®

The Complete GMAT

Sentence Correction Guide

Erica L. Meltzer

New York
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ISBN-13: 978-0-9975178-0-4
ISBN-10: 0997517808
 ALSO BY ERICA MELTZER
...........................

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The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT® Reading

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The Complete Guide to ACT® Reading

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iv
 Table of Contents
Introduction 7

• GMAT® Sentence Correct Cheat Sheet 9

• Parts of Speech 10

1. Building a Sentence 13

2. Non-Essential Clauses 21

Exercise: Identifying Non-Essential Words and Phrases 26

3. Sentences and Fragments 28

Exercise: Sentences and Fragments 34

4. Subject-Verb Agreement 36

Exercise: Subject-Verb Agreement 44

Cumulative Review 1: Chapters 1-4 47

5. Verb Tense and Form 49

Verb Exercise 1 52

Verb Exercise 2 57

6. Noun and Pronoun Agreement 61

Exercise: Noun and Pronoun Agreement 68

7. Relative Pronouns 71

Exercise: Relative Pronouns 74

8. Adjectives vs. Adverbs 76

Exercise: Adjectives vs. Adverbs 78

Cumulative Review 2: Chapters 1-8 80

9. Modification 83

Exercise: Dangling Modifiers 86

Exercise: Misplaced Modifiers 89

v
10. Word Pairs 91

Exercise: Word Pairs 95

11. Parallel Structure 97

Exercise: Parallel Structure 106

12. Faulty Comparisons 110

Exercise: Faulty Comparisons 116

Cumulative Review 3: Chapters 1-12 118

13. Shorter is Better – Except When it Isn’t 121

Exercise: Wordiness 125

14. Participles and Gerunds (Good –ING, Bad –ING) 128

Exercise: Participles and Gerunds 136

15. Idioms and Diction 139

Exercise: Idioms and Diction 151

16. Putting It Together 154

• Multiple-Choice Practice Questions 161

• Answer Key 189

• Answers and Explanations: Multiple-Choice Practice Questions 203

About the Author 303

vi
 Introduction

I know you’re probably eager to get down to business (literally), so I’ve done my best to keep this part short.
Nevertheless, there are a couple of important points I feel obligated to make here; if you’ll humor me, I’ve outlined
them below.

First, you will be taking the GMAT® on a screen. This fact may seem so basic that it barely seems worth mentioning,
but if you are doing the majority of your preparation on paper, it should not be discounted. Reading on a computer
is not the same as reading on paper. Although you may have scratch paper to work out your answers on, you
cannot physically draw lines through answer choices, nor can you cross out distracting information from sentences
themselves. You are also more likely to overlook, insert, and misread letters and words – and unfortunately, the
distinction between the correct answer and one or more of the incorrect answers can sometimes come down to a
single word, even a single letter. Add in the fatigue factor and the second-guessing that often accompanies it, and
you can end up losing points that you could have obtained easily given more favorable circumstances.

To guard against these pitfalls, you must make certain to pay extra close attention to which words the underlined
portion of a sentence does and does not include.

For example, consider the following question:

Among elephants living in families in the wild, older females often have the greatest vulnerability
because their large tusks, which make the animals exceptionally attractive to poachers in search of ivory.

(A) older females often have the greatest vulnerability because their large tusks, which make
(B) older females are often the most vulnerable due to their large tusks, which make
(C) older females often having the most vulnerability because of their large tusks making
(D) older females are often the most vulnerable and due to their large tusks making
(E) older females are often the most vulnerable because their large tusks make

If you happen to know that because rather than due to should be used (we’ll get into why later), this is a relatively
straightforward question; however, it does have the potential to be tricky for an entirely unrelated reason.

If you read carefully, you can see that the original version of the sentence is not a grammatically coherent
statement. Because the verb make belongs to the subject which rather than to tusks, the second half of the sentence is
missing a main verb (because their large tusks, which make the animals exceptionally attractive to poachers in search of
ivory). (A) is therefore incorrect.

What people can easily think they see in the original version, however, is this:

…older females often have the greatest vulnerability because of their large tusks, which make the animals
exceptionally attractive to poachers in search of ivory.

That, of course, is perfectly acceptable as a sentence. The problem is that it’s not what’s written! But because it’s
what a lot of people are expecting to see, their eye automatically fills in the word of. As a result, they jump to pick
(A) without reading the other answers carefully and get the question wrong, even though they understand
perfectly well the concept being tested.

