Grammar:
Correct the Sentences ( Source: GMAT)
Tutorial 1:
Brevity is
the Soul of Wit. Try to be clear and concise. Draft short sentences to avoid
redundancy (repetition) and awkward syntax. Shorter sentences are apt to convey
the intention of the message and eliminate the possibility of ambiguity or
misinterpretation.
1.Verbose/Wordy:
Past experience affirms that TB patients rarely ever display the exact
same symptoms.
Improved: Experience affirms that TB patients
rarely display the same symptoms.
2. Redundant:
The three prices sum to a total of Rs 500.
Improved: The three prices sum to Rs 500.
3. Confusion:
‘Like’ and ‘Such as’: Students who choose majors in the sciences, like those
of communication engineering, biochemistry and physics, can expect an average
annual salary that is 50% higher than that of students majoring in the
humanities.
Corrected: Students who choose majors in the
sciences, such as Communication Engineering, Biochemistry and Physics,
can expect an average annual salary that is 50% higher than that of students
majoring in the humanities.
NB: ‘Like’
shows comparison; ‘such as’ is used to furnish examples.
Concept: Subject-Verb Agreement
1.A singular
subject requires a singular verb form:
The cat runs
out of the house.
A plural
subject requires a plural verb form:
The cats run
out of the house.
Key to making subject-verb agreement: Identify the correct subject,
determine its number and then make the verb conform to it.
How?
Concept: Eliminate the middleman or misleading phrase.
The houses
of that rich man (contain/contains) very expensive furniture.
What is the
subject: houses or man?
The houses of that rich
man(contain/contains) very expensive furniture.
Correct: The
houses of that rich man CONTAIN very expensive furniture.
Further
Illustrations:
2. The
discovery of new lands WAS vital to the expansion of the British empire.
The
discovery of
new lands WAS vital to the expansion of the British empire.
TUTORIAL 2:
Concept: “And “ vs. Additive
The word
‘AND’ always forms a compound plural subject.
Example: Mathematics, Social Studies and
Science ARE essential high-school subjects.
Additive phrases: ‘along with’,’ in addition to’, ‘as
well as’, ‘accompanied by’, ‘together with’, ‘including’etc.
The above do
not form compound subjects.
Example: Leander, along with his friend, IS
going to the beach.
Concept: Disjunctive phrases : “or,”
“either…or,” and “neither…nor.”
Tackle: Find
the subject that is NEAREST the verb to make the verb agree in number with this
subject.
Examples:
1. Neither Nadal nor his his friends ARE
going to the beach.
2. Neither his friends nor Federer IS
going to the beach.
NB: When ‘either’ and ‘neither’ figure alone ie. Without
or/nor in the sentence, they are considered singular and take only singular verbs.
Concept: Collective Nouns are singular: army,
audience, class, crowd, faculty, orchestra, team etc.
Example: The crowd IS cheering as the home
team TAKES the field.
Tutorial 3:
Concept: Indefinite Pronouns: Usually
Singular
An
indefinite pronoun is not specific about the thing to which it refers.Eg:
Anyone
Pronouns
that end in –one, -body or –thing fall in this category.
Singular
Pronouns: Anyone, Anybody, Anything
Everyone,
everybody, everything
Whatever,
Whoever
Either,
Neither(these may be differently treated when they occur with ‘or/nor’.
Someone,
Somebody, Something
No one,
Nobody, Nothing
Each, every
Exception: SANAM Pronouns: Some, Any,
None, All, Most
For SAMAN
pronouns the object of the “of” construction to determine the number of the
subject.
Some of the
money WAS stolen from my wallet.(Money is singular)
Some of the
documents WERE stolen from the bank.(Documents is plural)
Tutorial 4:
Concept: “Each”
and “Every” : Singular
‘Each’ and ‘every’ as subjects or as words preceding
subjects require singular verb form.
Every dog HAS paws.
Every dog and cat HAS paws.
Each of these shirts IS pretty.
Concept:
Numerical Words and phrases:
The phrase the number
of always takes a singular verb form.
The phrase a number
of always takes a plural verb form.
NB: Golden
rule/Mantra: When in Doubt, Think Singular as singular subjects dominate the
chart.
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