GMAT rules vs GMAT preferencesGMAT grammar rules and GMAT preferences are both important to help you determine the correct answer for a sentence correction question. However, GMAT rules and GMAT preferences are distinctive and should be used in different ways to work through the problems.
Grammar rules are set in stone and no correct answer contains something that breaks those rules. A correct answer can still contain something that is not a GMAT preference, as long as it doesn’t break any rules. For example, a correct answer can use passive voice. However, if there are two options that don’t appear to you to break any rules and one is active and one is passive, choose the answer that contains the active voice.
Some examples of rules vs preferences:Attachment:
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A GMAT rule can be used to eliminate incorrect answers right away. For example, if the underlined section has the phrase “the students runs,” which breaks the rule that a subject and it verb must agree in number, you know right away that you can eliminate it. You can also eliminate any other answer choice with the same mistake.
GMAT preferences are not as simple. While it is true that the GMAT prefers concise answers, this doesn’t mean that you should go about sentence correction questions by simply picking the shortest answer. GMAT preferences should be used when you have eliminated the incorrect answers and are down to two answer choices that don’t break any rules. You can then use GMAT preferences to determine which answer is the best choice.
In summary:- GMAT rules should be used to eliminate incorrect answers
- GMAT preferences should be used to pick the best of the final two answers, all other aspects being equal
Originally posted at Economist GMAT Blog _________________
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