In last week’s
Topic of the Week, we discussed the GMAT’s many uses of “-ing” words. (If you haven’t already read last week’s article, check it out
here.) The quick summary: “-ing” words aren’t usually verbs on GMAT SC questions – they’re usually nouns (also known as gerunds) or modifiers instead. And if you understand why “-ing” words usually aren’t verbs, you can avoid a lot of trouble on GMAT SC.
This week, we’ll tackle “-ing” words’ cousins, “-ed” words. The good news is that there are fewer ways to get confused about “-ed” words on SC questions, but the GMAT still has a couple of funky little tricks up its sleeve.
Two uses of "–ed" words
The nice thing about "–ed" words is that there are really only two ways to use them on the GMAT, and the uses are relatively straightforward. The first: an “-ed” word can be a nice, simple verb, in some form of past tense (“studied”, “had studied”, etc.). And sure, the GMAT gets into some mayhem with verb tenses, but that’s a separate issue for another day.
The second GMAT-approved use of “-ed” words: they can be modifiers (also known as past participles, if you're a fan of grammar jargon). In spirit, these are very similar to “-ing” modifiers: your primary concern is making sure that the “-ed” modifier logically “makes sense” with the noun it modifies. Here are some nice, clear examples:
- Published in New York, Saveur magazine features obscure, exotic cuisines from all over the world. → correct, since Saveur magazine is “published in New York”
- Thrilled with her progress on the GMAT verbal section, the GMAT Club member sent carcass a bouquet of roses to thank him for his wonderful GMAT question banks. → correct, since the GMAT Club member was "thrilled with her progress"
Notice that these “-ed” modifiers have nothing to do with verb tense. Since they’re not verbs, they have no tense – and it’s completely fine to use these “-ed” modifiers in present-tense sentences. So at the very least, be careful not to assume that “-ed” words are always verbs.
Trickier "-ed" modifiers
The two uses of “-ed” words seem clear enough, right? And for many of you, “-ed” modifiers present no challenge at all. If that’s the case for you, awesome! Tune in next week for a completely different GMAT verbal topic. :-D
But even though the concept is clear, some GMAT test-takers really struggle when the GMAT makes the “-ed” modifier “sound good.” See if you can figure out which of the following sentences are right, and which are wrong:
1. Sautéed in butter and capers, the chef prepared an outstanding plate of tilapia this evening.
2. United by admiration for the world’s greatest athlete, LeBron James is worshipped by millions of basketball fans.
3. Weakened by concerns about loose monetary policy, the country’s currency fell to a record low against the dollar.
4. Based on extensive genealogical research, my mother-in-law concluded that I am descended from livestock.
The answer? Only #3 is correct: it makes perfect sense to say that the country’s currency was “weakened by concerns about loose monetary policy.”
The key on these questions is to be incredibly strict and literal when you connect the “-ed” modifier to the noun it modifies. On question #1, you’ll want to ask yourself: does it make sense for the chef to be “sautéed in butter and capers”? On #2, you’ll want to ask yourself: does it make sense for LeBron James to be “united by a shared admiration for the world’s greatest athlete.” And neither of these make sense logically.
Plenty of GMAT test-takers get tripped up on sentences such as #4. That one “sounds fine” to most of us. But if you’re being strict and literal, it doesn’t make logical sense, either: my mother-in-law can’t be “based on extensive genealogical research”. Maybe her report or her conclusion could be “based on extensive research” – but my mother-in-law herself can’t be.
The bottom line: if you find yourself missing any of these examples – or official GMAT SC questions with similar structures – make sure that you’re being mind-numbingly literal with these “-ed” modifiers. And if you want more practice, please keep an eye on
souvik101990's magnificent Verbal Question of the Day series over the next couple of weeks.
If you have requests for future verbal Topics of the Week, please feel free to suggest them on this thread, or join us for
our weekly Verbal Experts’ Chat at 8 a.m. PST/8:30 p.m. IST on Wednesdays.
As always, thank you for your invaluable insights. I have a follow-up question on noun -ed modifiers.
Say I have this made-up example: The dog named Honey went for a walk.
Why would it be incorrect to say, "The dog, named Honey, went for a walk." if I view the part of the sentence "named Honey" as nonessential? Is it just the rule of the land that noun -ed modifiers cannot have commas?
close
15 May 2017, 22:24
