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I'll be posting a set of flash card i've prepared for myself.

Quantity words - Singular OR Plural?

1. For pronouns such as "All", "Some", "Any", "Most", "None" (SANAM), determine whether the pronoun referring to something is COUNTABLE or not. 
If it is COUNTABLE, the sentence takes PLURAL verb. If it is NOT COUNTABLE, the sentence takes SINGULAR verb.

Examples: 
Some of the students in the class have taken exam. -- Students are COUNTABLE. Hence, it takes plural verb "have" 
Some of the grain was ruined in floods. -- Grain is NOT COUNTABLE. Hence, it takes singular verb "was".

2. With fractional expressions, determine verb by what is being measured: COUNTABLE or NOT.

Examples: 
Three-fifths of the students in the class have taken their exams. -- Students are COUNTABLE. Hence, it takes plural verb "have" 
Half of the grain was lost -- Grain is NOT COUNTABLE. Hence, it takes singular verb "was".

samdhathri · Answer

"Class Nouns" such as Clothing, Food, Furniture, Apparel, Hardware, Equipment, Software etc. are always SINGULAR and must therefore take a SINGULAR verb.

samdhathri · Answer

"In contrast to":

If you say "in contrast to", then you don't HAVE to mention both statistics... Although you still can mention.

Examples: 
"In contrast to the corresponding rate in Esteria, the unemployment rate in Burdistan fell last month." -- CORRECT! In this case, the "in contrast to" construction implies that the Esterian rate went up. We don't actually have to say this explicitly.

But, if you want, you can mention both statistics: 
"In contrast to the corresponding rate in Esteria, which rose by 0.5%, the unemployment rate in Burdistan fell by 0.3% last month." -- ALSO CORRECT!

Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

samdhathri · Answer

You CANNOT end a modifier with a preposition.

Examples: 
"dioxins that north americans are exposed to" -- INCORRECT. 
"dioxins to which north americans are exposed" -- CORRECT

Gmat sc 1000 example question

A report by the American Academy for the Advancement of Science has concluded that much of the currently uncontrolled dioxins to which North Americans are exposed comes from the incineration of wastes. 
(A) much of the currently uncontrolled dioxins to which North Americans are exposed comes 
(B) much of the currently uncontrolled dioxins that North Americans are exposed to come 
(C) much of the dioxins that are currently uncontrolled and that North Americans are exposed to comes 
(D) many of the dioxins that are currently uncontrolled and North Americans are exposed to come 
(E) many of the currently uncontrolled dioxins to which North Americans are exposed come

The OA is E.

Two points:

first, dioxins are countable (the fact that it's pluralized means that it's a countable noun). The sentence is referring to different dioxins, not the overall level of dioxin (which would be uncountable).

Second, "to which North Americans are exposed" not only uses the right idiom, it also avoids the issue of dangling participles (although the GMAT doesn't usually test on that issue, it's technically incorrect to end a sentence or clause with a preposition).

samdhathri · Answer

Phrase/Clause as SUBJECT:

The subject of a sentence is sometimes an entire phrase/clause. However, they are ALWAYS SINGULAR and require only SINGULAR VERBS.

Examples: 
Having good experience in a field does bring in great opportunities. 
Whatever they want to do is fine with me.

samdhathri · Answer

Split Infinitive Error:

Avoid sentences that insert word(s) between "to" and the verb.

Examples: 
I need you to quickly run out of the house. -- WRONG! 
I need you to run quickly out of the house. -- RIGHT!

samdhathri · Answer

Possessive Pronouns:

Possessive Pronouns can refer back to ONLY Possessive nouns.

Subject and Object Pronouns can refer back to ONLY Subject and Objects nouns respectively. (NOT Possessive Nouns)

Example: 
Jose's room is so messy that his mother calls him a pig -- WRONG! "Him" (Object Pronoun) refers to Jose's (Possessive Noun).

Jose's room is so messy that his mother calls Jose a pig -- RIGHT!

VerbalBot · Answer

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