apolo wrote:
Thanks Mike, really thanks. Indeed very interesting and helpful.
But a few points:
1. I think CR and RC sections, in general, are okay for non-native English speakers. At most, one might not know the meaning of a word or an expression, or cannot understand the tone used in a sentence.
The CR and RC passages and questions in any other language will not be essentially different from their American English version.
After all, the language of logic (used in CR questions) is universal.
I think only SC section can be complicated and ambiguous for non-natives.
2. I find some contradicting issues in your words: Before, you had said that any other grammar book is useless for preparation for GMAT (a couple of posts before). Now, however, you say: "Also, I want to make clear: the GMAT does NOT have its own rules."
Consider this issue of 'which' as the modifier of a clause: one of my grammar books, Communicate What you Mean (written by Carroll W. Pollock) says that 'which' (after a comma) can be used for this purpose. And I feel this book teaches the formal version of English.
But my question is beyond these 'controversial' areas of grammar (that you correctly describe them 'gray (not black or white) areas').
Suppose GMAT had not specified the correct choice for its SC problems. Could experts, like you, answer all the questions correctly?
3. Apart from those reading materials that you have mentioned on the
Magoosh blog, is reading academic papers from academic (business or management related) journals (like AMJ, AMR, Strategic Management Journal, etc.) useful?
4. In what you have written above, it seems to me that you have considered GMAT as a tool for entering MBA programs. However, many use GMAT, solely, for getting admission to PhD programs in Business, in which the language used is not similar to the one used in 'American business life.' The language used in a PhD in business environment is not very GMAT-like; the GMAT English, I 'd say, is a bit less formal than English used in academic environment or academic papers.
5. I should also confess that, now, I know much more about the rules of standard written English than about my mother-tongue grammar rules!
6. Finally (perhaps) a funny question: How could you become an expert in GMAT SC section? Have you read many grammar books and then analyzed many published GMAT questions to discover the common patterns among them? ...
Dear
apolo,
1) Hmm. It may be that CR & RC are easier for non-native speakers. I'm not one, and I never heard any other non-native speaker make this claim. Interesting. I will pay attention to what others say about this.
2) Yes, I can see how these words would sound like a contradiction. You see, in the realm of English grammar, there's an entire range stretching from very casual to very formal. It exists in all the spoken and written language that has surrounded a native speaker from birth. Different books and different authorities, as it were, stake out a position in this realm and say "this is correct." Different authorities stake out the "region of correct." In a similar way, the GMAT stakes out a position in this realm --- a position toward the more formal side of the language, but not the most formal. Did the GMAT create these rules? Well, no, they simply staked out a position in the larger realm of grammar and defined their own "region of correct." Could we say that the rules here are the GMAT's rules? Well, that's a matter of semantics, and doesn't really matter. What matters is (a) don't trust a non-GMAT book to match perfectly the expectations of the GMAT --- any particular book may be more formal or not formal enough. For example, the web-authority Grammar Girl is considerably less formal than the GMAT. (b) To know what grammar is acceptable on the GMAT, consult the GMAT-prep sources. The
MGMAT volume on SC is very good.
Magoosh has an extensive set of lessons on SC grammar. (c) Remember, the rules you are learning are not just a hoop through which the GMAT makes you jump: speaking this way consistently will redound to your credit.
3) Academic papers are wonderful reading for the GMAT. Also, GRE RC passages are good --- those tend to have harder vocabulary, and tend to concern more purely academic topics.
4) True, some people use the GMAT to get into other programs. I would estimate that over 90% of GMAT-takers plan to earn a MBA and enter the business world. Some folks are aiming for other academic realms. Yes, I suppose the level of language in Ph.D. programs is a little more formal. Most of my remarks are designed for the majority of GMAT takers.
5) Yes, and that is precisely the danger-zone for non-native speakers --- to know a ton about the rules of the language, but not be as familiar with the "feel" of the language. By contrast, native speakers have a good sense of the "feel" of English, though not necessarily of formal well-spoken English, and are hazy on the rules. The GMAT punishes folks who don't know the rules, and it also punishes people who know the rules but don't have the "feel" of the language.
6) How did I become an expert in GMAT SC? That is an odd question. The funny thing is --- to some extent, the answer is: I don't know. For years, I read and strove to be as well-spoken as possible. Because I have a mathematical mind, I often picked up on patterns in grammar. After years of having this diffuse focus on grammar, I became interested in working with the GMAT. I took a GMAT with minimal preparation, got a 770, got a job with
Magoosh, and voila!, I was a GMAT expert! Of course, during my time working with the GMAT, I have honed my understanding on a few points. Certainly the practice of explaining grammar to other with questions, for example here on GMAT Club, as well as writing my own questions and seeing how they are interpreted has also deepened my understanding. The funny thing, though, is that a lot of my "expertise" was developed before I ever paid attention to the GMAT. To some extent, it's always a bit mysterious how any of us become good at those things in which we excel.
Does all this make sense?
Mike
Thanks Mike. Really thanks for your patience in answering my questions, great job!
1. About the point 1: well, generally I do not think that my English is very good. But my reading skill was quite strong when I was preparing for and took the GMAT. I could read quite fast and got a nearly perfect score in IELTS reading section. I could read both fast and accurately. Also it was not too difficult for me to understand the logic behind the CR questions. My only weak point was SC. I scored 41 (92% at that time) in the Verbal part, quite a good score for a non-native speaker of English.
SC book, but the Manhattan Review SC book, which is not as good as the former, at that time.
5. I like this idea of 'feel'. That quite matters a lot.