GMAT Verbal : Sentence Correction
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
Trying to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems indirectly.
Trying to understand her student's issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems indirectly.
Trying to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to asks about their problems indirectly.
Try to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems indirectly.
Trying to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems indirectly.
Trying to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems in an indirectly fashion.
Trying to understand her students' issues, the teacher found ways to ask about their problems indirectly.
The sentence is absolutely correct as written, and needs no improvement. The various corrections all make the sentence incorrect, as "asks" does not work in an infinitive, "student's" refers to one student and contradicts "their" as mentioned later, "indirectly" is an adverb and not an adjective, and writing "try" makes the sentence unclear and a fragment.
Example Question #2 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
Choose the best way to rephrase the underlined portion of the sentence. One of the answer choices repeats the original phrasing.
Since she arrived home from work, Rachel has been locked in her room, watching television and refusing to speak to anyone.
is locked in her room, watching television and refusing
locked in her room, is watching television and refusing
has been locked in her room, watched television, and refused
has been locked in her room, watching television and refusing
is watching television locked in her room, refusing
has been locked in her room, watching television and refusing
This sentence is phrased nicely. The other options confuse the verb tense or otherwise complicate the coordination of events.
Example Question #3 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing No Errors
The young boy, tired from the long trip, immediately went to sleep when he arrived at his grandparent's house.
The young boy, tired from the long trip, immediately
The young boy tired from the long trip, immediately
The young boy tired from the long trip immediately
The young boy tired, from the long trip, immediately
The young boy, tired from the long trip immediately
The young boy, tired from the long trip, immediately
The phrase "tired from the long trip" is an interrupting phrase, a clause that is unnecessary to the structure of the sentence but gives crucial information. All such clauses need to be set off by commas, making the sentence correct as written.
Example Question #1581 : Sentence Correction
In the sentence below, select the phrasing of the underlined portion that produces the best sentence.
Tom Hanks is undoubtedly one of the great leading men of our time, but he cannot compare to Humphrey Bogart.
although his work is not comparable to Humphrey Bogart.
but he cannot compare to the work of Humphrey Bogart.
but he cannot compare to Humphrey Bogart.
and yet he cannot compare to Humphrey Bogart's movies.
but his movies cannot compare to Humphrey Bogart.
but he cannot compare to Humphrey Bogart.
Whenever making a comparison, be sure to compare like things. This sentence is correct as written, as you are comparing an actor (Hanks) to an actor (Bogart). In the incorrect options the comparison is between one actor and the other's work or movies.
Example Question #7 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
The ability to whistle is not a universal among all people.
not a universal among all people.
not a universal for people in all.
not universal for people who are all.
not a universal toward all people.
not universal all people.
not a universal among all people.
The sentence is perfectly correct as written and needs no changes to it. Additionally, the other answer choices are all either grammatically incorrect, confusingly worded, or both.
Example Question #21 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
Judged from a distance, the mountain looked smaller than it really was.
While judged from a distance
By judging it from a distance
Judged from a distance
Judging it from a distance
Upon being judged from a distance
Judged from a distance
The initial sentence is correct. Only judged conveys the proper comparison in as few words as possible.
Example Question #22 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing Correct Sentences
The most disappointing element of the art exhibit was its inability to attain the painter's most well known works.
was its inability to attain the painter's
was its inability to attain the painters
was it's inability to attain the painter's
was inability to attain the painter's
was its inability to attain the painter as
was its inability to attain the painter's
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs no changes to improve it. Further, all of the answer choices that do change the sentence make it incorrect grammatically.
Example Question #23 : Correcting Other Errors And Recognizing Correct Sentences
Until the day he died, the man refused to ever see a doctor.
Until dying the man
Until the day he died, the man
Until the day he died the man
Until, the day he died, the man
Until the day he died was the man
Until the day he died, the man
The sentence is perfectly correct as written, and needs nothing changed. Additionally, all the other answer choices are grammatically incorrect on one level or another.
Example Question #12 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
As they walked into the wind, the girls all pulled their jackets tighter.
the girls all pulled there jackets tighter.
the girl's all pulled their jackets tighter.
the girls all pulled their jackets tighter.
the girls' all pulled their jackets tighter.
the girls all pulled they're jackets tighter.
the girls all pulled their jackets tighter.
The sentence is structurally and grammatically correct just as it is. Every other answer choice actually makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Example Question #15 : Recognizing Sentences That Contain No Errors
David brings it to himself first, then goes to John's to hand it over.
David bringing it to him first
David brought it to himself first
David bringing it to himself first
David brings it to him first
David brings it to himself first
David brings it to himself first
As it is written, the sentence is completely correct grammatically and structurally. Further, every other answer choice makes the sentence grammatically incorrect, confusing, or both. The correct answer choice is to leave the sentence as it is written.
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