In continuation of my previous post:
19. you don’t pay in a job but you pay for a job – OG10-109
20. In English it is idiomatic usage to credit someone with having done something.- OG10-111
21. the correct idiom is better served by x than by y
22. after when is unidiomatic: one word or the other can be used to establish temporal sequence, but not both together. OG10 -124
23. you can't 'demand X to do Y'. – UNIDIOMATIC (subjunctive) {Demand that x do y}
24. it's wrong to say 'preferred X over Y'. the correct idiom is 'prefer X to Y'. take note.
25. the idiom to mistake x for y.
26. Considered as is unidiomatic but Regard as is idiomatic
27. GREATER THAN VS MORE THAN in formal written english, if you are talking about an increase in a single statistic, you use GREATER. if you are counting things, and NOT referring to 'the number' or 'the population' or any other single statistic, you use MORE
the population of filipinos is greater than it was 10 years ago
there are more filipinos than there were 10 years ago
28. the sentence form X is why is unidiomatic (X is the reason why would be idiomatic og10-177
29. 1) idiom : support from vs. support of
support from : is used when you get support from something(someone)
support of : is used to express that you support something
ex) I rallied to the support of my country.
30. because is better than since when explanation of a cause is given.
Showing posts with label SC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SC. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21
Saturday, February 20
Idioms/ SC - Notes
Found one document where i had jotted down some of the idioms/notes:
1. the idiom is "believe x to be y." – og 10- q 9
2. the infinitive to be is more appropriate than the limited present-tense is in referring to an event that occurred long ago but has been recently discovered – og 10-q9
3. rates of is incorrect; when rates means "prices charged," it should be followed by for. – OG 10-Q13
4. estimated to be is correct – og 10-q14 –estimated at is unidiomatic
5. the idiomatically correct expression distinguishes between x and y – og 10 –q15
6. the phrases on account of and because of are unidiomatic; because can independently introduce a complete subordinate clause
7. idiomatic expression worried about rather than worried over -- worried about is preferable when describing a condition rather than an action. – OG 10-42
8. none the less ... than in D and no less... as in E are unidiomatic; the correct form of expression, no less ... than, -- OG 10-30
9. the same to X as to Y. – OG 10-54 --- UNIDIOMATIC FORM - the same to X just as [it would] to
10. The phrase have a danger is unidiomatic – OG 10- 63
11. because an adverb such as twice cannot function as an object of the preposition by. – OG 10-72
12. seem is Followed by an infinitive (to indicate), - OG 10-95
13. : x forbids y to do z or x prohibits y from doing z
14. Use "a native of" when you're talking about where a person was born, for example: I am a native of Detroit.
Use "native to" when you're talking about a category, characteristic, or species, for example: Tigers are native to India.
15. Rather than vs Instead of
Rather than shows a judgment. One choice is preferred over the other. It is better somehow.
instead of merely expresses a replacement of one thing for another.
I would rather have ice cream than apple pie because I like ice cream better.
But if there weren't very much ice cream left, and I wanted to save some for tomorrow, I might have apple pie instead of ice cream tonight.
More to follow....
1. the idiom is "believe x to be y." – og 10- q 9
2. the infinitive to be is more appropriate than the limited present-tense is in referring to an event that occurred long ago but has been recently discovered – og 10-q9
3. rates of is incorrect; when rates means "prices charged," it should be followed by for. – OG 10-Q13
4. estimated to be is correct – og 10-q14 –estimated at is unidiomatic
5. the idiomatically correct expression distinguishes between x and y – og 10 –q15
6. the phrases on account of and because of are unidiomatic; because can independently introduce a complete subordinate clause
7. idiomatic expression worried about rather than worried over -- worried about is preferable when describing a condition rather than an action. – OG 10-42
8. none the less ... than in D and no less... as in E are unidiomatic; the correct form of expression, no less ... than, -- OG 10-30
9. the same to X as to Y. – OG 10-54 --- UNIDIOMATIC FORM - the same to X just as [it would] to
10. The phrase have a danger is unidiomatic – OG 10- 63
11. because an adverb such as twice cannot function as an object of the preposition by. – OG 10-72
12. seem is Followed by an infinitive (to indicate), - OG 10-95
13. : x forbids y to do z or x prohibits y from doing z
14. Use "a native of" when you're talking about where a person was born, for example: I am a native of Detroit.
Use "native to" when you're talking about a category, characteristic, or species, for example: Tigers are native to India.
15. Rather than vs Instead of
Rather than shows a judgment. One choice is preferred over the other. It is better somehow.
instead of merely expresses a replacement of one thing for another.
I would rather have ice cream than apple pie because I like ice cream better.
But if there weren't very much ice cream left, and I wanted to save some for tomorrow, I might have apple pie instead of ice cream tonight.
More to follow....