In contrast, (E), the correct answer, eliminates which, restoring the verb make to its proper subject, tusks. But if you
mentally insert the word of into the original version, you might not even make it that far.

The difference between a pretty good score and a very good score is therefore not just a matter of what you know,
but also of how carefully you work. On the GMAT, you have no choice but to sweat the details. (As long as your
proctor does not object, you may even want to physically put your finger on the screen as you read. Doing so might
feel a bit ridiculous, but it can help ensure that you read what is actually written. If you find this technique
distracting, you are of course free to disregard it; I mention it because I happen to find it useful.)

7
Second, on the actual exam, Sentence Corrections are interspersed with Reading Comprehension and Critical
Reasoning questions. Sometimes you may see a few Sentence Corrections in a row, while other times you may
encounter a single Sentence Correction bookended by other question types. By necessity, you must be able to flip in
and out of grammar mode very quickly. In addition, you cannot afford to let yourself get caught off guard by a first
Sentence Correction that appears after four Reading Comprehension questions. Because the test is adaptive, a
careless mistake early on can have serious repercussions for your score. Again, an obvious point, but one that
cannot be overemphasized.

The good news is that among the various types of questions that appear on the Verbal portion of the GMAT,
Sentence Corrections are typically the most straightforward. Unlike Reading Comprehension and Critical
Reasoning questions, which ask you to juggle multiple ideas simultaneously, Sentence Corrections are always
limited to one sentence. As a result, they can provide a welcome respite from the kind of mental contortions
required by the rest of the section. If you’re properly prepared, they can be a relatively easy source of points.

That said, if you don’t have a solid understanding of what you’re looking for, Sentence Corrections can also be a
source of significant confusion. Like the other two Verbal question types, they present you with a mass of
information, some of which is important and some of which is not. In order to conserve your energy for more
involved, passage-based questions, you must be able to distinguish between information that is relevant and
information that is present merely to distract you. In a sentence of 30 words, for example, the answer may depend
on just 10 words or fewer. Conversely, you may not be able to determine the answer to a question in which only a
single word is underlined without taking the entire sentence into account.

Throughout this book, I have sought to strike a balance between depth and clarity: I have attempted to discuss
concepts in sufficient detail to allow you to understand their underlying logic as well as their application to a range
of situations, but I have also tried to avoid detouring into potentially confusing nuances or exceptions not directly
relevant to the GMAT. With the number of international test-takers growing, the GMAC has shifted the emphasis
of the test toward reasoning skills and away from nitpicky idiomatic usage. So while correct answers may often
sound less than elegant by non-GMAT standards, you can still determine many of them by thinking clearly about
the most logical intended meaning.

One note about the exercises in this book: In my very considerable experience teaching grammar for a range of
standardized tests, I have found that an excessive reliance on answer choices can be problematic. Rather, to master
material to the point at which you are virtually unshakeable during the exam, you must be accustomed to
correcting errors yourself. The more challenging the grammar, the better you will be served by the ability to predict
corrections before you even look at the answers. Consequently, I have chosen not to place the exercises at the end of
each chapter in multiple-choice format. Although you may find this setup somewhat tedious, it is designed to help
you build a solid foundation rather than simply learn a few “tricks” and shortcuts.

To help you understand how the material in this book applies to actual released GMAT questions, I have also
provided a list of relevant questions from the Official Guide for GMAT Review 2018 and the Official Guide for GMAT
Verbal Review 2018 at the end of each chapter. In addition, I discuss specific questions from those guides at various
points in order to illustrate the application of certain rules to the exam. You should, however, be aware that there
are a handful of concepts covered in this book that are either not tested or deemphasized in the 2018 guides. When
that is the case, the concepts have appeared either in earlier editions of the Official Guides or in official GMAT
practice software. If a rule has been tested in recent years, it is reasonable to assume that it could be tested again.
My goal is to help you anticipate the broadest possible range of Sentence Correction types you could encounter on
the GMAT, and to give you the tools to master them.

~Erica Meltzer

8
GMAT Sentence Correction Cheat Sheet

1. Do NOT ignore the non-underlined portion of the sentence; it may include key information.

2. Shorter = Better.

3. –ING, especially BEING, usually = wrong. (Exceptions: idioms and participles used to join clauses).
Subjects + conjugated verbs & nouns usually = right.

