SC Tips By Ron

Importance of Meaning in Sentence Correction & How to study SC:

You should ALWAYS check the meaning, before you look at ANYTHING in the sentence. almost every one of the
major SC error types is easier to identify if you are using the meaning of the sentence, and most of them are
impossible to understand fully *without* the meaning.
For instance:
1. verb tense -- completely impossible without meaning
2. verb voice -- completely impossible without meaning
3. modifiers -- can be assigned according to grammar rules, but determining whether the assignment is *correct*
is impossible without meaning
4. pronouns -- are subject to grammar rules, but determining whether the pronoun is *correct* is impossible
without meaning
5. parallelism -- sometimes based on grammar, but you need meaning to figure out which items *should* be
parallel in the first place
This is actually why the GMAT SC emphasizes these particular concepts -- because it is NOT MEANT to be a test of
rules that can be memorized! It’s meant to be a reasoning test that emphasizes ... reasoning (which is based upon
the intended meaning of the sentence). This is also why the GMAT SC largely *avoids* testing things that ARE
purely mechanical, rules-based, and subject to memorization (e.g., spelling).
If you are approaching these sentences without FIRST determining the meaning of the sentence, then you are
using exactly the whole kind of reasoning for which the test isintentionally designed NOT to work. This post may be
uncharacteristically blunt, but this is a point that needs to be made over and over and over and over and over
again, because way too many people on this forum approach SC as if it were a giant math puzzle that's subject to
entirely arbitrary rules.
It's not -- if you start to base your thinking around what the sentence is clearly intended to mean (all sentences will
have a common-sense interpretation, regardless of how many errors are in the original version), then you will
suddenly find most SC issues much easier to identify and understand.
1. ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE is a MEANING ISSUE.
2. (VERB TENSES are also a MEANING ISSUE.)
3. These are *NOT* grammar issues!
Make sure that you understand the significance of the passive voice vs. the active voice.
The active voice means that the subject is the doer or agent of the action.
e.g.
I moved to Chicago --> i made the decision to move to chicago myself, for my own reasons.
I moved to Chicago --> i made the decision to move to chicago myself, for my own reasons.
The passive voice means that the subject is the target or recipient of the action -- i.e., that the action is done to the
subject.
e.g.
i was moved to chicago --> someone else, e.g., my employer, made me move to chicago; it wasn't my decision.
How to Study SC:
For EVERY SC problem, you should be able to go through the CORRECT sentence -- including the non-underlined
part -- and justify EVERY construction in that sentence.
e.g.

– if there's a modifier, you should be able to explain exactly what it modifies, and exactly why that
modification makes sense.
– if there's a pronoun, you should be able to explain exactly what it stands for, and exactly why that makes
sense.
– if there's a verb, you should be able to find its subject. you should also be able to justify the tense in which
the verb is used, and/or the tense sequence of multiple verbs.
– you should be able to explain the exact meaning of the sentence.
– if there are parallel structures, you should be able to explain (a) the grammatical parallelism AND (b) the
parallelism in meaning.
In SC, you should be able to go through the CORRECT answers, and JUSTIFY EVERYTHING in the correct answer. i.e.,
if there is an underline, substitute in the correct answer to make a complete sentence, and then make sure that
you understand everything in that correct sentence. the good thing about this sort of strategy is that you can
figure out most things by yourself. for instance, even if you've never seen a particular type of modifier before, you
know that it's used correctly -- so you can just deduce its proper use from the context. etc.
1. Myth of "One of.."

(i) One of the X's that/who <plural>

(ii) One of the X's <singular>
(iii) Only one of the X's <singular>
(iv) Only one of the X's that/who <plural>
(v) The only one of the X's that/who <singular>
2."Would" Vs "Will":

(i) "Would" is the past tense of "Will".

