GMAT Rules with

1 Avoid awkward expressions

1 The doctor's treating of the patient was successful. (wrong)
->
The doctor's treatment of the patient was successful. (correct)
It is often awkward to use gerunds with a possessive, especially
when they can be replaced with an ordinary noun. So we should use
treatment instead of treating.
2 Be careful with comparative and superlative structures
1 Of all the wars that have ever raged, none claimed more lives as
World War II. (wrong)
->
Of all the wars that have ever raged, none claimed more lives
than World War II. (correct)
the comparative form is followed by than

2 Russia is bigger than all countries. (wrong)

->
Russia is bigger than all other countries. (correct)
The wrong sentence wrongly implies that Russia is bigger than itself.
By including the word "other", the corrected sentence fixes this
problem.
3 Modifiers should generally be placed close to what they modify
1 John ranked second in the competition as only he was beaten
by the champion (wrong)
John ranked second in the competition as he was only beaten
by the champion. (wrong)
->
John ranked second in the competition as he was beaten only
by the champion. (correct)
The first sentence suggests that the champion beat only John and no
one else.
The second sentence suggests that the champion only beat John and
did not do anything else with him or to him, such as greet him.
The last sentence appropriately suggests that John lost only one
game, which he played against the champion

2 He is a doctor in several hospitals who has performed many

critical surgeries. (wrong)
->
He is a doctor who has performed many critical surgeries in
several hospitals. (correct)
The doctor performed the surgeries, not the hospital and the surgeries
took place in several hospitals.

3 Food is consumed by bodybuilders rich in protein. (wrong)

->
Food rich in protein is consumed by bodybuilders. (correct)
Bodybuilders consume food rich in protein. (correct)
rich in protein should modify the food not the bodybuilders.
The first correction fixes this problem by placing the expression rich in
protein right after food.
The second correction is even better because it eliminates the
unnecessary passive form.
4 Some words look plural but are actually singular
1 Diabetes are serious diseases. (wrong)
->
Diabetes is a serious disease. (correct)
Diabetes is one disease. It is singular in form even though it end in an s.

2 Measles are no longer leading causes of death in the country.

(wrong)
->
Measles is no longer a leading cause of death in the country.
Measles is one disease. It is singular in form even though it end in an s.

3 The company have decided to enter a new market. (wrong)

->
The company has decided to enter a new market. (correct)
Collective nouns are considered singular
5 Move between sentences correctly or combine them into one
1 John is sick, he is not going to school. (wrong)
->
John is sick. He is not going to school. (correct)
John is sick. Therefore, his not going to school. (correct)
John is sick, so he is not going to school. (correct)
John is not going to school: he is sick. (correct)
The wrong sentence is a comma splice. It starts a new sentence
inappropriately by inserting a simple comma between the two clauses.
The corrected answers appropriatly connect the two ideas.

2 John is traveling, and so too is Sally, she is his sister. (wrong)

->
John is traveling, and so too is Sally, who is his sister. (correct)
John is traveling, and so too is Sally, his sister.
(correct)
The wrong sentence starts a new sentence (she is his sister) with a
comma without any connectors.
The first two corrections combine this sentence into the first.
The last correction places a period before the second sentence to
separate it appropriately from the first.
6 Avoid pronouns with no antecedents
1 This year, the company made two million dollars, double what it
was last year. (wrong)
->
This year, the company made two million dollars, double the
figure for last year. (correct)
This year, the company made two million dollars, which is
double the figure for last year. (correct)
In the wrong sentence, the pronoun it does not have a word to refer
to. Logically, it refers to sales or profit, but no such words are
included in the previous clause.
The two orrection, use "double" as a modifer for the "two million
dollars", which is correctly identified as a "figure".
7 Avoid redundant expressions
1 In the early twentieth century, French movies were previously
more popular than American movies (wrong)
->
In the early twentieth century, French movies were more popular
than American movies. (correct)
"previously" is redundant because the time frame for the event has
already been set with the introductory phrase

2 Following fast declining down, the currency's exchange rate is

up again. (wrong)
->
Following a fast decline, the currency's exchange rate is up
again. (correct)
"down" is redundant. "following" should be followed by a noun or a
noun phrase.

3 I know that there is a car is the garage. (wrong)

->
I know that a car is in the garage. (correct)
There is or there are should be avoided unless they are an essential
part of the sentence. The GMAT considers the corrected sentence
better because it eliminates a redundant word. Note that this is a
simplified sentence for illustration.

4 Many believe that there is a deal being negotiated. (wrong)

->
Many believe that a deal is being negotiated. (correct)
There is or there are should be avoided unless they are an essential
part of the sentence.
8 Watch out for mismatched comparisons
1 Like the respect given to his father, John is highly respected.
(wrong)
->
Like his father, John is highly respected. (correct)
Like the respect given to his father, the respect given to John is
The wrong sentence incorrectly compares John to the respect given
to his father.
The first correction, correctly compares John to his father.
The second correction, while wordy, correctly compares the respect
given to John to the respect given to his father.

