{"id":9515,"date":"2011-12-15T12:51:53","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T19:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=9515"},"modified":"2011-12-15T12:51:53","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T19:51:53","slug":"sentence-correction-avoid-redundancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/sentence-correction-avoid-redundancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sentence Correction: Avoid Redundancy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you remember that Tag Team song \u201cWhoomp! (There It Is)\u201d from the early 1990s?\u00a0 If so, you\u2019ll know what we\u2019re talking about.\u00a0 One of the funnier-if-you-listen-closely lyrics in world history is this gem from the one-hit-wonder:<\/p>\n

Tag Team, back again, check it to wreck it, let\u2019s begin\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

This song was Tag Team\u2019s first <\/em>single from its first <\/em>album.\u00a0 Yet the group leads by saying that they are \u201cback\u201d (implying that they had been there before when clearly they hadn\u2019t) \u201cagain\u201d (meaning that this was at least the second time that they were back).\u00a0 While catchy, the lyric is illogical \u2013 it implies a minimum third time that the group had been in this successful spot, when it was only doing it for the first time.<\/p>\n

If you didn\u2019t notice that piece of illogical greatness in 1994, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 But on the GMAT you should make a point to notice illogical meanings and redundancy (which tends to lead to a ridiculous meaning).\u00a0 Consider this question, courtesy the Official Guide for GMAT Review 11th edition:<\/p>\n

Many house builders offer rent-to-buy programs that enable a family with insufficient savings for a conventional down payment to be able to move into new housing and to apply part of the rent to a purchase later.<\/p>\n

(A) programs that enable a family with insufficient savings for a conventional down payment to be able to move into new housing and to apply<\/p>\n

(B) programs that enable a family with insufficient savings for a conventional down payment to move into new housing and to apply<\/p>\n

(C) programs, which enable a family with insufficient savings for a conventional down payment to be able to move into new housing, applying<\/p>\n

Do you notice anything redundant in the answer choices?<\/p>\n

In each choice, the programs \u201cenable\u201d a family to do something.\u00a0 But as in A and C, it\u2019s redundant to then follow that with \u201cto be able\u201d \u2013 \u201cenable\u201d has already covered that part.\u00a0 You wouldn\u2019t say \u201chis shoes enabled Michael Jordan to be able to jump higher than any guard in the league\u201d.\u00a0 The two phrases \u201cenable\u201d and \u201cto be able\u201d say the same thing, and putting them both together creates an awkward, somewhat absurd meaning.<\/p>\n

Here, B (the correct answer) fixes that redundancy by using the cleaner, non-redundant structure:\u00a0 \u201cThe programs enable families to move into new housing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Remember \u2013 redundancy errors do occur in GMAT Sentence Correction, so check for them.\u00a0 And at the risk of sounding redundant, let\u2019s reiterate \u2013 redundancy is wrong on GMAT Sentence Correction!<\/p>\n

For additional GMAT tips, be sure to read our blog<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you remember that Tag Team song \u201cWhoomp! (There It Is)\u201d from the early 1990s?\u00a0 If so, you\u2019ll know what we\u2019re talking about.\u00a0 One of the funnier-if-you-listen-closely lyrics in world…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,243,719,735],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-blog","category-sentence-correction-gmat","category-verbal-gmat-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n