Sahil%27s Grammar Notes

8/14/2019 Sahil%27s Grammar Notes

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Not To Use:

1) Being, to be (Both are c onsidered to be passive)

2) Unnecessary ing words should be removed, wherever possible.

3) Passive voic e as fa r as po ssible

e.g. His ap proac h is different from the a pp roa ch used by a ny othe r teno r is

pa ssive a nd hence inco rrec t on G MAT

The c orrec t sentenc e is

His ap p roa c h is different from the a pp roa c h of any o ther tenor

4) Any Sentenc e c onstruc tion with preposition + noun + participle

e.g . With child-care fac ilities included (with p rep osition, child -ca re noun,

inc luded pa rticiple)

Infinitives like to inc lude , to impleme nt etc . are wrong on G MAT. Instea d use,

impleme nting , including (Whic h are know n as Ge runds) etc.

A Ge rund is a noun formed from a ve rb i.e. Overcoming the GM AT is a grea t

achievement. infinitives are usually formed to retain the integrity of the idiom

which is used or to keep a sentence in parallel

5) Hop efully, is a lmost a lwa ys wrong .

6)

Examp le of p oints (3) and (4)

Cha rlotte Perkins Gilma n, a late nineteenth-ce ntury fem inist, ca lled for urba n a pa rtment

houses inc lud ing c hild-ca re fac ilities and c lustered suburba n ho uses including c om muna lea ting a nd soc ia l fac ilities.

A) including c hild -ca re fa c ilities and c lustered subu rba n houses including c om muna l

ea ting and soc ia l fac ilities

B) tha t inc luded child-c a re fac ilities, and for clustered suburba n houses to include

c omm unal eating a nd soc ial fac ilit ies

C) w ith c hild-ca re fac ilities included and for clustered suburba n houses to include

c omm unal eating a nd soc ial fac ilit ies

D) that inc luded child-c are fac ilities and for clustered suburba n houses with c om muna l

ea ting and soc ia l fac ilities

E) to inc lude c hild-c a re fac ilities and for clustered suburba n ho uses with c om muna l

ea ting and soc ia l fac ilities included

First, we c an eliminate all the answe r c hoice s that use w ith c om muna l eating a nd

soc ial fac ilities included or any o the r structure that follows this pa tte rn:

prep osition + noun + p artic iple

This pa tte rn is a lmost a lwa ys wrong on the GM AT, and is c erta inly wrong in this

question. This elimina tes C) and E).


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A) is amb iguous--is c lustered suburban ho uses pa ra llel w ith child -ca rfac ilities or

with urban ap artment ho uses? We need to repea t for to be sure tha t c lustered

suburban houses is pa ra llel w ith urban a partme nt ho uses.

Now we 're left w ith B) and D).

Now, the o nly differenc e b etw een B and D is the infinitive to inc lude, which G MAT

c onsiders unidioma tic.

Tha t lea ves us with D).

7)

Idioms to Rem emb er

1) To e xcha nge X for Y (exchange X with Y or any o ther form is inco rrec t)

2) Different from one ano ther (Different o ne from the o ther is wrong)

3) X is unkno wn, nor it is know n is a c orrec t id iom (Neithe r is no t req uired ) It is no t

that nor wo uld a lwa ys be prece de d b y a neither

4) To rat ify (At ratifying is inco rrec t) An a ttemp t to ra tify is the c orrec t use

5) Allergy to (Allergy of, allergy for a re incorrec t)

6) To t ry to fix is the right id iom (to try and fix is incorrec t)

7) Just as So too

8) X is different from Y (different than Y is incorrect)

9) Same as X..as to Y

e.g G rav ity w ill ap ply the sam e to an a irplane flying in air as to a ship floating on

water.

10)From X to Y (Grow from 2 million to 3 b illion ) (From X up to Y is wrong )

Studies of the human sleep-wake cycle have practical relevance for matters

ranging from duty assignments in nuclear submarines and air-traffic control towersto the staff of shifts in 24-hour factories.

(A) to the staff of

(B) to those who staff

(C) to the staffing of

(D) and staffing

(E) and the staff of

From X where X is a noun he re.

So, Y should b e a noun.

To tho se who sta ff in B is incorrec t.

C ha s a no un and is c orrec t.

Also, see exam ples in notep ad (From a lso-ran to loc a l hero the a thlete )


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11)Estima ted to b e (Estima ted a t is inco rrec t)

12)Believe X to be Y

13)Ac c laimed as is the c orrec t idiom (Acc laimed to b e is wrong)

14)Distinguish b etwee n X and Y (Distinguish X from Y is incorrec t)

15)In an a ttemp t to (ga in c ontrol)

16)Worried a bo ut (When ta lking ab out som eone s cond ition)

17)Attemp t to do some thing (Attempt a t d oing is inco rrec t).18)Bot h X and Y (Bot h X as well as Y is incorrec t) Both a t X and a t Y is correc t. Bot h on

X or on Y is correc t. Both shou ld a lways have p ara llel forms assoc iated to it.

Simila rly, Neither nor shou ld ha ve pa ra llel forms assoc iated to it.

19)Adverb twice ca nnot be an ob ject of proposit ion by.

Inc rea se b y twice is incorrec t; doub led is c orrec t

20)So X as to be Y (So unrea l as to be t rue)

21)As much as (Republicans are involved as much as Democrats).

22)X prohibits Y from

23)x forbids y to do zx prohibits y from doing z.

