GMAT sentence correction : How do I maximize my score

 

Can you maximize your score in the sentence correction section in less than 30 days..

Yes, it is possible ….

You can follow a 3-stage approach. You need to

• Understand the often-tested errors in the GMAT............(Concept Stage 1)
• Learn  to identify errors, using various techniques  .......(Application Stage 2)
• Learn to use logic and to arrive at a correct answer in less than 60 seconds.(Mastery Stage 3)

Before I discuss few strategies, let us understand the skills tested by GMAT in the sentence correction section.

SC type of question tests your ability to recognize the correctness and effectiveness of expression in standard written English. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar, choice of words, and sentence construction. Choose the answer that produces the most effective sentence;

Sentence correction questions present a sentence, part or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence, you will find five ways of paraphrasing the underlined passage. The first answer choice repeats the original underlined passage; the other four are different. If you think the original phrasing is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others. this answer should be clear and exact, without awkwardness, ambiguity, redundancy or grammatical error. 

An example:

 People who inherit the sickle cell anaemia gene from only one parent seem to be resistant to malaria, an evolutionary advantage that may explain why a genetic condition so debilitating to many individuals has survived in the human population.

A. seem to be resistant to malaria,

B. seemingly are resistant to malaria,

C. seem to be resistant to malaria and have

D. seemingly are resistant to malaria and to have

E. are, it seems, resistant to malaria, and they have

 

Sentence correction questions test three broad aspects of language proficiency:

Correct expression

A correct sentence is grammatically and structurally sound. It conforms to all the rules of standard written English, including noun-verbal agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, pronoun consistency, pronoun case and verb tense sequence. A correct sentence will not have dangling, misplaced or improperly formed modifiers; unidiomatic expressions or faults in parallel constructions

 Effective expression

An effective sentence expresses an idea or relationship clearly and concisely as well as grammatically. This does not mean that the choice with the fewest and simplest words is necessarily the best answer. It means that there are no superfluous words or needlessly complicated expressions in the best choice.

 Proper diction

An effective sentence also uses proper diction.(Dictionary refers to the standard dictionary meaning of words and the appropriateness of words in context). In evaluating the diction of a sentence, you must be able to recognize whether the words are well chosen, accurate and suitable for the context

 Note*

You will see results faster in sentence correction than critical reasoning or reading comprehension section. Because there are only 25 errors tested in this exam. 

Some of the 25 errors tested are:

•         Subject verb agreement
•         Pronoun error
•         Misplaced modifier
•         Wordiness
•         Lack of clear subject
•         Meaning conformity…

After knowing concepts, you need to focus on the application and mastery stages

There are various strategies, you need to know……….

 For example

 strategy 1 Identify clue words 

When you see these clue words……….. Use the error tool respectively.

More/less/greater … than………comparison error tool

And/but……………..Parallelism error tool

Unlike/like…………….contrast error tool

There are lots of clue words like this

I will be discussing each error tool in-depth in my classes.

strategy 2 Differentiate Verb & noun

Observe these sentences

1. The cost of drought to the country is in billions

2. Drought costs the country in billions

 

Sentences 1 and 2 are grammatically correct.

But you must choose option 2. Why?

Can you identify the subtle difference?

In statement 1: Cost is a noun

In statement 2: Cost is a verb

Tip: When you attempt the GMAT, give more preference to verbs than nouns.

 So you have to choose statement 2 and not 1

There are lots of things to learn when you prepare for the GMAT ....

Happy learning.

If you want help in GMAT math or verbal.. Feel free to get in touch with me

My contact link is here:

LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

Facebook learning group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT/

GMAT math thinking skills - 8

GMAT tests your logical skills as well as your knowledge of math concepts.  To score high, you need to remember various formulas, theorems. Also you need to master critical problem-solving skills.

Today I am going to  take you through one problem -solving skill –

Problem analysis with a diagram

Take this problem .

If you follow approach 1. 

You will use many formulas and theorems. You will get an answer, but it will take more time.

If you follow approach 2.

 You will minimize the number of formulas used. You will use your logical skills and reduce complex computation. You will solve questions faster.

In GMAT time-taken per question is the key. If you solve questions in less than 30 seconds, then you will have more time in the bank to solve harder questions. You will also be able to complete the section in the allotted time.

Penalty marks for un-attempted questions are huge.

Can logic be taught?

Yes!  Logic can be taught. If the tutor teaches you reasoning skills and demonstrates those skills on a wide range of problems, your thinking will get re-oriented. You will be able to solve questions using more than one approach.

I feel Logic is best taught in a tutor driven class, not through generic videos

If you need help in GMAT, here are my details

My contact link is here:

LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

Facebook learning group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT/

Now let us understand both the approaches.

Approach 1

This approach involves formulae/theorem...