(ii) If you are talking about predicting or expecting an event that still lies in the future, then you use "WILL".
(iii) If you are talking about a PAST PREDICTION or expectation of an event whose timeframe has ALREADY
(iv) PASSED, then you use "WOULD".
3. LIKE / AS RULE:

– You make comparisons with LIKE when you compare nouns, or noun phrases (i.e., anything that doesn't
have a VERB).
EXCEPTION:
Prepositional phrases take "As".
Note that there may be modifiers attached to these nouns. If there are, don't care. Modifiers are disposable.
You make comparisons with AS when you compare clauses (things that have real VERBS), or prepositional
phrases.
NOTE: When you're deciding whether something is a clause or just a noun phrase, remember that -ING FORMS
DO NOT COUNT AS VERBS (unless there's a helping verb attached to them).
Examples:
"Those babies are cute, like little pandas sliding down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
Note that:
* "sliding" is NOT a verb.
* "sliding down rainbows" is a modifier, and thus doesn't have to be considered in the grammar of the sentence.
"Those babies are cute, as are little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "are" is a verb, so this is a clause.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.
"Those babies are cute, like little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "little pandas" is a noun.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.
"Our family lives on a farm now, as in the 19th century." -- CORRECT! Prepositional phrases take "as"
4. Compared to/with for STATISTICS:
If you say "compared with/to" for statistics, you should cite BOTH statistics in the comparison.
The expression "compared to/with" does NOT imply any sort of direction to the comparison; i.e., it gives no hint as
to greater/less/like/unlike. Therefore, you need to give both of the relevant statistics, or else the statement won't
make any sense.
Examples:
"The unemployment rate in Esteria last month was 5.3%, compared to the rate in Burdistan." --
INCORRECT! This makes no sense. We have absolutely no idea what is going on with the rate in Burdistan.
"The unemployment rate in Esteria last month was 5.3%, compared to a rate of 7% in Burdistan." --
CORRECT! Both statistics are cited.
5."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!
6. "By Time":
In clauses modified with "by TIME", you should use:

(i) Past Perfect (had VERBed) if the time marker is in the past.
(ii) Present Perfect (has/have VERBed) if the time marker is "by now"/current.
(iii) Future Perfect (will have VERBed) if the time marker is in the future.
7. Usage of "COULD":
"Could" is a modal expressing past (potential) ability.
If something is assumed in the PAST, then the usage of "Could" is appropriate. In other words, it is used to refer to
the "Future in the PAST". If it is "ongoing", then "Could" CANNOT be used.
8. "Estimate .. ":
"Estimate NJ deer population to have grown" is UNIDIOMATIC. In general,
"Estimate X to have VERB'ed" is WRONG.
"Estimate that X has VERB'ed" is RIGHT.
9. "Rather than" Vs "Instead of":

– "Rather than" is preferable to use for VERBS.

– "Instead of" is preferable to use for NOUNS. Shows preference (if it fits meaning of the sentence)
– "X instead of Y" indicates that Y is the normal, expected, or preferred option" in other words, that X is a
substitute for Y.
– "X rather than Y" implies no such preference.
10. "Fish"

– In general, "FISH" is PLURAL.

– If "Fish" is attached with articles such as "a" or "the", then it is SINGULAR.
11. "Twice":

– "Twice" CANNOT function as an object of the preposition such as "by".