The new contract forbids a strike by the transportation union

A) forbids a strike by the transportation unionB) forbids the transportation union from strikingC) forbids that there be a strike by the transportation unionD) will forbid the transportation union from strikingE) will forbid that the transportation union strikes

A is the correct answer

24)Credit X with discovering Y (Credit with doing something)

25)Cred it X Rupee s to Ys ac count (When mo ney is involved )

26)Given c red it for being o neswho

27)Believed to have

28)Reg arded as hav ing29)Reg arded as ones who have

30)Conc erned for wo rried ; conc erned w ith related/ afflia ted

31)No soonerthan

32)X expec ted to Y

33)Mista ke X for Y

34)Not X; but rathe r Y

35)Persuade d X to d o Y

36)So X tha t Y (So poo r that they stea l)

37)Req uire tha t X be Y (Not require tha t X is Y)

38)As a result o f

39)At least as strong as(At least as great as)

40)Mode led a fter

41)So X that Y (So illiterate are p eop le tha t they c ant even w rite)

42)Intent o n

43)Nat ive of (Native to is a lso used in som e c ases, as in the examp le given b elow )

44)Com pe nsate for

45)Adapted for

46)Plead gu ilty fo r fa iling

47)Descend ent o f (Desc end ent for is inc orrec t)

48)X is to wha tY is to

49)Pote ntial for c ausing


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In large doses, analgesics that work in the brain as antagonists to

certain chemicals have caused psychological disturbances in

patients, which may limit their potential to relieve severe pain.

(A) which may limit their potential to relieve

(B) which may limit their potential for relieving

(C) which may limit such analgesics potential to relieve

(D) an effect that may limit their potential to relieve

(E) an effect that may limit the potential of such analgesics for

relieving

50)Aid in (Aid fo r is inco rrec t)

People w ere a sking Godd ess Dia s aid in healing illsor thanking her for suc h help .

51)Co nsider Xto b e Y (a little c ont roversial)

52)Reg ard as is the c orrec t idiom

Most nations regard their airspace as extending upward as high as an aircraft can fly;

no specific altitude, however, has been officially recognized as a boundary.

(A) as extending

(B) as the extent

(C) to be an extent

(D) to be an extension

(E) to extend

A is correct, because it uses regard as

53)When rates m ea ns pric es c harged it should be follow ed with for

Ra tes for liab ility insurance54)Distinguish b etw ee n X and Y (2 very d ifferent items, distinguished , say red and

green colors)

Som e c olor blind p eople c anno t distinguish betw een red and green

55)Distinguish X from Y (Two p retty similar item s, say orig ina l pa intings from fake o nes)56)Attribute X (An effect) to Y(A cause)

57)Not in a flashbut in a58)May be (This is a word) is idiomatic, maybe (This means perhaps) is not idiomatic59)That X is called for is indicated both by Yand by Z.60)Not so m uc h to Xas to Y

61)Assoc iate X with Y

62)Business ethics Is a singula r word

63)To worry about som eone s cond ition (To keep worrying ove r an ac tion)64)Com bined X with Y OR Co mb ined X and Y (Both a re c orrec t)

e.g. Co mb ined skill with d ete rmination

Comb ined reacta nt X and reac tant Y

65)wa y to p rovide (Way for providing is incorrec t)

66)No less an a utho rity than

67)Ac c laimed as is the c orrec t idiom


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An artistic presence of the first order, one frequently ranked with Picasso, Stravinsky, andJames Joyce, Martha Graham was acclaimed as a great dancer long before her

innovative masterworks made her the most honored of American choreographers.

(A) Martha Graham was acclaimed as(B) Martha Graham was acclaimed to be

(C) Martha Grahams acclaim is as(D) Martha Grahams acclaim to be

(E) Martha Grahams acclaim was in being

acclaimed as choice A is correct in this case.

68)Alloc a ted to is the c orrec t idiom

E,g, The public library allocated revenues it recieved from the recently passed taxinitiative to the purchasing of more than 2000 books and 50 computers.

A) to the purchasing of more than 2000 books and 50 computers.B) in order to purchase more than 2000 books and 50 computers.C) so as to purchase more than 2000 books and 50 computers.D) so that more than 2000 books and 50 computers could be purchasedE) for the purchase of more than 2000 books and 50 computers.

Bufo ma rinus toads, fierce p red a tors tha t w ill ea t frogs, liza rds, and eve n sma ll b irds,

a re na tive to South Ame ric a but we re introd uce d into Florida during the 1930's in an

a ttemp t to c ont rol pe sts in the sta te's va st sugarcane fields.

(A) are na tive to South Americ a b ut we re introd uc ed into Florida during the 1930's inan a ttempt to c ontrol

(B) are na tive in South America b ut were introd uc ed into Florida during the 1930's as

attem pts to c ontrol

(C) a re na tives of South Americ a b ut we re introduced into Florida during the 1930's in

an a ttemp t at c ontrolling

(D) had be en na tive to South Am erica b ut we re introd uc ed to Florida during the

1930's as an at tem pt a t cont rolling

(E) had be en na tives of South Am erica but we re introd uced to Florida during t he

1930's as a ttemp ts a t c ont rolling

Cho ice A is best. The p hrasing a re na tive to c orrec tly sugge sts tha t the toa d

spec ies is ind igenous to , and still exists in, South Am erica . In B, na tive in isunidioma tic; in C and E, natives of illogica lly sugg ests that ea c h toa d now in

Florida ha ils from Sout h Am erica . In D and E, had bee n inac c urate ly imp lies tha t

the to ad s are no long er native, or ind ige nous, to South Am eric a , and introd uc ed to

Florida is unidiom atic. Both a s a ttemp ts in B and E and as an a ttemp t in D a re w rong

bec ause the atte mp t c onsists not of the toa ds them selves, but o f their introd uc tion

into the environm ent. The c orrec t phrase, in an a ttem pt , should b e c om pleted b y an

infinitive (here, to c ont rol), as in A.


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Most Imp ortant Points to reme mb er:

1) Use of Consider: When consider me ans rega rd as , as should no t be present

with c onsider in the sentenc e. Consider must d irec tly be follow ed by thesentence w ithout a n infinitive like to be e tc .

Exam ple: Som e stud ents of literary c ritic ism c onside r the

theories of Blaine to be a huge ad vanc e in mod ern

c ritica l thinking a nd q uestion the nee d t o study the

d isc ounted theories of Rauthe and Wilson .

to be a huge a dvanc e in modern crit ica l

thinking a nd que stion

as a hug e a dva nc e in mod ern c ritica l thinking

and question

as be ing a huge a dva nce in mod ern c ritic al

thinking and que stioned

a huge adva nce in critica l thinking and

question (When consider means regard as, no need of as)

are a huge a dva nce in mo de rn c ritic al thinking

and que stioned

Example 2:

Critics c onsider correc tion fac ilities to be a n integ ral pa rt of communal system. -Incorrect

Critics c onsider correc tion fac ilities an integral pa rt of c om muna l system .