2 American cars, unlike in Japan, were generally quite heavy and

fuel inefficient. (wrong)
->
Amerian cars, unlike Japanese ones, were generally quite
heavy and fuel inefficient. (correct)
The wrong sentence incorrectly compares American cars with "in
Japan".

3 Unlike his father, John's business startegy is unconventional.

(wrong)
->
Unlike his father's, John's business strategy is unconventional.
(correct)
Unlike his father, John has an unconventional strategy.
(correct)
9 Don't violate parallelism
1 The company decided to enter the Chinese market as soon as
possible to expand its customer base, establish an international
presence, getting there ahead of competition. (wrong)
->
The company decided to enter the Chinese market as soon as
possible to expand its customer base, establish an international
presence and get there ahead of competition. (right)
"expand", "establish" and "getting" are not parallel in the wrong
sentence.
The corrected sentence solves this problem.

2 International companies have presence in different countries

while local firms haven't. (wrong)
->
International companies have presence in different countries
while local firms don't. (correct)
The negative for verb "have" here must be "don't have".

3 Before the invention of agriculture, humans, trying to survive,

had to either hunt animals for their meat or gathering food from
the wild, moving to new places when the supply of animals and
plants dwindled. (wrong)
->
Before the invention of agriculture, humans, trying to survive,
had to either hunt animals for their meat or gather food from the
wild, moving to new places when the supply of animals and
plants dwindled. (correct)
"hunt" and "gather" are parallel and must be in the same form.

4 The central bank announced an interest rate hike, surprising

analysts and caused the stock market to drop. (wrong)
->
The central bank announced an interest rate hike, surprising
analysts and causing the stock market to drop. (correct)
The verb caused should be parallel with surprising.
10 Use idiomatic expressions
1 As contrasted with an internally performed business process,
an outsourced one cannot be readily used to achieve a
competitive advantage. (wrong)
->
In contrast to an internally performed business process, an
outsourced one cannot be readily used to achieve a competitive
advantage. (correct)
As contrasted with is unidomatic. We should use "in contrast to"
instead.

2 A joystick is a device to allow gamers to play video games

more easily.
->
A joystick is a device that allows gamers to play video games
more easily.
A joystick is a device allowing gamers to play video games
more easily.
The infinitive is not an idiomatic way to modify "device" in this case.
The action of allowing is not done to the device. Contrast with the
following example: we have many problems to solve. Here the action
of solving is done to the problems and so the sentence is idiomatic.

3 The newly discovered fossil is estimated at 3 million years old.

(wrong)
->
The newly discovered fossil is estimated to be 3 million years
old. (correct)
The age of the newly discovered fossil is estimated at 3 million
years. (correct)
The wrong answer follows estimated at with an adverbial phrase, not
with a noun or a noun phrase as it should have.
The first correction replaces at with to be.
The second correction uses estimated at appropriately by following it
with a noun phrase.
11 Introductory modifiers must be appropriate for the noun the follows
1 Hiding in ambush for its prey, the photographer filmed the tiger.
(wrong)
->
Hiding in ambush for its prey, the tiger was filmed by the
photographer. (correct)
While the tiger was hiding in ambush for its prey, the
photographer filmed it. (correct)
The wrong sentence implies that the photographer was hiding in
ambush, which does not make sense. The first correction follows the
introductory modifer "Hiding" with the noun it actually modifies "tiger".
The sencond correction makes it explicit from the beginning who was

2 Based on his own life experiences, John wrote a novel. (wrong)

->
Drawing on his own life experiences, John wrote a novel.
(correct)
John wrote a novel that is based on his own life experiences.
(correct)
The first sentence says that John is "based on his own life
experiences", which does not make sense. The first correction says
John was "drawing on his own life experiences" when he wrote the
novel, which makes sense.
The second correction makes it clear that the novel is based on John's
12 Avoid double negatives
1 John did not lie or say nothing that could offend nobody (wrong)
->
John did not lie or say anything that could offend anybody.
(correct)
nothing should be replaced with anything because the meaning is
already negative with the inclusion of did not at the beginning. The
same goes for nobody. In a simpler form, we can say: John did not
say anything that could offend anybody. The second correction is
even better because it is less wordy.

2 A market economy does not prevent the formation of private

enterprises or of no other form of business. (wrong)
->
A market economy does not prevent the formation of private
enterprises or of any other form of business. (correct).
no should be replaced with any because the sentence is already
negative. In a simpler form, we can say: A market economy does not
prevent the formation of any form of business.
13 Use descriptive participles correctly
1 John worked hard, but failing at the end. (wrong)
->
John worked hard, but he failed at the end. (correct)
John worked hard but failed at the end. ( correct)
A present particple can be placed at the end of a sentece after a
comma to extend the meaning of the sentence but it cannot be used
that way to show contrast. For example, we can say: John worked
hard, making great achievements. The two corrections remove the
inappropriate present participle.