Sentence Correction Session ReKap

Hello Hard-Working GMAT Student,

Congrats on completing your Sentence Correction Lesson on Demand! Youll see more Sentence
Correction questions on Test Day than any other Verbal question type, so being well versed in the
commonly tested grammar rules and the Kaplan Method will ensure that you give your best
performance on the Verbal section of the test. Sentence Corrections are all about Pattern Recognition
one of our big four Core Competencies. To help you review what you learned, refer to the ReKap notes
below. We hope your biggest takeaway from the session is that you don't have to love grammar and
writing to be successful with Sentence Correction on the GMAT!
After you complete your homework for this and the two previous Verbal sessionsCritical Reasoning
and Reading Comprehensionyou will complete the Verbal Mastery session. This session will give you
an extra boost for managing more advanced material across all Verbal question types.
Remember, you can watch the Lessons on Demand as many times as you wish in order to feel
prepareddont hesitate to access them if you want to review any aspect of Sentence Correction
strategy or grammar rules. In addition, you can email any questions to
KaplanGMATFeedback@kaplan.com; our team of expert GMAT teachers is always ready and willing to
help.
Best of luck with your continued studies!
The Kaplan GMAT Team

Session Notes
Kaplan Method
The Kaplan Method for Sentence Correction
1. Read the original sentence carefully, looking for errors.
2. Scan and group the answer choices.
3. Eliminate choices until only one remains.

Choice (A) is always the same as the underlined portion of the sentence in the question stem. If there
are no errors, (A) is the correct answerand this is the case about 20 percent of the time.
Use the format of Sentence Correction questions to your strategic advantage. Most Sentence Correction
answer choice sets will break down into 2-3 or 2-2-1 splits based on one notable error or issue in the
sentence. Conduct a vertical scan to identify the splits and eliminate wrong answers efficiently.
While two or three answer choices might fix one error in the original sentence, only one choice will give
you a sentence that is acceptable from beginning to end. The wrong answers will either fail to correct a
second error in the original sentence or will introduce a new error.

Commonly Tested Grammar Rules

Verbs
Subject-verb agreement: A plural subject gets a plural verb. A singular subject gets a singular
verb. The testmakers often put lengthy phrases between the subject and verb to distract
you from this relationship.
Verb tense must make sense with rest of the sentence.
Pronouns
Pronouns must be unambiguous in terms of to what or whom they refer.
A pronoun must agree in number with the noun it replaces.
Modification
Modifiers must be unambiguous. The modifier needs to be placed next to the noun or
phrase it is modifying.
Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs or adjectives.
Parallel Structure
In a list, all the items must be in parallel form.
Two-part constructions must be in parallel form. Examples include neither . . . nor and
not only . . . but also constructions.
Comparisons
Items compared must have parallel form.
Items compared must be not only grammatically similar but also logically similar.
Usage and Style
Avoid wordiness/redundancy. Remember: Why say in three words what you can say in one?
Avoid passive verbs whenever possible. Passive sentences use forms of the verb to be.
Avoid awkward sentence constructions.
Use correct idioms. There are no rules for idioms. Idioms have just been established as
correct in standard written English. Remember, you only need to study the idioms that you
do not already know instinctively.

Commonly tested idioms

More than
As many as
The er . . . the er
Either . . . or
Both . . . and
Between . . . and (when you are deciding between one thing and another)
Neither . . . nor
Whether (when you are deciding between two options)
Among (for three or more)
Most (when dealing with three or more)
Fewer (when you have a number of countable things)
Less (when you have an amount of something that is not countable)
Forbidden to
Prohibited from
Associating with
From . . . to
View as
Opposition to
Resistance to
So [adjective] as to [verb]
So [adjective] that [clause]
Try to

Miscellaneous Errors
Which, Where, and When
Which: Must be preceded by a comma and refer to the noun appearing directly before
it. Otherwise, it is incorrect (except when it follows a preposition, as in the phrase in
which, or when it is used to ask a question)
Where: Must refer to a physical location; otherwise, it is incorrect.
When: Must refer to a point or period in time; otherwise, it is incorrect.
Subjunctive Mood
Orders and recommendations: verbs such as order, recommend, demand, insist, etc.
What follows should be that, a new subject, and the infinitive form of a verb but
without the to.
Hypothetical situations: When contemplating hypothetical situations, use were and
would.
Clauses and Connectors
Two clauses should be connected by one, and only one, connector (e.g., because,
although, as, but).
The connector used must make sense with the rest of the sentence.