Correct

Many scholars regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as the most impressive

in South America.

(A) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as

(B) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru to be

(C) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru to have been

(D) consider that the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru are(E) consider the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as

A is c orrec t

2) Sem ico lon: Any sentence a fter a sem icolon (;), should b e an indep end ent

clause.


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3) Objec t v/ s. Subjec t: If a no un is the o bjec t of a verb, the verb should end with

ed . If a noun is the subjec t of a ve rb , the ve rb should end w ith ing . (e.g. loc a l

times de termined when the noun is ob jec t of the verb d etermined ) (e.g.

de termining the loc al times whe re the noun loc al times is the sub jec t o f the ve rb

de termining). Som eb od y d ete rmined time s time s is ob ject of d ete rmined

Times d iffered Times is the sub jec t o f d iffered

4) One of the: The p a ttern to rem em be r is one o f the NOUN (this noun w ill alwa ysbe plural) + that/ who + PLURAL VERBExamp le : He is one of the persons who make money.

This is one of the cars that run on hydrog en.

A number of peop le are wa iting for the b us.

The numb er of c ars in the c ity is decreasing.

Any o f the stoc kho lde rs who disapp rove is the right use

Three cat s, eac h ea t

Three c at s, ea c h of which ea ts

A sentenc e like X is one of the Y tha t are. Are is the c orrec t use. Suc h a sentenc e

alwa ys should ha ve a subjec t verb agreem ent w ith Y and no t with X.

With its plan to develop seven and a half acres of shore land, Cleveland is but one

of a large number of communities on the Great Lakes that is looking to its

waterfront as a way to improve the quality of urban life and attract newbusinesses.

(A) is looking to its waterfront as a way to improve the quality of urban life and

attract

(B) is looking at its waterfront to improve the quality of urban life and attract

(C) are looking to their waterfronts to improve the quality of urban life and attract

(D) are looking to its waterfront as a way of improving the quality of urban life and

attracting

(E) are looking at their waterfronts as a way they can improve the quality of urban

life and attract

C is correct.

5) Tenses: When the ent ire sentenc e is in the same tense, a simp le p resent tense

ma y be fine. How eve r, if the sentenc e imp lies tha t an a c tion oc curred before

anothe r action, had ma y need to b e used ap art from the simp le p resent tense.

To be + Comp leme nt: Points to p resent te nse (The d ep letion of o zone layer is

be lieved to b e the ca use o f all problems)

To have b een : Points to p ast tense (The imp ac t of me teo rite is believed to ha ve

c aused the extinc tion of d inosaurs)

If they would ha ve found the receipt b y April, they wo uld ha ve p aid less tax.

If they had found the rec eipt b y April, they wo uld have pa id less tax. - Correc t


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6) Parallelism: Its very imp ortan t to ma intain p ara llelism. E.g. I like to danc e, to run

and to wa tc h TV. This is the c orrec t sentenc e. Howe ver, a sentenc e like I like to

danc e, to run and wa tc h TV is wrong be cause it do es not m ainta in parallelism.

Infinitive pa rallelism: to salvag eto p roc ess

Only w ay for fa rme rs to sa lvag e fruit is to p roc ess it That paralle lism: Ma ny ag ree tha t there is wa steand that g ove rnment is

rubbish

7) Singula r verb o r plural: When the sub jec t is p lura l use a p lura l verb.

e.g. In law s of m otion, there is a c ond ition a nd its c onve rse reg a rding bo dies at

rest a nd bod ies in mo tion. This is incorrec t.

The c orrec t sentence w ould b e : In law s of mo tion, there are a c ond ition and its

c onve rse rega rding b od ies at rest and bo d ies in motion.

8)

Counta ble nouns Non Countab le nouns

More (More than 200 million

pe op le in world ea rn less than 10

dollars a da y)

Much

There is too m uc h traffic, be c ause

ma ny peop le travel.

Muc h is a lso used with nouns like

Work a nd Happ iness


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Few er (Could I have fewer soup ,

p lease? Is wrong ,

The c orrec t sentenc e is Could I

have less soup, please?)

As a rule o f thumb ,

Use fewer to modify a plural noun.

Example: I have fewer papers towrite than last year.

Use less to modify a singular noun.

Example: Youll need less paper ifyou type your report.

When drive-ins were at the

height of their popularity in thelate 50's , some 4000 existed in

the United States, but today there

are less than one-quarter thatmany

B. there are fewer than onequarter as many

c. there are fewer than onequarter of that amountD.the number is less than one

quarter of that amount

E. it is less than one quarter of

that amount

Fewer is correct, as highwaysare countable (4000/4) =1000. So, C is the answer.

Less (Also used for sums of money

as in above sentenc e, pe riods of

time a nd distance, or while c iting

numerica l or sta tistic al d at a)

The re is less tra ffic on

the roa d, bec ausefewer pe op le drive

these d ays.

It's less than twenty

miles to Dallas.

He's less than six feet

tall.

Your essay should be

a thousand words or

less. We spent less than

forty dollars on our

trip.

The town spent less

than four percent of

its budget on snow

removal

With a total population of less

than two hundred and xfewer

breeding females than ever

before, the American crocodileseemed a decade ago to be in

danger of disappearing.

(A) of less than two hundred

and fewer

(B) lower than two hundred and

less

(C) lesser than two hundred and

fewer

(D) fewer than two hundred and

less

(E) of fewer than two hundredand of fewer


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Ma jority Qua ntity, amo unt, g rea ter (Used

to c omp are numbers)

Number, ma ny

When d ea ling w ith peo ple,

alwa ys use numbe r and not

amount.

Singular nouns Plura l nouns

Eac h, everyone Half, a ll, most, 10%

Fractions

With frac tions, the verb

agrees with preceding

noun or clause

e.g. 1) One third of the

a rtic le is rubb ish

2) All of the info is c orrec t3) Ha lf of what he writes is

rubbish

Ab out 50% of the job is

routine.