4. Non-essential clauses are often used to distract from errors and “pad” sentences. Cross out to simplify.

5. Semicolons separate two complete sentences.

6. Singular/plural verb split = subject-verb agreement question. –S = singular verb; no –S = plural verb.

7. It vs. they splits = pronoun agreement. It(s) = singular, paired with singular noun. They/their = plural,
paired with plural noun.

8. Collective nouns (jury, agency, company) = singular.

9. This and that should be followed by nouns.

10. All items in a list must be parallel: noun, noun, and noun; verb, verb, and verb; -ING, -ING, and -ING. If items
are long, focus on the beginning of each item. Also: remember that constructions on either side of a conjunction
or word pair must be parallel.

11. Which often = wrong. This word must refer back to the noun that immediately precedes it.

12. Which = comma, that = no comma.

13. Where = places, not times, books, works of art, etc.

14. Whose = both people and things. Who = people only; which = things only.

15. Due to = caused by, usually wrong.

16. Keep comparisons equivalent: people = people; things = things. Correct comparisons are often introduced by
(un)like.

16. Such as = introduce examples; (un)like = introduce comparison.

17. Participial phrase (e.g. having gone, written by) at the start of a sentence often = dangling modifier

18. Make sure modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases) are placed next to the words they are
intended to modify.

19. Top word pairs: not (only)...but (also); both/ between...and; so/such...that; from...to, (n)either...(n)or; just as...so.

20. Amount, much, less = singular nouns; number, many, fewer = plural nouns.

9
 Chapter Four
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
All verbs must agree with their subjects in number:

• Singular subjects take singular verbs.

• Plural subjects take plural verbs.

GMAT questions testing number ask about verbs in the 3rd person singular (he/she/it) and plural (they) forms.

Important: 3rd person singular verbs always end in –S; 3rd person plural verbs do not. Note that this is the
opposite of nouns, which take an –S in the plural.

Correct Incorrect

Singular subject The rate increases. The rate increase.

Plural subject (simple) The rates increase. The rates increases.

Plural subject (compound) The rate and the velocity increase. The rate and the velocity increases.

Important: is/are, was/were, and has/have are the most frequently tested verbs. When you see the conjugated form of
one of these verbs underlined, you should immediately begin by identifying its subject.

Unfortunately, most subject-verb agreement questions that appear on the GMAT are considerably longer than the
above examples, not to mention a good deal more complex. Furthermore, subjects and verbs are unlikely to appear
next to one another, making disagreements difficult to spot.

That said, there are a limited number of ways in which subjects and verbs are likely to be separated from one
another in GMAT sentences. The following pages detail these common constructions, as well as a number of
additional formats in which subject-verb agreement errors could potentially appear.

A. Subject – Non-Essential Clause – Verb

On the GMAT, non-essential clauses may be inserted between subjects and verbs in order to distract from the fact
that the subject is singular and the verb is plural or vice-versa.

Incorrect: Moroccan green tea, which is prepared with a healthy amount of sugar and mint leaves, are
one of the most popular drinks across North Africa.

Correct: Moroccan green tea, which is prepared with a healthy amount of sugar and mint leaves, is
one of the most popular drinks across North Africa.

36
Whenever you encounter a non-essential clause, you should immediately cross it out. Most often it is used to
distract you from spotting subject-verb agreement errors, but it can be used to distract from other types of errors as
well (discussed later). Do not forget this step! Otherwise, you risk overlooking errors that can be easily spotted.

Subject-verb agreement errors can also appear within non-essential clauses, so if you’ve eliminated a non-essential
clause and can’t find another problem in the sentence, go back and check.

Incorrect: Moroccan green tea, which are prepared with a healthy amount of sugar and mint
leaves, is one of the most popular drinks across North Africa.

Correct: Moroccan green tea, which is prepared with a healthy amount of sugar and mint leaves,
is one of the most popular drinks across North Africa.

You may also encounter subject-verb agreement questions with essential clauses. Sometimes these clauses will be
set off with that, but other times they may begin with another part of speech (typically a past participle).

Incorrect: In large doses, many common chemicals (that are) found in household cleaners has
devastating effects, but toxicologists insist that such substances are thoroughly
innocuous in minuscule amounts.

Correct: In large doses, many common chemicals (that are) found in household cleaners have
devastating effects, but toxicologists insist that such substances are thoroughly
innocuous in minuscule amounts.

B. Subject – Prepositional Phrase – Verb

A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition, e.g., in the box, under the table, over the hill.

Prepositional phrases may be inserted between subjects and verbs to distract from disagreements. When this is the
case, the verb will follow the last word of the prepositional phrase (or series of prepositional phrases).

