i like this one: http://www.urch.com/forums/gmat-sentenc ... -tips.html

1) Answer choices in which the word "being" is a verb are rarely correct. Pay special attention to where and how "being" is used at the end of the answer choices. This is a Kaplan takeaway strategy

2) "There" constructions are rarely correct. If you see "there" WITH a comma before it, it's probably wrong

3) If you see "which" WITHOUT a comma before it, it's probably wrong.

4) Consider, regard....as, think of......as: there is no as after consider, while both regard and think of need the as.

5) To be/Being: In general, avoid the construction to be/being because they are usually passive. To be/being are commonly used in junk answer choices.

6)“after when” is WRONG

7) From x to Y - CORRECT, From x up to Y - INCORRECT

8) Rates for - CORRECT, Rates of – INCORRECT

9) If “who” is present it should refer to one before the comma.

10) “so much.....as” is preferred if it is preceded by a negative. Ex: She left not so much as a trace.

11) Have + verb (-ed) + present participle (-ing) is WRONG ex: “have elected retiring” should be “have elected to retire”

12) A relative pronoun (which, that or who) refers to the word preceding it. If the meaning is unclear, the pronoun is in the wrong position. The word "which" introduces non-essential clauses and "that" introduces essential clauses. "Who" refers to individuals; "that" refers to a group of persons, class, type, or species.

Wrong: The line at the bank was very slow, which made me late.
Right: I was late because of the line at the bank OR The line at the bank made me late.

13) “Less” and “amount” refer to non-countable things and answer: “How much?” [soup].

14) "Fewer" and "number" refer to countable things and
answer: "How many?" [people].

15) "if" vs. "whether" vs "whether or not". if these are being tested in one sentence choose "whether" almost 100% of the time!!!

16) Disinterested vs Uninterested

Disinterested: neutral, unbiased
Ex: The best judges are disinterested.

Uninterested: bored, not interested
Ex: Uninterested in his homework, Martin nodded off.

17) Who vs Whom

If you can’t get who and whom straight, try this trick: rephrase the sentence to get rid of who or whom.

If you find you’ve replaced who/whom with he, she, or they, then "who" is correct.

If you find you’ve replaced who/whom with him, her, or them, then "whom" is correct.

18) Conditional

The conditional might trip you up or give you pause, but it’s actually a wonderfully simple verb form to get right.

The formula always goes: If.....were.....would. That’s it! There’s nothing else to memorize.

Ex: If I were principal, I would let everyone leave at eleven a.m.

Note that it’s never correct to say if . . . was . . . were.

The title of the song “If I Were a Rich Man” is an excellent way to remember the use of were with the conditional.


Like vs As

'Like' is used to compare people or things (nouns)
Ex: Jack and Jull, like Humpty Dumpty, are extremely stupid.

'As' is used to compare clauses. A clause is any phrase that includes a verb
Ex: Just as jogging is a good exercise, swimming is a great way to burn calories.

Each other vs One another

Each other - used when two persons are involved
Ex: Ross and Rachel love each other.

One another - used when there are more than 2 people
Ex: The three brothers love one another.

As Long As vs So Long As

As long as - deals with physical comparision
Ex: The baseball bat was as long as the club

So long as - deals with a condition
Ex: So long as you maintain your cool, the meeting should be fine.

Equal vs Equivalent

Equal should be used only in its strict sense.
Ex: 4+3 is equal to 5+2

Equivalent is preferable when we are saying that two thing s are not entirely identical, but are almost equal.
Ex: Country X spent $xx on something, equivalent to the GDP of country Y.