Fractions

None, eve ryone

With c ollec tive no uns, use a singula r/ plural verb d ep end ing on w hethe r you wa nt

to e mp hasize on a single g roup o r its individua l mem bers.

All of the c lass is/ a re here.

Half of m y fam ily lives/ live in Cana da .

Tea m is a collec tive no un and c an be singular or plural de pe nd ing upo n the rest

of the sentence follow ing the noun.

The team streamed into the locker room, donned their uniforms, and, beforecommencing its first practice, they joined in a brief strategy session.

B) and its first practice was preeceded by a brief strategy session

C) and a brief strategy session preeceded its first practiceD) and, before commencing their first practice, they joined in a brief strategy

session

E) and, before commencing their first practice, joined in a brief strategy session

E is correct

8) Subjec t Verb Ag reement (Refer to sorted for more info): If the subjec t a nd verb

are reve rsed , they should still ag ree with ea ch other.


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e.g. A g roup of lions is c alled p ride or A p ride is a group of lions

Attac hed a re c op ies of the co ntrac t or Co pies of the co ntrac t are

at tached.

One Imp ortant Examp le : All the c hoice s but D contain amb iguities.

Amo ng the va rious em otions on display wasanger.

Amo ng the various things found werestatues.

9) In cond itiona l sentenc es (X w ill oc c ur if Y happens), ve rb o f the ma in clause

should b e in future te nse a nd verb o f the if clause should be in present indicat ive

(if Y ha ppens)

e.g . We will go to the movie only if I finish my w ork.

10)IT as a pronoun: Wheneve r, it is used in a sent enc e, it should a lways refer to a

NOUN. If tha t noun is not p resent in the sentenc e, don t use it. Also it shou ld

unam b iguo usly refer to a single noun in the sentence. If unsure, rep lac e the it in

the sentence w ith the NOUN.

e.g. Unde r a provision of c onstitution tha t w as never ap p lied, c ong ress has bee n

req uired to c all a c onvention for possible ame ndm ents to d oc ument w hen a sked

ab out it. (There is no no un, to whic h it c an refer to).

11)USE of OR: When there are 2 or more op tions sep arate d by OR , both should

eq ua lly ap ply to the follow ing c lause.

e.g. Slowing the growth or da ma ging forests (Both slowing the growth and

dam aging ap p ly to forests. Now, consider the c lause slowing the growt h forests

and dama ging forests . The first one, d oe s not see m fine. As, it shou ld b e slowing

the g row th of o r da ma ging forests).

Dam aging or slowing the grow th of forests Is the c orrec t usage (Dama gingforests or slow ing the g rowth o f forests).

12) I de cide d that I would e ither take my d aughter to the c inema o r go b y myself.

I wo uld either take my d aug hter to the c inema or go by m yself.

I either would take my d aug hter to the c inema or go by m yself.

I wo uld either take my daug hter to the c inema or else I would m yself go.

either I wo uld take my d aug hter to the c inema or go by m yself.

either I wo uld myself go to the c inema o r take my da ughte r.

The construc tion eithe r XXX or YYY is a c om mo n c onstruc tion with parallelism e rrors. In this

c ase, the XXX (afte r the w ord e ither) and the YYY (afte r the w ord o r) shou ld b e in thesame forma t. Let us consider wha t XXX and YYY are for eac h op tion:

Choice A:

XXX: take m y daughter to the cinema

YYY: go by my self

(This is c orrec t - they are b oth c lauses starting with a verb. After all, A (the origina l text) is

the c orrec t answer.

Cho ice B:


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XXX: would ta ke my da ughte r to the c inema

YYY: go by myself

No - one c lause sta rts with the auxilia ry verb "wo uld" and the other sta rts with the p lain

verb "go".

Choice C:

XXX: take my d aug hter to the c inem a

YYY: else I would myself goYuk! Tha t use of "else" is to ta lly unnec essary! It c erta inly ruins the parallelism. Beside s, the

inc lusion of "would" in one pa rt b ut not the o ther is enough to spoil the p arallel effec t.

Choice D:

XXX: I wo uld take my d aug hter to the c inema

YYY: go by myself

Ha! O ne p a rt c onta ins a subjec t a nd auxiliary verb ("I wo uld ") and the o ther do esn't!

Need I say mo re?

Cho ice E:

XXX: I would myself go to the c inema

YYY: take my d aug hter

The swa pp ing o f the two p arts is not in itself wrong , but the inclusion o f "I wo uld" in the first

pa rt a nd not in the sec ond is the sam e e rror that wa s p resent in (D).

12)When two adjec tives mo dify the same noun, bo th must have simila r forms.

e.g. The topology co urse w as bo th rigorous and a c hallenge.

This is wrong . Ad jec tives rigorous and c ha lleng e both mo d ify co urse, so it shou ld

be rigo rous and c hallenging.

Comparisons:

1) Use of that and whic h: Most often tha n not, in GMAT, which w ould b e p rec ed ed

by a co mma in the sentence.

e.g. Ge t me the b oo k, which is mine. Which is used to q ualify the b ook i.e. whic h

is mine. There ma y be ma ny books in the room, but I wa nt my b ook.

Whic h shou ld a lwa ys refe r to a noun. E.g. Get m e the boo k, which is mine. So,

w hic h here refers to the noun bo ok.

Whic h should a pp ly to things

e.g. Sales of United States manufactured goods to non-industrialized countries rose to$167 billion in 1992, which is 14 percent more than the previous year and largelyoffsets weak demand from Europe and Japan.

A) which is 14 percent more than the previous yearB) which is 14 percent higher than it was the previous yearC) 14 percent higher than the previous year's figure


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D) an amount that is 14 percent more than the previous year wasE) an amount that is 14 percent higher than the previous year's figure

B is incorrec t, bec ause w hic h should refer to a spe c ific noun in the p rec ed ing

c lause. Tha t no un d oe s not exist ( Rise of sa les). So, it is replac ed by a n a mo unt

tha t is 14 perce nt highe r

So, E is the correc t a nswe r (Simila r to the UFO exam ple in p rince ton)

Tha t is a restric tive c lause wh ile which is a non restric tive c lause.