Tuesday, September 22
Sentence Correction - 2
Manhattan SC guide is regarded as {regarded must be followed by as} the bible of SC and i have no doubt about that {can't use it here}. Summarising few of the imp concepts that i picked up while going through Adamjon's notes {these points are not mentioned in Manhattan guide}:
1. One of the {plural noun} is ---
One of the {Plural noun} THAT ARE
2. Each of the three cats is {each preceds the subject}
Three cats each are {each follows the subject}
Three cats, each of which is
3. Be on a lookout for word placement, certain words moving from one position to other can alter the intent of author:
ALL children are covered with mud
Children are ALL covered with mud
4. Known vs Unknown:
If original sentence is certain about an outcome then cross out the answer choices that indicate uncertainity:
Drop in fuel prices will boost auto sales
Drop in fuel prices might boost auto sales
5. Relative pronouns {who, that, which} generally agrees with the immediately preceding noun.
{However in certain cases it might refer to a noun earlier than the immediately preceding noun.}
--> It, They, Them agree with the subject of preceding clause or sentence
6. Don't use conditional verb {could, may, might etc}with Possible/Possibly
7. Adverbs of frequency should be placed between auxiliary verb and past participle:
--> As anyone has ever come -- correct
--> As anyone ever has come -- incorrect
8. Between can be used for more than two items if the relationship is one to one, however much it may be repeated with different partners.
--> Dr. Sayre’s lecture recounted several little-known episodes in the relations between nations that illustrate what is wrong with alliances and treaties that do not have popular support.
9. It doesn't matter whether the subject is singular or plural after will you must use have and not has,
Will have ----
10. Not only generally calls for a later but also but But also does not necessarily calls for an earlier not only. e.g:
--> Rio de Janeiro has some of the world's most famous beaches, but it also has some of the world's most notorious slums
11. Majority should be used with countable nouns
A majority of -- plural
One half of voters -- Plural
A lot of voters -- plural
12. Regard and consider are similar in meaning. But Regard must be followed by As while consider should not be followed by as or to be.
I regard him as a friend.
I consider him a friend.
13. Do NOT USE Subjuntive in a clause begining with Until.
14. Different Than -- can be used to compare a noun and a clause. But should never be used to compare two nouns. Delhi is different than "it was 10 years ago" is correct.
15. Concerned for -- worried/anxious
Concerned with -- related to
Native to -- characterstic or species -- tigers are native to india
Native of -- birthplace -- i am a native of Jupiter
16. Due to is different from Because of.
Due to should only be used to mean caused by.
The game was postponed due to rain -- incorrect
The game's postponement was due to rain -- correct
17. Credit with -- accredited with -- edison is credited with inventing the bulb
Credit to -- give money -- The bank credited $1 million to my account {why in the hell you are writing this blog then ??}
Credit for -- Money received for -- The customer received a $20 credit for the interruption in service.
1. One of the {plural noun} is ---
One of the {Plural noun} THAT ARE
2. Each of the three cats is {each preceds the subject}
Three cats each are {each follows the subject}
Three cats, each of which is
3. Be on a lookout for word placement, certain words moving from one position to other can alter the intent of author:
ALL children are covered with mud
Children are ALL covered with mud
4. Known vs Unknown:
If original sentence is certain about an outcome then cross out the answer choices that indicate uncertainity:
Drop in fuel prices will boost auto sales
Drop in fuel prices might boost auto sales
5. Relative pronouns {who, that, which} generally agrees with the immediately preceding noun.
{However in certain cases it might refer to a noun earlier than the immediately preceding noun.}
--> It, They, Them agree with the subject of preceding clause or sentence
6. Don't use conditional verb {could, may, might etc}with Possible/Possibly
7. Adverbs of frequency should be placed between auxiliary verb and past participle:
--> As anyone has ever come -- correct
--> As anyone ever has come -- incorrect
8. Between can be used for more than two items if the relationship is one to one, however much it may be repeated with different partners.
--> Dr. Sayre’s lecture recounted several little-known episodes in the relations between nations that illustrate what is wrong with alliances and treaties that do not have popular support.
9. It doesn't matter whether the subject is singular or plural after will you must use have and not has,
Will have ----
10. Not only generally calls for a later but also but But also does not necessarily calls for an earlier not only. e.g:
--> Rio de Janeiro has some of the world's most famous beaches, but it also has some of the world's most notorious slums
11. Majority should be used with countable nouns
A majority of -- plural
One half of voters -- Plural
A lot of voters -- plural
12. Regard and consider are similar in meaning. But Regard must be followed by As while consider should not be followed by as or to be.
I regard him as a friend.
I consider him a friend.
13. Do NOT USE Subjuntive in a clause begining with Until.
14. Different Than -- can be used to compare a noun and a clause. But should never be used to compare two nouns. Delhi is different than "it was 10 years ago" is correct.
15. Concerned for -- worried/anxious
Concerned with -- related to
Native to -- characterstic or species -- tigers are native to india
Native of -- birthplace -- i am a native of Jupiter
16. Due to is different from Because of.
Due to should only be used to mean caused by.
The game was postponed due to rain -- incorrect
The game's postponement was due to rain -- correct
17. Credit with -- accredited with -- edison is credited with inventing the bulb
Credit to -- give money -- The bank credited $1 million to my account {why in the hell you are writing this blog then ??}
Credit for -- Money received for -- The customer received a $20 credit for the interruption in service.