– "Twice" is an adverb.
Example:
"... increased by more than twice .." -- WRONG!
"A substance to promote" is UNIDIOMATIC.
Substance --> Concrete Noun
Promote --> Verb
12. " A Noun to Verb "
"A NOUN TO VERB" is CORRECT ONLY when Noun is ABSTRACT.
Examples:
"A way to produce goods"
"A reason to try harder"
"A substance to promote X" --> WRONG! "Substance" is a concrete noun.
"A substance that promotes X" --> CORRECT!
"A tool to install the shelves" --> WRONG! "Tool" is a concrete noun.
"A tool with which to install the shelves" --> CORRECT!
13."Even as":
"Even as" is a transition used to imply simultaneity and is usually used with parallel tenses (i.e. same tense in both
parts of the parallel structure).
Example:
Even as his income has increased, Joe has continued to feel less satisfied. -- Maintains same tenses on both sides.
14. "Namely":
"Namely" must be used either before a noun or before a noun phrase/clause.
You CANNOT use it directly before an independent clause such as "... namely they vary considerably..." -- which is
absolutely WRONG!
However, ".. namely that they vary considerably .. " and "namely considerable variation" are both fine.
15. "X's rate of Y"
"X's rate of Y" is better than "the rate of X's Y".
Example:
"Salesman X's rate of success" is BETTER than "the rate of Salesman X's success".
16. Adjective of Nationality
"Mideast immigrants" is WRONG.
"Immigrants from the Mideast" is BETTER. "Mideast" CANNOT be used as an adjective of nationality. For the same
reason, you CANNOT say "Asia People" in place of "People from Asia".
17. " The Law "
"The new law makes it a crime to <do>".
"The new law makes it a crime for <someone> to <do something>".
"The new law makes <something> a crime". are ALL CORRECT.
18. " Projected decline "
We can say "a projected decline of..".
Also, ".. is projected to decline by .. ".
But NOT, "a projected decline at ... ".
19. " Making do "
"Making do without" is correct English. One would use the phrase when speaking in the past continuous.
Example:
"We were making do without power during the blackout".
It's a bit more common to use "made do without".
Example:
"My family was quite poor, so we made do without luxuries".
20. Useful Tips for SC by Ron:
"If you're a Q50 level student who's having trouble with verbal, my no. 1 advice to you is to concentrate on
sentence correction. You see, sentence correction is the most "quant-like" of the three verbal areas, in that many
of the errors are mechanical and black-and-white, requiring the same sort of reasoning that solves quant
problems. "
Here is a listing of the sentence correction error types that are most like "quant" in the type of reasoning required
to resolve them:
Pronouns: pronoun usage is VERY mechanical; finding the antecedent for a pronoun is not unlike finding a value
for a variable. In particular, pronoun usage is based almost entirely on binary concepts such as singular/plural,
subject/object, and so on.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE: for pronoun issues, at least the recognition part is easy: if you see a pronoun, you should
consider pronoun issues.
Parallel structure: parallelism is, again, VERY mechanical. you can resolve the vast majority of parallelism issues
using completely mechanical concepts such as parts of speech, although there are the occasional problems that
depend upon more abstract notions, such as "logical parallelism".
HOW TO RECOGNIZE: recognizing parallel structure is a bit trickier than recognizing pronoun issues. here are a
couple of hints, though:
(1) Long sentences more often than not involve parallelism, because there are relatively few ways to lengthen a
sentence without the use of parallel structure. Therefore, if you see a longer sentence, you shouldn't be
intimidated; Instead, you should just keep an eye out for parallel structure.
(2) The OG has "parallelism" as an explicit label on problems that include parallelism. Therefore, if you're having
extreme trouble locating parallelism in problems, you should consider going to the problems that are labeled
"parallelism" in the back of the book, studying their form, and learning to recognize that they involve parallelism.
You should do this before you concentrate on actually solving those problems, because knowing how to solve a
problem is useless unless you can actually recognize the problem in the first place.
Certain modifiers: modifiers are diverse, but there are 2 kinds that are easier to recognize, instantly, than others.
(1) Initial modifiers without subjects:
"Coming home from school, the wind blew me off my bike." this sentence is incorrect, because, taken literally, it
says that the wind was coming home from school. You can't hide modifiers like this one; they appear at the very
beginning of the sentence, every time. If there's no subject, then the modifier automatically refers to whatever
noun immediately follows the comma. If that noun is incorrect, then you can kill that answer choice without even
looking any further.
(2) Relative pronouns following commas (this is not a complete list; it's just a collection of samples. similar
constructions behave similarly):
..., which
..., whom
..., where/when
..., of which
..., to whom
When these pronouns follow a comma, they automatically refer to the immediately preceding noun (important!!!)
-- i.e., the noun that touches the comma. Again, they can't hide these. They're easy to recognize, and they're not
dependent on the rest of the context. Therefore, you should learn to hit them up first.
21. " Usage of Which"
#Q1
Can Which" modify the immediately preceding noun only ?
OR
Is it that if I have a sentence of the form "A of B,which".. The "which" may refer to either A or B depending on the
context? From what we've seen, the gmat is actually pretty consistent on this issue. What we've seen, so far, is:
The gmat tends to write sentences in which "which" stands for the ELIGIBLE noun that's closest to the comma.
By "eligible", I mean that the noun has to AGREE IN TERMS OF SINGULAR/PLURAL with the FOLLOWING
VERB.
Here's an example: the box of nails, which is on the counter, is to be used on this project.
In this case, "which" CANNOT refer to "nails", since the verb "is" is singular. therefore, the nearest eligible noun is
"box (of nails)". So, "which" unambiguously stands for that.
In our observation, the gmat has been VERY good about this. Whenever I've seen a "which" that refers to "X of Y"
rather than just Y, it has ALWAYS been the case that X was singular and Y was plural (or X was plural and Y was
singular), and the verb had a form that matched X and didn't match Y.
22. Than/as in parallel comparisons
In general,
1. If you have than/as + subject + FORM OF "to be" as the second half of a comparison, then you must have
another form of "to be" in the first half of the comparison.
2. If you have than/as + subject + HELPING VERB as the second half of a comparison, then you must have the
SAME helping verb (perhaps in a different tense) in the first half of the comparison.
3. If you have than/as + subject + FORM OF "to do" as the second half of a comparison, then you must have an
ACTION VERB (or another form of "to do") in the first half of the comparison.
Here are some examples:
i. Parking spots are disappearing much more quickly today than they were yesterday
ii. James can negotiate with salespeople more effectively than Stephanie can.
iii. I can run much faster than I could before my most recent knee operation. Note that "could" is the past
tense of "can", so these are the same helping verb.
iv. Parking spots disappeared much faster today than they did yesterday.
v. Tanya eats more slowly than she did when she was a teenager. Note that "did" doesn't have to have the
same tense as the action verb.
24. When is "Being" correct?
When the use of "being" is correct?