2) Like v/ s. As: Like is used to express similarity. It is normally used to show similarity

betwe en tw o no uns e.g. Lem ons are like limes.

As on the other hand would no rma lly c omp are two clauses and not two nouns.

E.g. He loo ks as if he is d runk.

Suc h As: It is normally used to give e xamp les. Com pare the two sentences I

wa nt you to buy fruits like lemons and limes . How eve r, if you w ant lemo ns and

lime s, you w ould say tha t I want you to buy fruits suc h a s lemo ns and lime s . The

ea rlier sentenc e mea ns you d on t wa nt lemo ns and lime s, but fruits like those.

Examp le o f Like v/ s. As

The ordinance is intended to force householders to separate such hazardous waste likepesticides, batteries, fertilizers, and oil-based paints from the general stream of

household trash.

(A) to separate such hazardous waste like

(B) that they should separate such hazardous waste like

(C) separating such hazardous wastes as

(D) that they should separate such hazardous wastes as

(E) to separate such hazardous wastes as

E is the c orrec t a nswe r. Examples to be g iven, so as .

For some reason the new consultant treats his clients like idiots, talking to them like

they were mentally deficient and incapable of understanding more than the simplest

ideas.

(A) like idiots, talking to them like they

(B) as if they were idiots, talking to them like they

(C) like idiots, talking to them as if they

(D) as idiots, talking to them like they

(E) like idiots who

C is c orrec t.

Like the government that came before it, which set new records for growth, laissez-faire

capitalism is the cornerstone of the new government.

(A) laissez-faire capitalism is the cornerstone of the new government


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(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another

(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another

(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others

(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others

(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one

B is righ t.

Examp le o f Such a s:

While the ba se sala ry for the top five o fficers of the c om pa ny did not c hang e

from 1990 to 1991, cuts were m ade nonsalary c om pensation, a s in allow anc es for

oversea s assignment s and c lub m em berships.

(A) cu ts we re m ade nonsalary co mp ensat ion, as in

(B) cuts we re m ade in such nonsalary co mp ensat ion a s

(C) c uts we re ma de in such nonsalary co mp ensation as those in

(D) cuts in no nsa la ry c om pe nsation we re ma de in a rea s like

(E) there were c uts ma de in nonsa lary comp ensation, in a rea s like

B is the correc t a nswer. It uses suc h a s to furnish 2 examples.

3) Comp ared to v/ s. Compared with: To show com parison b etw ee n unlike things,

c om pa re to is used . To show c om parison b etw een like things, c om pare w ith is

used.

e.g. He co mp ared her to a summe r da y.

Sc ientists c om pare the hum an b rain to a c om pute r. (Unlike thing)

The polic e c om pa red the forge d signature w ith the original. (Like things)

4) Bec ause v/ s. In Tha t: When ETS puts be c ause and in tha t in a sentenc e, mo re

often than not, in that wo uld be c orrec t. In that qua lifies the p revious

sentenc e, wh ile bec ause is just used to show a simp le causa l relat ionship.

Teratoma s are unusua l forms of c ancer because they a re

com posed of tissues such as too th and bone not normally found in theorgan in which the tumor ap pe ars.

A. because they are c om po sed of tissues suc h as too th and bone

B. bec ause they are c om po sed of tissues like tooth a nd bo ne tha t a re

C. b ec ause they a re c om posed of t issues, like too th a nd bo ne, tissues

D. in tha t the ir c om position , tissues suc h a s too th a nd bone , is

E. in tha t they a re c om posed of tissues suc h as too th a nd bone , tissues

E is the correct answer.

5) Less v/ s. Few er: Less me ans Not a s muc h , Few er means Not a s ma ny

e.g. A show er takes less wa ter than a ba th, so ta ke fewe r baths and more

showers.


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6) Agree to v/ s. Agree with: Ag ree w ith is used when a person is agree ing w ith

anothe r person. Ag ree to is used whe n a person is agreeing to som ething

inanimate.

e.g. I agree to your prop osa l

I com plete ly ag ree w ith you on this one .

7) Usual v/ s. Is Usua l: He is faster tha n is usua l for any hum an b eing Is c orrec t.He is faster tha n usua l tod ay is correc t

A Me rc ed es is mo re expensive than usua l for a c ar Inc orrec t

A Merced es is mo re expe nsive tha n is usua l for a c ar Co rrec t

When som ething is c om pared to a subgroup to w hich it be longs, is usua l should

be used . When som eth ing is c om pared to itself, usua l is fine

e.g . He is nice r than usua l.

8) Between v/ s. Among : Betw een used for a com pa rison b etw een two things only.

Am ong is used for more tha n 2 things.

9) If v/ s. Whether: If introd uc es a c ond ition, whe ther prod uc es a c hoice

Whether to go o r not to g o.

If I go , he w ill co me .

10)Who v/ s. whom: If a nswer is in HE , use WHO . If a nswer is in HIM , use WHOM .

e.g. Who b roke the glass (HE d id, so who )

By whom wa s the gla ss taken? (By HIM , so WHOM )

11)Where v/ s. When : Where is used to p oint to a region/ area / place

When is used to p oint to a time.

Eac h of the fac tory towns which has po llution as a seve re p rob lem

Eac h of the fa c to ry tow ns where the p ollution p rob lem is seve re is c orrec t

12)Native o f v/ s. Native to: Native of c an b e used whe n referring to huma n be ings.

Nat ive to usage is otherwise c orrec t.

13)Can v/ s. Could: If you a re just assuming som eth ing, c ould shou ld be used .

e.g. Artificial intelligenc e e merge d during the late 1950's as an ac ad em ic

d isc ipline based on the assump tion that co mp uters are ab le to be p rog ramm ed

to think like p eople.