Area of square ABCD = side²

Side = 8. Hence area =64

F and E are midpoints of the respective sides. AB=AD=8

Hence AF=FB=4 and AE=ED=4

Triangle AEF, Triangle BFC and Triangle EDC are right angled triangles. Hence we can use Pythagoras theorem

This approach was time consuming. Also, This approach involves lots of calculation.

Approach 2 - faster approach

When you encounter geometry problems, look at the picture for few seconds.

Can you observe a square and 4 triangles?

Spend time observing the pictures and look for clues.

The area of shaded portion is equal to the area of the square – (sum of the area of the 3 triangles).

This approach requires you to know the area of the triangle = 0.5 x base x height.

Now let’s analyze the figure. F and E are the midpoints

The sides of the square are 8

Area of triangle AEF = 0.5x4x4 = 8

Area of triangle EDC = 0.5x4x8 = 16

Area of triangle FBC = 0.5x8x4 = 16

Area of square =64

Area of shaded region = 64- 16-16-8 =24

This approach is far easier and involves less calculation.

So always use logic to arrive at answers faster

 

 

Maximize your GMAT score in a month

 

If you are planning to take the GMAT in a month,  you need to work on SMART goals

S - Specific

M- Measurable

A- Achievable

R - Relevant

T- Time bound 

It would be beneficial, if you work with a GMAT tutor, who can design a custom-made program for you. 

If you want to maximize your scores in the GMAT.. Lets have a chat...

My contact link is here:

LinkedIn profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeanand/

Facebook learning group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/semanticsGMAT/

When students ask me to design a program, I usually focus on certain points.  Here are some of them

MATH cues

To aim for a good score in math section, you need to be good at questions, which test your mathematical ability and questions, which test your mathematical reasoning/logic.

You need to	some of the activities, which I suggest
1. Remember all the math formula	Collect all the relevant math rules and formulae. Revise them daily
2. Solve 500+ concept-based and application-based sums	Certain math questions are based on concepts . Others are based on concepts+ logic. You need a separate strategy for each To know about the math specific skill sets ..click here.
3. Solve a question in 60 seconds to 90 seconds	Learn time saving strategies like substitution/possibility generation… Some strategies are discussed ..click here.
4. Identify weak areas and rectify them	Maintain an error Log(document). The error log will help you identify weak areas easily.
5. Pace yourself properly during the test	Work on 20+ timed section tests. Spend more time on the first 10 questions and less time on the last 10 questions in a section test.  Understand GMAT pacing  here
6. Leave your ego aside and guess an answer, if you are not able to solve in 60 seconds	Make calculated guesses. you can still hit a Q50 score with 2-3 mistakes. However, there is a heavy penalty on leaving questions unanswered.
7. Follow a problem-solving process, so that you don’t get stuck while solving a question	Devise broad strategies which you can apply to a genre of sums. Discussion on the problem solving process  ..click here.
8. Follow a reasoning-based approach if you have a non-math background	Learn how to use logic more than math Click here to see how you can use reasoning skills to solve problems
9. Compile all the notes/short cuts/strategies in one notebook	Buy a good GMAT quant book apart from the official guide. Ping me if you want my notes.

Verbal cues

1.Work on sentence correction. In a short time, you can see results, if you follow the correct SC cues.

 2.Critical Reasoning can be a little more difficult to improve upon. If you work with strategies, your accuracy rate will zoom upwards.

3. Reading Comprehension is a bit crucial when it comes to improvement, for, if you do not comprehend a passage well you will end up making repeated mistakes. So you need to develop basic reading skills. Read read read.. there is no substitute for reading.

You need to	some of the activities, which i suggest
1. Remember all the grammar rules, that are often tested in the GMAT	Make a list of the 25 most often tested errors. Study them many times. Some errors are discussed here
2. Solve SC questions of various difficulty levels	Learn how to use logic more than just verbal rules to tackle harder questions how do I improve my sentence correction score click here
3. Learn critical reading – A reading style which will help you break complex RC passages into manageable chunks.	Read articles of different genres. Practice micro-skills- summary writing/passage mapping.. More on this here
4. Take logic lessons to  tackle the critical reasoning(CR) section	Derive an approach for the 10 critical reasoning question types. Practice micro-skills -diagramming/ logic identification Understand diagramming as a micro-skill for CR here
5. Solve question in 60 seconds to 90 seconds	Learn time saving strategies
6. Identify weak areas and rectify them	Maintain an error log/document
7. Pace yourself properly during the test	Work on 20+ timed section tests. Spend more time on the first 10 questions and less time on the last 10 questions
8.Leave your ego aside and guess the answer	Make calculated guesses. you can still hit a V 40 score with 2-3 mistakes. However, there is a heavy penalty on leaving questions unanswered.
9. Compile all the notes/short cuts/strategies in one notebook	Buy a good GMAT verbal book apart from the official guide. Ping me if you want my notes.

Happy learning !!