Last visit was: 19 May 2024, 20:24 It is currently 19 May 2024, 20:24
Decision Tracker
My Rewards
Unanswered
Active Topics
New posts
New comers' posts
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel

Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
avatar
thmgoodw
Manager
Manager
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 191
Own Kudos [?]: 23 [0]
Given Kudos: 20
Concentration: Marketing and Finance (Business Marketing Academy)
Schools:Kelley Class of 2013
 Q49  V38
Send PM
Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 13:06
Hi everyone,

I happened to stumble upon this forum through a google search and sure glad I did :-D Lots of great reviews on study guides and programs, as well as more b-school application info which i'm not ready to look at yet :shock:

Anyways, a little quick background:

Older than most here, being 34yo. I scored reasonably well on the LSAT several years ago (166 actual, practice exams around 170) and practiced law for 6.5 years. Back when I took the SAT back in 1993 :shock: , I did well on the quant (760), and basically flunked the verbal (540). I pretty much flunked the analogy and grammar (was there a grammar? don't remember, but if there was, I definitely flunked it ;-). It has been about 10 years since i've done really any math, so it is rusty to say the least.

On the quant stuff, I just picked up the Manhattan GMAT individual topic guides (thanks to this forum) to help review and drill down each of the individual subjects.

I'm pretty confident that with review and I can do well in the Games, CR and RC sections of the LSAT so I think that with some significant study and review hopefully I can bring back my skill base to what it was on the LSAT and hopefully even better.

BUT, I am absolutely horrible at grammar. As a native English speaker, it is pretty disgusting to do so poorly. I was never taught grammar properly in grade school and just picked up enough to survive as time wen on.

I won't be taking the GMAT for at least 6 months and have a a significant amount of time set aside to studying for the GAMT.

So, what you be your hardcore/ultimate course for learning everything (more or less from the ground up) to nail the sentence correction section? This is the one section that can absolutely sabotage my score it seems.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. :-D

Tom
User avatar
Exellon
Intern
Intern
Joined: 14 Mar 2010
Posts: 36
Own Kudos [?]: 6 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 14:26
I heard MGMAT Sentence Correction book was very good.

It's like the PowerScore bibles of the LSAT, so to speak ;)
User avatar
L
bb
Founder
Founder
Joined: 04 Dec 2002
Posts: 37455
Own Kudos [?]: 73273 [2]
Given Kudos: 18986
Location: United States (WA)
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 3
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 14:30
2
Kudos
Expert Reply
Hey there - welcome to GMAT Club!

GMAT verbal section is easier than LSAT, sometimes much easier.
I would suggest you actually take a GMAT Prep practice test and see how you do (if you have not already).

There are a few Grammar/SC resources available but I am not sure you really need them - most of the time you can pick out an issue with the sentence just relying on your ear.

However, if you really wanted to get the answers now (without taking the practice test), would suggest Kaplan Verbal Foundations and then MGMAT SC. This should be more than enough. If you wanted to get the hardcore Grammar book that international students use, I hear Doing Grammar is pretty good (I have not used it though).

Any questions welcome.
User avatar
B
walker
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 Nov 2007
Posts: 2408
Own Kudos [?]: 10061 [0]
Given Kudos: 361
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Other
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2011
GMAT 1: 750 Q50 V40
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 14:32
Expert Reply
I'm not a native English speaker and SC was the main problem. So, I would recommend to go trough OG trying understand not only right but also wrong options and actively participate in SC forum. Yeah, MGMAT Sentence Correction is a good book.
avatar
thmgoodw
Manager
Manager
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 191
Own Kudos [?]: 23 [0]
Given Kudos: 20
Concentration: Marketing and Finance (Business Marketing Academy)
Schools:Kelley Class of 2013
 Q49  V38
Send PM
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 14:53
Thanks for the very helpful input bb.

No, I haven't taken a prep test. I literally just got into the ballgame and since I don't need to take the GMAT for awhile, I was planning on doing a couple of months of solid basic study on the theory before doing a practice test. Then, after the practice test figure out what I really needed to focus on. As a Big Ten guy, I would be happy to get scores that could get me into the likes of Indiana (actually got my J.D. from there), OSU, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc. So I figure somewhere around 660-ish, give or take. Of course, I would happily take a 700+ :roll:

I figured that I didn't want to pick up any bad habits and as someone who likes to be methodical, that was the easiest way to ease into things. Maybe this is the wrong approach?

BTW, I was browsing the local Borders earlier today and actually picked up the Verbal Foundations book as it seemed like the best verbal theory/study guide that they had in stock for what I thought I would likely need to know for the SC.