(A) are a ble to b e p rog ram med to think like peo ple

(B) were a ble to be program med to think as pe op le(C) can b e p rogrammed to think as peop le c an

(D) co uld be program med to think like pe op le

(E) are ca pa ble of b eing programme d to think like peo ple do

Ca n is used for : Ge nera l ab ility (I can spea k Eng lish), opportunity (I c an he lp her

now ), req uest (Ca n I have a glass of w ate r?), po ssibility (Anyone c an bec om e

rich a nd fam ous).


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Co uld is used for: possib ility (John c ould be the one who stole the mo ney),

c ond ition (If I had more time , I c ould trave l around the w orld ), sugg estion (You

c ould spend your vac at ion he re), polite reque st (Could I have som ething to

drink?)

Notice the usag e o f mod als in the following sentenc es:

I pa y my taxe s. General dec laration o f fac t. Paying taxes issom ething I norma lly do.

I can pa y my taxes. Expresses ability. I have the means (funds) topay.

I might pa y my taxes. Expresses possibility, but not certainty. Ma ybeI will pay; ma ybe I wont.

I will pay my taxes. Exp resses future in tent. I resolve to do it at

som e la ter time.

I should p ay my taxes. Expresses mild ob liga tion. It is required , and Iexpect to comply.

I could pay my taxes. Exp resses possib ility. If I have nothing else todo w ith the money , I might pa y taxes.

I would p ay m y taxes. (In this c ase), expresses reservation. If I hadthe money (but I dont).

I must pay m y taxe s. Expresses strong ob liga tion. I am requiredand have to comp ly.

Would is often used to show a c ond ition in the p ast. E.g. I wo uld ha ve

do ne it, if I had money then. (A thing tha t wa s not d one b ut co uld have

be en d one if money wa s ava ilab le) OR

e.g.

In the mid-1920s the Hawtho rne Works of the Western Elec tric Co mp any was the

sc ene of a n intensive series of e xperiments investigating the effects that changes in

working c onditions would ha ve on wo rkers pe rforma nce (Chang es in cond ition will

have is wrong, it should be would ha ve, as we a re de sc ribing what the comp any ha ddone a nd what they anticipa ted)

14)BECAUSE v/ s. ON ACCOUNT OF: On GMAT, Bec ause is p refe rred ove r on

ac c ount of . This is bec ause be c ause c an introd uc e a n entire subo rd inate

c lause in the sentence (Golde n c rab is not fished , on a cc ount of living - is not

c orrec t). Golden c rab is not fished , bec ause it lives - is correc t

15) CHIEF of WHICH v/ s. CHIEF amo ng wh ich:


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Jamieson's proposal was rejected for several reasons, the chief among which was cost.

(A) the chief among which was cost(B) among which the chief was its cost the main one was cost(D) the chief reason of which was its cost(E) the chief of which was cost

chiefmeans main or principal, and all three words mean the top one. And when we refer to a

member of a group, we use of. For example, if we want to name our best friend, we'd say He

is the best of my friends, but not He is the best among my friends.

Now, run these through your head to see how they sound:

The main reason ofall the reasons.

The main reason among all the reasons.

I think the first sounds better and is more precise.

16)PRACTICE v/ s. PRACTISE: Prac tise is a ve rb a nd p rac tice is a noun. I p rac tise p iano

is correc t. Also, I had my p iano p rac tice for the da y is c orrec t.

The do c tor prac tised for 20 years; his brother a lawyer had a 2 year p rac tice.

17)Resumptive mo difiers

Since the 1930s a irc ra ft ma nufa c turers have t ried to build a irp lane s w ith friction less

wings, shap ed so smo othly and pe rfec tly that the a ir passing o ver them w ould no t

become turbulent.

(A) wings, shape d so smoothly and pe rfec tly

(B) wings, wings so smooth and so p erfec tly shap ed

(C) wings that a re shap ed so smo oth a nd p erfec t

(D) wings, shap ed in such a smooth a nd p erfec t ma nner

(E) wings, wings having been shaped smoothly and perfectly so

B is the c orrec t a nswe r.

Wings is req uired to una mb iguously c onve y the m ea ning of the sentence.

A resump tive m od ifier p ic ks up a wo rd or phrase from a sentenc e tha t seems to b e

finished and then a dd s information a nd t akes the read er into new te rritory of thought.

In a c row de d , ac quisitive wo rld, the d isap peranc e o f lifestyles suc h a s those onc e

followe d by southern Afric a 's Bushme n a nd Australia 's aborig ines, req uiring vast w ild

spac es and pe rmitting little ac c umulation of goo ds, seem inevitab ly doomed .

(B) req uiring va st w ild spa c es and pe rmitting little ac c umulation o f go od s, seems to be

inevitab ly doo med


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which req uire va st w ild spa c es and pe rmit little ac c umulation o f go od s, seems to b e

inevitab ly doo med

(D) life-styles tha t req uire va st wild spac es and permit little a c cumulation o f go od s, see m

inevitable

(E) life-stlyes req uiring va st w ild spac es and permitting little ac cumulation o f go od s,

see ms inev itab le

E is the correct answer.

The Swiss watc hma kers' failure to c ap italize o n the invention o f the d igital

timep iec e wa s bo th astonishing and alarming astonishing in tha t the Swiss ha d ,

since the b eg innings of the industria l revo lution in Europe, be en a mo ng the first to

c ap italize on te c hnica l innovations, alarming in that a tremendous industrial

po tential had b een lost to their c hief com pe titors, the wa tc hma kers of Jap an.

The de fensive c oa c hes taug ht risk-taking, b all-haw king, a nd pe rpetua l

movement three strategies tha t be wilde red the op position and resulted in

ma ny b ad passes, stea ls, and ea sy fastb rea k ba skets.

Another exam ple in the sam e leag ue

Prop onents of a rtific ial intellige nce say the y will be a ble to ma ke com puters tha t c an

unde rstand English a nd othe r human langua ge s, rec og nize ob jects, and rea son as an

expe rt do escomp uters tha t will be used to d iag nose eq uipment breakdow ns,

de c iding whethe r to authorize a loan, or othe r purposes suc h a s these.