Friday, September 18
Sentence Correction
The use of colloquial language coupled with our innate ability to decipher the intended meaning are the biggest roadblocks for someone who is trying to achieve a high hit rate in SC. I find it really tough to spot the subjunctive, have problem with questions involving modifiers and being a non native speaker my ears find it hard to spot the idioms.
So, whats the way out for people like me? Practice, practice and practice. Thats the response i get from people who have either cracked the GMAT or who are GMAT instructors. Great, with all the resources handy i started practising and soon found my accuracy rate jump from 50% to approx 70-75%. Now i have hit the ceiling and hard work alone won't help me. I need to practice smarter and need to train at an altitude {no i'm not going to Himalayas, i will be practising harder problems}. But i soon figured out that solving harder problems alone won't help my cause. I need to figure out why a specific answer choice is right and why others are wrong.
Now i make a point to identify the error type in each of the answer choice. Also, i make sure to put down the reason for selecting a particular option. This habit has slowed me down a bit but i have become aware of so many fundamentals which i had been ignoring earlier. When to use -ing form of modifier, how "it, they, them" are different from subject pronouns etc. I have shortlisted Adamjon's notes /Sahil's notes and OG to get a good grasp of fundamentals. I am trying hard not to choose an option only by relying on my ears {what sounds right is not always gramatically correct}, i make sure that the option falls in one of the error category.
This habit helped me to figure out my problem areas in SC -- subjunctive/modifiers/idioms. Also, one should read the sentence in totality and try to get an understanding of author's intention. For eg:
The Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania affords the visitor with unequalled opportunities to photograph lions playing in trees without the aid of telephoto lenses.
Author intends to say that lions can be photographed without the aid of telephoto lenses but the sentence above gives an impression that lions are playing in trees withou the aid of TP lenses. {Here our mind plays the trick, it deciphers the intended meaning}
I found a useful tool in 2-3 split approach, which says that you often find answer choices where based upon the structure of sentence you can club the problems into 2 groups. Now, if you find a particular error in a group abandon all the choices falling in that group {No point in wasting time on wrong choices}. With practice it is easy to spot these 2-3 patterns and you will often find yourself struggling between 2 choices which are very close. Once you achieve this level hard work alone won't help, its time to work smarter. for e.g:
The voluminous personal papers of Thomas Alva Edison reveal that his inventions typically sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly from previous works.
(A) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(B) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but were slowly evolved
(C) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(D) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but had slowly evolved
(E) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but they were slowly evolved
A and B have sprang and C,D and E have did not spring...evolved slowly is in a and c and b and e have were slowly evolved.
Will share more of my thoughts on SC and other topics as and when i learn new fundae.
So, whats the way out for people like me? Practice, practice and practice. Thats the response i get from people who have either cracked the GMAT or who are GMAT instructors. Great, with all the resources handy i started practising and soon found my accuracy rate jump from 50% to approx 70-75%. Now i have hit the ceiling and hard work alone won't help me. I need to practice smarter and need to train at an altitude {no i'm not going to Himalayas, i will be practising harder problems}. But i soon figured out that solving harder problems alone won't help my cause. I need to figure out why a specific answer choice is right and why others are wrong.
Now i make a point to identify the error type in each of the answer choice. Also, i make sure to put down the reason for selecting a particular option. This habit has slowed me down a bit but i have become aware of so many fundamentals which i had been ignoring earlier. When to use -ing form of modifier, how "it, they, them" are different from subject pronouns etc. I have shortlisted Adamjon's notes /Sahil's notes and OG to get a good grasp of fundamentals. I am trying hard not to choose an option only by relying on my ears {what sounds right is not always gramatically correct}, i make sure that the option falls in one of the error category.
This habit helped me to figure out my problem areas in SC -- subjunctive/modifiers/idioms. Also, one should read the sentence in totality and try to get an understanding of author's intention. For eg:
The Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania affords the visitor with unequalled opportunities to photograph lions playing in trees without the aid of telephoto lenses.
Author intends to say that lions can be photographed without the aid of telephoto lenses but the sentence above gives an impression that lions are playing in trees withou the aid of TP lenses. {Here our mind plays the trick, it deciphers the intended meaning}
I found a useful tool in 2-3 split approach, which says that you often find answer choices where based upon the structure of sentence you can club the problems into 2 groups. Now, if you find a particular error in a group abandon all the choices falling in that group {No point in wasting time on wrong choices}. With practice it is easy to spot these 2-3 patterns and you will often find yourself struggling between 2 choices which are very close. Once you achieve this level hard work alone won't help, its time to work smarter. for e.g:
The voluminous personal papers of Thomas Alva Edison reveal that his inventions typically sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly from previous works.
(A) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(B) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but were slowly evolved
(C) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly
(D) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but had slowly evolved
(E) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but they were slowly evolved
A and B have sprang and C,D and E have did not spring...evolved slowly is in a and c and b and e have were slowly evolved.
Will share more of my thoughts on SC and other topics as and when i learn new fundae.
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