GMAT sentence correction tips

Sentence correction faux pas by JOHN JOVI

What errors do the sentence correction questions present?

Subject- verb agreement, pronoun error, tense error, misplaced modifier, preposition error, faulty comparison ...
I am very comfortable with Subject-Verb-Agreement

Let me show you
Eg.  one of the countries participating in the SAARC meet is Indonesia.
Indonesia is one of several countries that is participating in the SAARC meet.

PS; John Jovi, you are right in the first, but wrong in the second…

Here’s the correct sentence:
 Indonesia is one of several countries that are participating in the SAARC meet.

Are you a quant person?

Are you a quant person?
Quantitative thinking ( thinking with numbers) is integral to corporate business careers. Hence MBA entrance tests contain a generous dose of quantitative problems. One’s performance in such problem solving is a manifestation of his overall problem solving ability.
Business Schools perceive quantitative scores as indicative of higher order thinking and decision making skills. They believe that quant thinkers can handle diverse business challenges. They can analyse, diagram, hypothesise, set goals, try permutations and combinations, perceive probabilistic outcomes and synthesis a possible outcome.

Quantitative personality is not necessarily a hardcore math person
For a quantitative thinker, math knowledge is one of the many tools in his quest for excellence in problem solving. It is also possible that one is a good quantitative person but not a math person.
By and large, a quant person is someone who can look at independent ideas and facts, look at a situation and be able to come up with a response irrespective the accuracy of the approach and thereby the solution.  It also means looking at a situation and draw up on one’s own repertoire of tactics for a possible way forward…. a possible answer... In short, a quant person  might have a great memory but is rather someone who reasons very well.

A quant person uses thinking skills approach to problems
So when a quant person looks at a math problem with varied factors, and probably requiring more than one mathematical concept, he  doesn’t get confused; he will pull the question apart and can see where one step leads into the other and can merge and manipulate the combinations to get the final answer. He goes beyond the given data, creates a problem field, assumes himself to be part of the problem, takes various experiences and knowledge points to extrapolate a position and direction. In other words, a quant person is empowered to handle problem situations well; one who says no ‘can’t’, until he has exhausted all possible knowledge, theories, and experiences before asking for help.

A quant person ‘transfers learning’
For a quant person, the idea of doing a lot of problems stems from the need to see the various possibilities of solving problems rather than an expectation of chancing upon an exam like problem. For effective ‘transfer of learning’ making observations while attempting a problem is the key.

The quant person in a nut shell should be inquisitive, innovative, fearless, flexible and an inherent risk taker. “the Science of Thinking” methodology attempts to inculcate quantitative reasoning in addition to quantitative aptitude in test aspirants. Visit www.semanticslearning.com for more details.
Read http://www.semanticslearning.com/beta/gmat-science-of-thinking.asp of thinking for more details

GMAT sentence correction error types

Sentence correction faux pas by JOHN JOVI

What errors do the sentence correction questions present?

Subject- verb agreement, pronoun error, tense error, misplaced modifier, preposition error, faulty comparison ...
I am very comfortable with Subject-Verb-Agreement
Let me show you
Eg.  one of the countries participating in the SAARC meet is Indonesia.
Indonesia is one of several countries that is participating in the SAARC meet.
PS; John Jovi, you are right in the first, but wrong in the second…
Here’s the correct sentence:
 Indonesia is one of several countries that are participating in the SAARC meet.

Ten ways to score poorly in GMAT

Ten ways to score poorly in GMAT! If you are rich enough for retakes, that is

1. I know math, so no need to go thru the same old arithmetic, algebra, geometry stuff

2.  Tones of free downloads on your pc..what is relevant, what is not, even God may not know..

3. Just official guide, what else, nothing official about it…

4. I will join for the costliest, longest duration course in town…let them get me the score, no need to  study at  home..

5. I wont do the essays while practicing, only math and verbal mock exams  will do

6. I speak and write good English, so verbal is going to be a cake walk, no less

7.  I need just one month for preparation, after all I had high grades in college.

8.  Do as many tests as possible, in fact 90 percent of my preparation time should be spent on tests. concepts? What concepts?

9. My friend said GMAT was easy for him, no tough qns ( hey, what was your friend’s score?)

10. Out of five tests  I  did, one test I scores above 650. So I will give the test as planned.  I believe in luck!

PS Good luck

GMAT math tip #5

GMAT math tip..

Is there a relationship between squares and sum of odd numbers. Find out.

1^2=1

2^2= 1+3

3^2=1+3+5

4^2=1+3+5+7

5^2=1+3+5+7+9

To get n^2 add the first n odd integers.

GMAT math tip #5

To find out more tips. Click here.

http://www.semanticslearning.com/math-home.asp

GMAT sentence correction Tip of the day

Sentence correction tip  – 10 ‘not-so-obvious’ usages

1. use a verb, not its noun form

An action expressed in the verb form is more effective than the noun form; a noun form creates wordy prepositional phrases.

Action verb- decide

Noun form of the verb - decision 

Example 1

Ineffective: Her decision was to invite her colleagues to the dinner that is being hosted by her.

Effective: She decided to invite her colleagues to the dinner party she  is hosting. 

Here, decided, a ‘working/action verb’ is more effective than the noun form, ‘decision’

Example 2

Ineffective:  In the current fiscal year, both target of its production was reached by the factory and the amount of effluents was reduced. 

Effective: In the current fiscal year, the factory both reached production target and reduced the amount of effluents.