(A) as an e xpe rt doescomp uters that w ill be used to d iagno se eq uipment

b rea kdow ns, de c iding w hethe r to authorize a loan, or othe r purpo ses such a s these

(B) as an expert does, which m ay be used for purposes suc h a s d iagno sing eq uipment

b rea kdow ns or de c id ing whethe r to authorize a loan(C) like an exp ertcom puters that will be used for such purposes as dia gno sing

equipment breakdowns or dec iding whether to authorize a loan

(D) like a n expert, the use o f whic h would be fo r purposes like the d iag nosis of

eq uipment breakdow ns or the de c ision whethe r or not a loa n should b e a uthorized

(E) like an expert, to b e used to d iagno se equipm ent b rea kdow ns, de c iding whe ther to

autho rize a loan or not, or the like

C is the answer.

18) EACH v/ s. EVERY: Each refe rs to 2 times, eve ry refe rs to More than 2 times

The d og has bitten m y younge r son tw ic e, and ea c h time , he ha s had to be sent to his

kennel.

ea c h time, he has had to b e sent to his

eve ry time, it ha s had to b e sent to his

each time, it has had to b e sent to its

eve ry time, it ha s had to b e sent to its

ea c h time, he has had to b e sent to its


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Each time be c ause it ha s b itten o nly twic e. The use o f the p rono un "he" is unc lea r here -

do es it refer to the d og or to the son? In fac t, trac ing o ur wa y ba c k along the sentence,

we find tha t we c om e ac ross the word "son" before we c om e a c ross the word "dog ",

wh ich rather imp lies tha t it is the son who o wns, and is sent to , the kenne l.

The wa y to ge t round this amb iguity is to use "it" followe d by "its" (no a postrophe!). This

limits the c hoice s to (C) and (D). The only differenc e b etw een these op tions is the fac ttha t one uses the w ord "eve ry" and the o ther uses the word "ea c h". Since these refer to

the tw o times tha t the d og bit the son, we shouldn't use "every" (that refers to three o r

more times). The correc t op tion is therefo re (C).

17) Econom ic v/ s. Econom ica l:

Economic means "having to do with the economy or the study of

economics."

Economical means "careful or prudent in managing finances, money-

saving."

The supply of oil being finite has become an economical and political

consideration of the first magnitude for all modern industrial nations.(A) The supply of oil being finite has become an economical

(B) The finite supply of oil has become an economical

(C) That the supply of oil is finite has become an economical

(D) The supply of oil being finite has become an economic

(E) That the supply of oil is finite has become an economic - OA

Miscellaneous

1) Due to: If used c orrec tly mea ns Attributa ble to and not be ca use

2) In Neithernor sentenc es, the ve rb has to ag ree with the sub ject

follow ing nor

e.g. Neither the evidenc e no r the fac ts are c orrec t

Neither his mo m no r his dad agree s with him.3) Avoiding redundant wo rds: free g ift, surrounded on a ll sides, the same

exac t thing, try to a ttem pt, whe ther or not, the rea son w hy

4) Use of subjunc tive ve rb: To e xpress a dem and or a request, THAT a lwa ys

c om es a fter the ve rb , the sec ond verb is a lwa ys in simp le p resent t ense.

Incorrect: If I wa s you, I would run.

Correct: If I were yo u, I would run.

(The ve rb follows if and exp resses a non-fac tual cond ition.)

Incorrect: I wish he was ab le to typ e faster.

Correct: I wish he we re ab le to type faster.

(The second verb is in a c lause following a verb expressing a wish. It also

suggests a non-fac tual or do ubtful cond ition.)Incorrect: His requirement is that eve ryone is comp uter literate.

Correct: His requirement is that everyone be computer literate.

(Subordinate c lause follows ma in clause w ith a dema nd.)

Incorrect: He rec omm ende d that eac h driver reports his tips.

Correct: He recom mend ed that eac h driver report his tips.

e.g. 1) His fathe r de ma nde d that he return hom e b y 9 PM.


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quit | recal l | recommend | regret | report | resent | resume | risk |

sugg est | tolerate | understand

e.g. anticipa te impleme nting is c orrec t (Antic ipa te to impleme nt is

wrong).

Even tho ugh she d idn't anticipa te ma nage r's prop osal to streng then

her de pa rtment.

A) to imp lement it, the a dve rtising m ana ge r ag reed w ith the

personal

B) imp lementing it, the a dvertising m ana ge r agreed with the p ersona l

C) imp lementing it, the advertising ma nag er ag reed w ith the personne l

D) to imp lem ent it, the a dve rtising ma nag er ag reed w ith the p ersonne l

E) imp lem enting it, the a dve rtising m anag er ag reed t o the pe rsonne l

(E) NOTE: all answe r cho ices a re indeed d ifferent here. 'Persona l' dea ls

with a p erson's ow n spec ial things; 'Personnel' de a ls with a lot of p eo p le.

Verbs like 'anticipa te' must b e followed by a ge rund, the verb form in '-

ing'. The correc t idiom usag e should rea d: a person 'ag rees with' ano ther

person, not w ith an inanima te th ing suc h as a p rop osa l. Therefo re, she

agrees 'to the p ropo sa l.' (E) is c orrec t.

a. Simp le Present tense: To e xpress an a c tion tha t is rep ea ted as usua l. It c an

be a habit, a hobb y, a da ily/sched uled event etc.

e.g. I play te nnis

I like to sing.

She a lwa ys forgets her purse

Ca ts like m ilk.

b. Simp le pa st tense: Used to d eno te a n ac tion that sta rted and finished at a

spe c ific time in the pa st.

e.g. I saw a mo vie yesterday

She w ashed her ca r

I d idn t see a m ovie yesterda y.

I finished work, walked to the b ea c h and found a plac e to swim.

Imp: When I pa id her one -dollar, she answered my question.

When c lauses are very impo rtant, bec ause they hap pen first

when bo th c lauses are in simp le p ast tense.


23/26

When he had run for ma yor of Cleve land in 1968, Ca rl Stokes won the

election, proving that an Afric an Ame rica n ca ndida te ca n be electe d in

a c ity in which Africa n Ame rica ns c onstitute a minority of the p op ulation.

