GMAT Verbal : Sentence Correction
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Verbal
All GMAT Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #51 : 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.
The professors, aspiring to reduce the contentions within the department, tried to introduce a plan that they believed would be helpful to their colleagues.
tried to introduce a plan that they believed would be helpful to their colleagues.
tried to introduce a plan that they believing
tried to introduce a plan believing they would be helpful to their colleagues.
tried to introduce a plan that they believed will be helpful to their colleagues.
tried to introduce a plan, that they believed, would be helpful to their colleagues.
tried to introduce a plan that they believed would be helpful to their colleagues.
The sentence is correct as written, and no changes need to be made to it.
Example Question #52 : 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.
When Ron writes, he uses a variety of techniques and had avoided use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay.
had avoided use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
avoids use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
has to avoided use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
avoided use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
will have avoided use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
avoids use of the passive voice in order to craft a more effective essay
Since most of this sentence is in the present tense, it is incorrect for other verbs to be in a different tense, as a general rule. Therefore, “had avoided,” which is in past perfect tense, should be “avoids,” the proper present tense form.
Example Question #143 : 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.
Concerned citizens who are opposed to smoking also are likely to have disliked the stores that make cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
be disliking the stores that make cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
disliked the stores that make cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
disliked stores that make cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
dislike the stores making cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
have disliked the stores that make cigarettes accessible, especially, those that sell to underage children.
dislike the stores making cigarettes accessible, especially those that sell to underage children.
Since most of this sentence is in the present tense, it is incorrect for other verbs to be in a different tense unless they are describing action that takes place at a different time, as a general rule. Therefore, “have disliked” should simply be in the present tense, “dislike.”
Example Question #53 : 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.
While falling in love is easy, falling out of love had been hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love will have been hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love is hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love was hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love will be hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love has been hard, and rather painful.
falling out of love is hard, and rather painful.
Since most of this sentence is in the present tense, it is incorrect for other verbs to be in a different tense unless describing action(s) that took place at a different time than the action in the sentence's tense, as a general rule. Therefore, the underlined portion of the sentence should be in present tense and read, "falling out of love is hard, and rather painful."
Example Question #55 : 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.
Cognitive process errors can be minor or major, ranging from miscalculating a waiter’s tip, to made the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
to making the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
having made the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
to having had made the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
to had made the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
to making the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
When using the phrase "from . . . to . . .," one should make sure that the two items mentioned are in the same form in order to use proper parallelism. For instance, in the sentence, the first item listed, "miscalculating a waiter's tip," begins with a gerund, or a verb acting as a noun. So, the second item, "made the wrong judgment call in a multi-million dollar lawsuit," should also begin with a gerund. So, "made" should be changed to "making." All other answer choices, besides the correct one, either use an incorrect verb or omit the verb altogether (which is problematic in the interest of parallelism).
Example Question #54 : 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.
By the time Greg graduates from medical school, he will be a student for over two decades of his life.
he was a student for over two decades of his life.
he would have been a student for over two decades of his life.
he will be a student for over two decades of his life.
he will have been a student for over two decades of his life.
he would be a student for over two decades of his life.
he will have been a student for over two decades of his life.
To describe a future action that occurs before another action, the future perfect tense is appropriate, not the future tense. Therefore, the appropriate phrase is “will have been,” not “will be.”
Example Question #55 : 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.
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may include trace amounts of peanuts, to which I am extremely allergic.
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may include traced amounts of peanuts,
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may include trace amounts of peanuts,
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may include trace amounts of peanuts
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may be including trace amounts of peanuts,
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may have included trace amounts of peanuts,
All five of the best-selling chocolate bars may include trace amounts of peanuts,
The sentence, as is, is correct. All other answer choices introduce errors in style, comma usage, or verb tense.
Example Question #56 : 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.
After he had spent 48 years on death row, Iwao Hakamada is granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada is granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada has been granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada is being granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada was being granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada was granted a retrial.
Iwao Hakamada was granted a retrial.
The verbs in the original sentence do not work together to form a cohesive timeline. Since the first part is in the past perfect tense ("had spent"), the second part should be in the past tense. The correct answer changes "is" to "was."
Example Question #59 : 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.
Users were complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians had been able to fix the glitch.
Users were complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but technicians had been able to fix the glitch luckily.
Users were complaining over a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians had been able to fix the glitch.
Users were complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians had been able to fix the glitch.
Users had been complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians were able to fix the glitch.
Users had been complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians were able to fix the glitch luckily.
Users had been complaining about a malfunctioning search option, but luckily technicians were able to fix the glitch.
The original sentence's verbs do not match the timeline of the sentence. The past participle "had been able" describes events that happened before the simple past "were complaining," but the fix came after the complaints. The correct option switches these tenses, preserving the placement of "luckily" and the idiomatic preposition "about" after "complaining."
Example Question #57 : 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.
While the tuition for graduate school classes may seem like a lot of money, they reflect the types of resources that are invested to create a high-quality curriculum and recruit the best and brightest minds.
it has reflected the types of resources
it is reflecting of the types of resources
they reflect the types of resources
it reflects the types of resources
they tend to reflect the types of resources
it reflects the types of resources
The noun that the pronoun refers to is "tuition," which is singular. Therefore, the corresponding pronoun should be the singular "it," NOT "they." The answer choice,"it is reflecting of the types of resources" is not correct because it is too wordy. The correct answer choice is "it reflects the types of resources."
All GMAT Verbal Resources
