GMAT Grammar
[#permalink]
27 May 2015, 10:29
Grammar & Meaning
Sentence Correction appears on the GMAT because business schools want to be sure that their admitted
applicants grasp the principles of good business writing:
1. Grammar: Does the sentence adhere to the rules of Standard Written English?
2. Meaning: Does the sentence clearly indicate the authors intended meaning?
These principles are equally important. Grammatical rules are more mechanical, though, so they are
often easier to apply right away.
Grammar: Much of the language that one hears in everyday speech actually violates one rule or another.
The GMAT tests your ability to distinguish between good and bad grammar, even when the bad
grammar seems natural.
Consider this example: Does everyone have their book? This sentence may sound fine, but only because
you hear similar things all the time. The question actually violates the rules of Standard Written English;
it should be Does everyone have his or her book?
Meaning: Confusing writing is bad writing. If you have to read a sentence more than once to figure out
what the author is saying—or if the sentence lends itself to multiple interpretations—it is not a good
sentence. Moreover, the sentence must reflect the authors intent. The correct answer can resolve ambiguity
in the original version, but you should not change the meaning that the author intends.
What about the often-cited “principle” of concision? It is true that the GMAT does not like to waste
words. If an idea expressed in ten words can be expressed clearly and grammatically in six, the GMAT
prefers six. However, this is a preference, not a rule.
Test-takers focus far too quickly and broadly on concision. As a result, the GMAT often makes the
right answer less concise than an attractive wrong answer. Never consider concision except as a last
resort— if you are down to two choices and you cannot make up your mind any other way.