Example 3

Ineffective: The Indian government demanded the withdrawal of security forces by China from the border and that the bunkers put up within Indian territory be removed.  

Effective: The Indian government demanded that China withdraw its forces from the border and remove the bunkers put up within the Indian territory.

Example 4

Ineffective: The dissidents’ objection was against the delaying of election of party functionaries by the high command. 

Effective: The dissidents objected to the high command’s delaying the election of party functionaries. 

Example 5

ineffective:  The coach’s encouragement  was influential to the team, for good performance. 

Effective:  The coach encouraged the team to perform well. 

GMAT sentence correction tip

In GMAT sentence correction, is wordiness better than ambiguity, or is it vice versa.

Read our GMAT verbal tip of the day @ http://www.semanticslearning.com/verbal-home.asp

Visit us again to find the latest new GMAT tip which can push your score by 100 points.

GMAT verbal tip

What is a "wordy "answer option.

Check our verbal tip @
http://www.semanticslearning.com/verbal-home.asp

GMAT math tip

What formula to use when you have to calculate the percentage increase between two numbers?

Check math tip 1 @ http://www.semanticslearning.com/math-home.asp

How to improve your GMAT score by 100 points - Part 1

Is there a short cut?. I get lots of queries -
" I want to improve my GMAT score by 100 points, I'm taking my exam in 2 weeks."

I'am sorry. If you are looking for a magic pill. I dont have a magic pill which can help you gain 100 points in 2-3 weeks.

If you have no other go and have only 2-3 weeks of preparation time left, then to gain 100+ pts, you need

1.to identify a category of question where you are consistently going wrong.
 say. "weakening the argument" type of question in CR. Study around 100 questions of the same category. Try decoding a generic strategy(a logical approach). This will help you to arrive at an answer using logic.

2. to manage your time effectively in the test. 
The adaptive test penalizes those who make mistakes early in the test( 1st question to the 15th  question) more than those who make mistakes later in the test. So that means you need to devote maximum time to the first few questions and minimum time to the later.

3. to get proper sleep the previous day of the test. 
Adequate rest is required to calm a tensed brain.

4.to manage stress effectively.
 You got a tough question in the test. You have eliminated 3 options. You have two options left. You are not sure which one to mark. You make a guess. You mark one. The next question turns out to be a sitter. You have a weird feeling in your stomach. The previous question may be wrong.
Don't worry!. The adaptive test penalizes GMAT takers who make successive errors ( question 1-correct, question 2-wrong, question 3-wrong, question 4-correct, question 5- wrong) more than those who make stand-alone errors( question 1-correct, question 2-wrong, question 3-correct, question 4- wrong, question 5- correct).

I have seen a handful of cases where GMAT test takers have improved their score by 100+ points but then again they had a specific error which could be corrected.

If you have no idea what is wrong with your performance then I would suggest that you mail me your queries and together we may be able to spot your Achilles heel.


Next blog- I have ample time, how can i improve?...

Do attend the workshop. Call and register

Initiate yourself into math reasoning

Where is the flaw?


-source internet

GMAT sentence correction: Think beyond grammar

Fine, you know the GMAT SC jargon – tense error, pronoun error, subject verb disagreement. Good. Useful. But you must think beyond grammar to do justice to the range SC questions.

One of such errors is ambiguity. That is something is not clear. To make clear the meaning conveyed. So keep track of meaning  also while checking a sentence for errors.
Illustration  - real GMAT questions

1. Incorrect: In mammals, a lifetime’s supply of egg cells is produced during fetal development and remain dormant until maturity.

Here remain dormant is ambiguously used; one may ask what remain egg cells or development? In such cases, we need to repeat the word, cells, since these remain dormant until maturity.  The verb is agrees with the singular sub lifetime’s supply.

Correct … is produced during fetal development and the cells remain dormant until maturity.

2. In 1869, anxious to balance its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature extended voting rights to women in Wyoming.

A. its population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature
B. their population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature
C. the state’s population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the Wyoming legislature
D. a state population of 8,000 men and 2,000 women, the legislature in Wyoming
E. its population of 8,000 men with 2,000 women, the Wyoming’s legislature

So since you know that singular pronouns agree with singular nouns, its agrees with Wyoming legislature. But grammar alone wont rescue us here.

Look at the meaning, can Wyoming legislature have population?  No the population belongs to the state, C is clear and exact. D, would mean any state’s population, not necessarily Wyoming’s.

Moral of the story
Attention to detail…is very important..keep looking out for similar errors; match grammar with meaning.

How to decode permutation and combination

Intimidated by permutation and combination....Watch this video to remove your fear

The big 50 point jump in the GMAT

Are you aspiring for a 700 in the GMAT and trying to figure out why your score is stuck at 650 and not hitting the 700 mark?

Here are potential reasons.

Firstly, are you ready for higher order reasoning and problem solving?  Find out, how consistently you have performed in data sufficiency questions, inference questions in reading comprehension and weaken/strengthen questions in critical reasoning( assuming  you worked out Official guide questions)

Secondly, while taking the computer based tests, did you fall short of time and guessed more than 5 question in either/both QA and VA section. If so penalty and poor pacing and time management is the issue.

Thirdly, your concentration wears of while you are working on the last part of the Verbal Ability section. Build stamina, slowly and steadily by taking many 4hrs tests.

To raise your score from 650 to 700, let’s say a re-taker do spend 30 days reworking on concepts, practicing with hundreds of tougher questions and analyse these questions to improve your performance.