Tom

bb wrote:
Hey there - welcome to GMAT Club!

GMAT verbal section is easier than LSAT, sometimes much easier.
I would suggest you actually take a GMAT Prep practice test and see how you do (if you have not already).

There are a few Grammar/SC resources available but I am not sure you really need them - most of the time you can pick out an issue with the sentence just relying on your ear.

However, if you really wanted to get the answers now (without taking the practice test), would suggest Kaplan Verbal Foundations and then MGMAT SC. This should be more than enough. If you wanted to get the hardcore Grammar book that international students use, I hear Doing Grammar is pretty good (I have not used it though).

Any questions welcome.
User avatar
L
bb
Founder
Founder
Joined: 04 Dec 2002
Posts: 37455
Own Kudos [?]: 73273 [0]
Given Kudos: 18986
Location: United States (WA)
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 3
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   15 Mar 2010, 15:43
Expert Reply
You may be surprised at your score - LSAT guys do pretty well (though don't feel bad if you don't ace it right away)
When you have a weekend which you don't mind killing, take the test (will need 3 hours); don't do essays - first section but instead just take the quant and verbal. I would do that so you know your weaknesses before jumping into it.
User avatar
Exellon
Intern
Intern
Joined: 14 Mar 2010
Posts: 36
Own Kudos [?]: 6 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   17 Mar 2010, 02:36
bb wrote:
Hey there - welcome to GMAT Club!

GMAT verbal section is easier than LSAT, sometimes much easier.
I would suggest you actually take a GMAT Prep practice test and see how you do (if you have not already).

There are a few Grammar/SC resources available but I am not sure you really need them - most of the time you can pick out an issue with the sentence just relying on your ear.

However, if you really wanted to get the answers now (without taking the practice test), would suggest Kaplan Verbal Foundations and then MGMAT SC. This should be more than enough. If you wanted to get the hardcore Grammar book that international students use, I hear Doing Grammar is pretty good (I have not used it though).

Any questions welcome.


From my understanding, there are only 2 real GMAT prep tests on MBA dot com. Should you really use one as a diagnostic?
avatar
thmgoodw
Manager
Manager
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 191
Own Kudos [?]: 23 [0]
Given Kudos: 20
Concentration: Marketing and Finance (Business Marketing Academy)
Schools:Kelley Class of 2013
 Q49  V38
Send PM
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   17 Mar 2010, 13:54
Well, it turns out my understanding of my verbal weakness was 100% spot on.

With the Knewton deal at $540, I signed up for that today. I figure at the very least it would be a few more good CATs to play around with, and the 12 month window is great since i'm not in a big rush.

I just finished the Knewton practice CAT about an hour ago. Q42 V28 :shock: 580.

I got quite a few wrong on the Quant (across all areas), so i'm not srue about the Q42 as it seems high.

Pretty scary verbal score a practicing big law lawyer who did well on the LSAT, lol. I haven't done math in ages so that was different, and realized i couldn't solve a work rate problem now if my life depended on it :roll:

Here is a breakdown of how many incorrect answers I got on the Verbal subtypes:

RC -- 1 wrong
CR -- 2 wrong (1 of them I think is a BS question with 100% all sucky answers :roll: )
SC -- NINE wrong. HA. Can any native speakers top that? I got more incorrect than correct.


My takeaway though is a pretty positive one, as it seems that the SC mistakes I made should be relatively straightforward to correct with diligence.

Also, from going through the RC and CR questions and my answers, it seems that just doing as much practice on these types of questions should hopefully get me to a position where I make very few (or hopefully none) stupid mistakes. That is, I don't think I would benefit at all from hardcore studying (other than doing questions) on the RC and CR sections.


Time to re-learn grammar. Maybe the local elementary school teacher can give me some tutoring, lol

Tom :roll:
User avatar
L
bb
Founder
Founder
Joined: 04 Dec 2002
Posts: 37455
Own Kudos [?]: 73273 [1]
Given Kudos: 18986
Location: United States (WA)
GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 3
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink] Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction   18 Mar 2010, 00:59
Expert Reply
Wow - impressive for a native speaker :)
Actually, you have probably never really learned the English Grammar (or had no need to).
You can try a grammar book or possibly Kaplan Verbal Foundations (though it has a few typos/issues; nothing terrible, just typos - you know know it is a grammar book, not spelling :wink: )
GMAT Club Bot
gmatclubot
Re: Optimum study plan for improving/nailing Sentence Correction [#permalink]
18 Mar 2010, 00:59