actually allow for short-term rentals.
This is not to say, however, that short-term rentals should be completely unregulated. The key is imposing useful regulations that are mutually beneficial to both communities and to the proprietors of short-term rentals. One potential solution would be to impose reasonable taxes on visitors that use short-term rentals; having requirements for minimum stays could also ensure more consistency for the communities. This also has the added benefit of generating income for towns and cities. There is no reason why communities should see the short-term rental industry as an adversary, when it can just as easily be made into an ally.
The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
Communities should see short-term rentals as an adversary, when they can just as easily be made an ally.
Although short-term rentals are popular right now, it is likely that they will diminish in value as more restrictions are enstated against them.
While short-term rentals and communities would mutually benefit from regulations, a hard ban against them would be counterproductive.
In general, regulations have proven to do a disservice to travel industry, as the red tape prevents commerce from moving freely, and discourages travel as a whole.
Hotels and short-term rentals complement each other and can contribute to one another's mutual development.
While short-term rentals and communities would mutually benefit from regulations, a hard ban against them would be counterproductive.
The author would most likely agree with the statement "While short-term rentals and communities would mutually benefit from regulations, a hard ban against them would be mutually counter-productive." This is because the author explicitly states that communities and short-term rentals should be allies as opposed to enemies. Thus, mutually beneficial regulations would serve them both well.
This answer choice says the exact opposite, and so it is incorrect: "Communities should see short-term rentals as an adversary, when they can just as easily be made an ally."
There is no evidence to suggest that the author supports this statement: "Although short-term rentals are popular right now, it is likely that they will diminish in value as more restrictions are enstated against them."
The author implies that hotels and short-term rentals are competitors, so this statement is not correct: "Hotels and short-term rentals complement each other and can contribute to one another's mutual development."
The author believes that some regulations are beneficial, so this statement is incorrect: "In general, regulations have proven to do a disservice to travel industry, as the red tape prevents commerce from moving freely, and discourages travel as a whole."
All GMAT Verbal Resources