– The short answer to this question: basically, "being" is ok when there are no acceptable alternative
formulations that DON'T use it.
– From what we've seen, "being" can be ok as long as at least one of the following 2 conditions obtains:
(1) It is part of a PASSIVE-VOICE construction (note that such constructions require a form of "to be", so, if the
passive voice is in the -ing form, that form will manifest as "being");
or
(2) It is used as a GERUND (i.e., the action of "being something" is treated as a NOUN in the sentence). Most, but
not all, of these gerunds will be the gerund form of a construction in the passive voice.
Examples: (the first one I made up; the other three are correct answers to official problems)
i. Being followed by paparazzi 24 hours a day has caused many celebrities to become extremely hostile to
strangers. (note that this is both --> it's a passive-voice gerund!)
ii. During the 1950s, as part of their therapy, young polio victims learning to live with their disabilities were
helped to practice falling, so that they could learn to fall without being hurt.
iii. According to one expert, the cause of genetic irregularities in many breeds of dog is not so much that
dogs are being bred for looks or to meet other narrow criteria as that the breeds have relatively few
founding members.
iv. Being heavily committed to a course of action, especially one that has worked well in the past, is likely to
make an executive miss signs of incipient trouble or misinterpret them when they do appear.
25. Usage of certain words:
Here is a brief summary. I'm going to avoid using grammatical terms (mostly because I can't remember them); I'll
just give examples instead.
a) Because
"Because" connects two complete sentences (clauses). The sentence coming after "because" should actually be
the cause of what is described in the other one. Must be independent, complete, sentences before and after
comma. Without because, the sentence would be a run on sentence even with the comma.
e.g.
Because the bridge was closed, the morning rush hour lasted two extra hours.
The morning rush hour lasted two extra hours because the bridge was closed.
b) Since
One usage of "since" is basically identical to "because" (described above).
"Since" can also be used with a noun that represents a starting time: Barack Obama has been president since
2009.
c) Due to
Should be followed by a noun. Also, this must DESCRIBE a noun. It is commonly used in speech to describe entire
clauses/sentences/ideas, but that usage is wrong in the written language. Should be able to be replaced with
“caused by”, a noun is caused by whatever XYZ, preferably XYZ is also a noun.
e.g.
Unemployment due to offshoring is rising in factory towns. <-- here, "due to..." describes "unemployment" much
of the unemployment in factory towns is due to offshoring.
BUT
*James was late due to the traffic <-- this is incorrect; you can't use "due to..." to describe an entire
sentence/clause (such as "James was late").
d) Because of… (noun)
Should be followed by a noun. But, can describe a full clause. Opposite from “due to”.
James was late because of the traffic.
e) For - (as per its usage in OG12 #59)
This usage of "for" is a lot like "because", except in the sense that it suggests a slightly less direct causation. Here's
an example: lots of people get sick in the winter. But that's not direct causation -- i.e., the winter weather doesn't
directly cause people to become sick. Instead, because it's cold outside, people tend to cluster together indoors,
thus allowing increased transmission of germs.
For this sort of indirect causation, it's more appropriate to say: Many people are sick around here, for it is winter.
Nobody will ever say this out loud, though -- it's strictly written language -- so you probably won't be familiar with
it unless you read a fair amount of (decently formal) written English.
f) In that - (OG12 says that 'in that' means 'in as much as' - #59)
X is Z because Y --> this must actually mean that there is a literal cause-and-effect relationship. In other words, this
sentence claims that "Y" is actually the reason why "X" is "Z".
X is Z in that Y --> this is a qualifier; it implies that "Y" is the only certain way in which X is Z.
Two examples:
My brother and I are like each other in that we both have quirky senses of humor --> CORRECT
This sentence means that my brother and I share the same quirky sense of humor, but that we may (or may not)
differ in any other aspect of our personalities.
My brother and I are like each other because we both have quirky senses of humor --> UNREASONABLE MEANING
This sentence implies that our similar senses of humor have CAUSED our personalities to become alike. That's
nonsense.
Such As vs. Like