(A) When he ha d run for mayo r of Cleve land in 1968,

(B) He ran for ma yor of C leveland in 1968, and

(C) Running , in 1968, for ma yor of C leveland ,

(D) When he ran for mayor of Cleve land in 1968,(E) In 1968 he ha d run for ma yor of Cleve land , and

Choice (D)

Step 1: Loo k at the verb tenses. Is "had run" co rrec t? No; "ran" would b e b etter. Therefo re

eliminate c hoice s (A) and (E).

Step 2: Is "ran" be tte r tha n "running"? Yes, so e limina te c ho ice (C). Fina lly, choice (B)

doe sn't fit with the rest of the sente nc e.

Step 3: Choice (D) rem ains.

Step 4: When he ran fo r ma yor of Cleve land in 1968, Ca rl Stokes won the e lec tion,

proving that a n Afric an Ame ric an c and ida te c an b e electe d in a city in which Afric anAmericans constitute a minority of the population. Yes.

HAVE BEEN:

For some birds the sense of smell appears to play a role in navigation,

since pigeons with surgically removed olfactory nerves were found to

have increased difficulties in homing.

(A) were found to have increased difficulties

(B) have been found to have increased difficulty

(C) were found to have increasing difficulty

(D) had been found to have increased difficulties

(E) have been found to have increasing difficulties

Have been is used to de sc ribe a n a c tion tha t started in the p ast, and still co ntinues.

HAD BEEN

To show that a thing sta rted in the p ast, and continued till some time in the p ast.

e.g. I had b een wa iting the re for 5 hours befo re she fina lly arrived . (She fina lly arrived ,

which is in the p ast, and had be en w a iting started 5 hours be fore she a rrived ).

It c an a lso b e used to d enote an a c tion in pa st that oc c urred be fore some other actionin pa st (Cause a nd e ffec t)

e.g. Jason w as tired be ca use he had be en jogg ing.

THE EXPLETIVE IT and 2 questions, testing the same fund amenta ls:


24/26

1) For many travelers, charter vacations often turn out to cost considerably more than theyoriginally seemed.

a. they originally seemedb. they originally seem toc. they seemingly would cost originallyd. it seemed originally

e. it originally seemed they would.

2) Resea rc hers are finding o ut tha t p lastics a re ta king more time to de teriorate than they

originally seemed.

A) They origina lly see me d.

B) they see me d orig inally

C) it seemed that the y would originally

D) it origina lly see me d

E) it orig inally see me d they wo uld

From Kap lan: The Kap lan thing says about this. (About p lastics)

'The t ric ky pa rt is to c hoose b etw een it and they. 'They' wo uld imp ly that the p lastics

them selves first seemed to d o one t hing a nd the n ended up d oing a nothe r. The

exp letive 'it', the p rono un with no c lear antede c ent - ma kes more sense, it simply

suggests that initial indications were misleading. Using 'it', it is necessary to include the

phrase 'they w ould' to ma ke it c lear wha t seemed to b e the c ase. So E is the b est

answer.

Erin says: (About charter vacations)

B would need to be in past tense, seemed. In fact, I often teach GMAT and TOEFL students

that the words original (and its derivations) and first usually require past tense.

Furthermore, the "past future" ofwould in E is more precise than the simple past in A (or that

B is lacking, in case you're going to ask if B would be correct if we changed seem to seemed).

Since we're talking about something we'd learn after a certain point in the past, would is

better.

For example:

This Acura is a lot better than I thought it would be.

is better than

This Acura is a lot better than I thought it was.


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In the first example, we are saying that something turned out to be true. In the secondexample, we are saying that we were not aware of a fact that was true at that time.

And in the charter vacations question, there is no fact that the travelers were unaware ofwhen they purchased the charter vacation--after the original purchase of the charter vacation(and probably toward the end of the vacation), the charter vacation turned out to be morecostly than they had at first believed it would be.

It is as difficult to prevent crimes against property as those that are against a person.

(A) those that are against a

(B) those against a

(C) it is against a

(D) preventing those against a

(E) it is to prevent those against a

Answer is E, for the expletive it.

Salt deposits and moisture threaten to destroy the Mohenjo-Daro excavation in Pakistan,

the site of an ancient civilization that flourished at the same time as the civilizationsin the Nile delta and the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates.

(A) that flourished at the same time as the civilizations

(B) that had flourished at the same time as had the civilizations

(C) that flourished at the same time those had

(D) flourishing at the same time as those did

(E) flourishing at the same time as those were

A is the answe r

Propositions:

During the recession of 1973, home mortgage foreclosures resulted in tens of thousandsof Americans being evicted from homes that they can no longer afford monthly

payments.

(A) that they can

(B) that they could

(C) on which they can

(D) because they can

(E) for which they could

E is c orrec t. B wo uld ne ed a fo r at the end . that the y co uld no long er afford m onthly

payments for.


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USE of BEING

Framed by traitorous colleagues, Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned for twelve years beforethere was exoneration and his freedom.

(A) there was exoneration and his freedom

(B) he was to be exonerated with freedom

(C) being exonerated and freed

(D) exoneration and his freedom

(E) being freed, having been exonerated

C is correc t. The main thing here is that we do not have the best option available tous:

before he was exonerated and freed

The second best option would be:

before being exonerated and freed

WHO v/ s. THAT v/ s. WHICH

Who refers to pe op le. Tha tand whichrefer to g roup s or thing(team , army etc . are

referred to b y that o r which).

Examples Glen is the one who rescued the bird.

Georgia is on the te amthatwo n first p lac e.

She be longs to an orga nizationthatspec ializes in saving endangered spec ies.

As a result of med ic al ad vanc es, ma ny peo ple that might at one time ha ve d ied as

children o f suc h infections as diphtheria , pneum onia, or rheum atic fever now live w ell

into old ag e.

(A) that m ight a t one time ha ve d ied as c hildren

(B) who m ight once have died in childhood

(C) that a s children might onc e ha ve d ied

(D) who in childho od might have a t one time died

(E) who , whe n they we re c hildren, might at o ne time ha ve d ied

Peo p le, so who is req uired . Henc e B is the answe r.

Documents

Sahil%27s Grammar Notes