In last week's edition, we saw that "different from" is correct and "different than" is incorrect. This is not the only
instance when GMAT English diverges from what one hears or, increasingly, reads in daily American life

Another such instance is the difference between "like" and "such as": in GMAT Sentence Correction, such as is
used to introduce examples, while "like" indicates only similarity and cannot be used for examples at all. Let's take
a look at the following sentences:

1) I enjoy playing sports such as football and baseball.

2) I enjoy playing sports like football and baseball.

In the first sentence, we know that football and baseball are specific examples of sports the author enjoys. In the
second sentence, however, all we can glean is that the author enjoys sports that are similar to football and
baseball (rugby and cricket perhaps?). Whether either sentence is correct depends on the context. If football and
baseball are meant as specific examples, sentence 2 is incorrect because "like" does not introduce examples.

This rule is becoming increasingly obsolete in modern American English, but it still must be followed in GMAT
Sentence Correction problems.

In fact, these days this rule is so nitpicky that even the GMAT writers themselves sometimes abandon it in other
GMAT question types!
Notes from various discussion points mentioned by Ron in Manhattan GMAT forum
Please pay attention - a LOT of sentence correction pointers / grammar rules offered by Ron conflicted what he
had previously posted throughout the years. So please study with caution, and always pay attention to meaning
of the sentence first before picking at the grammar rules
1. “What” they had not thought of…
– Construction using “what” implies exclusivity and uniqueness. Not general.
– If the meaning of the sentence is implying very general examples, “such as” is a better way to illustrate.
2. “Such as” -
– Construction using “better control of the other infections such as…”
– The inclusion of “the” implies uniqueness, if referring to general examples after “such as”, then “the” is
not appropriate in this sentence structure.
– “Like” compares nouns, to give examples of similarities, general, and “such as” gives examples of things in
a list that are specific in comparison to “what” for example.
3. “Like” –
– Compares two nouns, to give example of similarities.
– “Similar” can be used to do the same (to show similarities) of clauses. Eg. Similar to the way many people
cook chicken.
4. “Rather than” – idiom
– Example “rather than olfactory ones…”
– Always describe a noun, and mostly followed by a noun, but can be followed by a clause. However, it can
NOT describe a clause.
5. “Which, whom, where, of where, of which, of whom”
– Absolutely only modifies noun immediately preceding the comma (before the list of words above)
6. “From… to…”
– Must be in a parallel sentence structure. “From… and to…” is incorrect, unidiomatic.
7. “Verb-ing”
– If used without a comma in the sentence construction, it modifies the noun right before itself.
– If used with a comma in the sentence construction, it modifies the entire clause before the comma, much
more flexible usage in most sentence structures.
8. Demonstrative pronouns “this, that, those, these”
– Can act as adjectives and need to be attached to a noun.
– “I like those shoes”
– Exception – that, those – can act as a noun if they are acting as a copy of another noun so that they do not
technically need to touch!
– Eg. I love my shoes, but I hate those of my neighbors.
9. “Although”
– If sentence structure begins with “although”, it must be followed by an independent clause after the
comma in the second part of the sentence structure.
– Need subject and verb to be present to follow the lead-in.
– Same exact requirement for “because”.
10. “Among” vs “between
– Among – for 3 or more things
– Between – for 2 things. “Between A and B” - idiom
11. “As” usages:
– Duration as: AS I strolled to the store, I smelled the air. (= while, during)
– Causation as: I will not tell you, AS you already know. (= since, because)
 – Comparison as: You should walk AS she wants you to walk. (= in the same way)
– Function As: AS your leader, I am in charge. (= in the role of)
– Equation As: I think of you AS my friend. (= you are my friend)
– Stage As: AS a child, I thought I could fly. (= when I was)
12. “Instead of” vs “rather than”
– It looks like “instead of” is used more for nouns, also has a “preference” feel to it.
– “Rather than” used more for verbs.
13. Dependent initial modifier clause: if the first clause is a dependent clause missing its own subject and verb, it
must modify the immediately following noun after the comma – pay attention for meaning purposes.
14. “Nor”
– A coordinating conjunction, and always should connect two independent clauses with its own subject and
verb, or, it can be used to connect two nouns.
– Eg. I can eat neither bread nor pasta.
15. “Should” – always means morally obligated in GMAT, pay attention to circumstances in the meaning of the
sentence to determine whether “should” can be used.
16. “A shift” – needs to take place, or happen. So always add “takes place” or “happens” after it because to say “a
shift from X to Y” does not make any sense.
– Instead, use “A shift from X to Y is taking place because…”
17. “Would” vs “will”
– If the sentence has circumstances happening in the PAST, use “would”, or else, use “will”.
18. Subjunctive mood:
– Verb form used to express a wish, a suggestion, a command, or a condition that is contrary to fact.
– The form of a verb in the subjection mood may differ from the form with the same subject, which is not in
the subjunctive mood.
– Eg. “Require” implies subjunctive mood so it must be followed by “that” – because many Indian food
recipes require that one cook without interruption. It is a command therefore “that” is needed.
19. Project x to do y – wrong.
– Project that X will do Y.
20. “Consider” use as follows:
– Consider A to be B
– Consider A as B
– Consider that A is B
– Consider A should be B
– INCORRECT: consider as…
21. “It… adjective… to do…” can only be used when the situation described is UNIVERSALLY true, for everyone.
– Eg. When interest rates go up, it becomes more expensive for everyone to purchase on credit.
22. “Increase in” vs “increase of”
– Increase in previous year – indicates that “previous year” grew, makes no sense.
– Increase of previous year – indicates time period
23. “Subject, clause, + BY verb-ing”
– The clause after verb-ing must explain how the main clause occurred.
- Eg. I prepared for the test by reviewing notes from other students.
24. “Subject, clause, + IN verb-ing”
– The main clause and its subject before verb-ing must be a part of the action of the verb-ing in the second
part of the sentence structure.
- Eg. I solved all the problems in OG12 in preparing for the test.
25. “And also…” – allowed, but not allowed if combined with “both…and also”, this is redundant.
26. “Verb-ing” vs present tense
– Sentence structure of verb-ing (which modifies the entire clause before it if there is a comma, and the
noun before it without a comma) indicates things that happen in the same timeframe as the main
sentence. So the timing is restricted.
– Sentence structure of a present tense verb illustrates generalization, no time frame restrictions.
27. “Noun (human or animal)” apostrophe S – possessive
– Of anything with life (animals, human, etc) typically not okay on the GMAT
- Eg. Sam’s pen, that cat’s tail.
28. Redundant words:
– Sufficient enough
– Reply back
– Added bonus
– Determined as a result
29. “Enough”
– Enough for, enough to… both correct
– Enough that… incorrect.
30. Colon (:)
– The colon provides further explanation for what comes before it.
- What comes before the colon must be able to stand alone as a sentence.
- What comes after the colon does not have to be able to stand alone.
31. Dash (-)
– The dash (—) is a flexible punctuation mark that the GMAT occasionally employs.
– You can use a dash as an emphatic comma, semicolon, or colon.
32. Semicolon (;)
– You can also connect two independent clauses using a semicolon.
– The semicolon (;) connects two closely related statements.
– Each statement must be able to stand alone as an independent sentence.
33. “Because of” vs “due to” vs “for”
– Because of – modifies clause before it
– Due to – modifies noun
– For - is a lot like "because", except in the sense that it suggests a slightly less direct causation. Here's an
example: lots of people get sick in the winter. But that's not direct causation.