Incorrect: Changes in the balance of trade seems remote from everyday concerns, but they can
drastically affect the ways in which consumers choose to spend their money.

Correct: Changes in the balance of trade seem remote from everyday concerns, but they can
drastically affect the ways in which consumers choose to spend their money.

The above sentence contains a classic trick: the subject (changes) is plural and thus requires a plural verb (seem).
However, the prepositional phrase inserted between the subject and the verb ends with a singular noun (trade). If
you are not paying close attention, trade can easily appear to be the subject of the verb that follows.

C. (Prepositional Phrase) – Verb – Subject

Note: this structure is not normally tested on the GMAT, but I am including it here for the sake of thoroughness.

In this structure, the normal word syntax is reversed so that the prepositional phrase appears at the beginning of a
sentence or clause (italicized), followed by the verb (bold) and then the subject (underlined).

Incorrect: Along the Loup Canal in Nebraska extends parks, lakes, and trails owned and operated by
the Loup power district, a public power utility serving residents of four separate
counties.

Correct: Along the Loup Canal in Nebraska extend parks, lakes, and trails owned and operated by
the Loup power district, a public power utility serving residents of four separate
counties.

37
The preposition can also appear as the second word in a clause. In such cases, it will most likely be preceded by a
participle, either present (–ING) or past (–ED, –OWN, –UNG).

Incorrect: Running along the Loup Canal in Nebraska is parks, lakes, and trails owned and operated
by the Loup power district, a public power utility serving residents of four separate
counties.

Correct: Running along the Loup Canal in Nebraska are parks, lakes, and trails owned and operated
by the Loup power district, a public power utility serving residents of four separate
counties.

Although the reversed syntax makes the sentence sound odd, the syntax itself is not the problem. Rather, it is a
distraction tool that makes the disagreement between the subject and the verb more difficult to hear.

In addition, errors may appear in which the verb comes before the subject but is not preceded by a prepositional
phrase:

Incorrect: Radioactivity is generally not considered harmful when people are exposed to it at
low levels for brief periods, but less clear is its long-term effects.

Correct: Radioactivity is generally not considered harmful when people are exposed to it at
low levels for brief periods, but less clear are its long-term effects.

D. Compound Subject
When two singular nouns are connected by and, the result is a compound subject. Compound subjects are always
plural and require plural verbs.

If you only notice the second noun – the noun closer to the verb – you are likely to think that a singular verb is
correct. As a result, you should always make sure to back up and determine the complete subject before deciding
whether a given verb is correct.

Incorrect: Louise Erdrich’s fiction and poetry draws on their author’s Chippewa heritage to
examine complex familial relationships among Native Americans as they reflect on
issues of identity and culture.

Correct: Louise Erdrich’s fiction and poetry draw on their author’s Chippewa heritage to
examine complex familial relationships among Native Americans as they reflect on
issues of identity and culture.

Note that compound subjects can also appear in conjunction with other features, such as prepositional phrases or
non-essential clauses. When this is the case, you must be very careful to identify the complete subject. If you only
notice the noun closer to the verb and overlook the word and, you are likely to think that the subject is singular.

Compound subject with prepositional phrase:

Incorrect: The highly textured bark and distinctive silhouette of the Dutch Elm tree distinguishes
that species from the equally common English Elm tree.

Correct: The highly textured bark and distinctive silhouette of the Dutch Elm tree distinguish
that species from the equally common English Elm tree.

38
Compound subject with flipped subject and verb:

Incorrect: In the galleries of the Louvre museum hangs Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Eugene
Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, two of the best-known paintings in the world.

Correct: In the galleries of the Louvre museum hang Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Eugene
Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, two of the best-known paintings in the world.

E. There is/There are, etc.

}
There is
There was take singular nouns
There has been

}
There are
There were take plural nouns
There have been

Incorrect: In recent months, there has been many questions raised about the handling of the
company’s finances, increasing speculation that it may soon declare bankruptcy.

Correct: In recent months, there have been many questions raised about the handling of the
company’s finances, increasing speculation that it may soon declare bankruptcy.

F. Neither…Nor + Verb
When (n)either…(n)or is used, the verb must agree with the noun that comes right before the verb.

Incorrect: Although both authors have written acclaimed novels, neither Maxine Hong Kingston
nor Amy Tan were raised in a literary family.

Correct: Although both authors have written acclaimed novels, neither Maxine Hong Kingston
nor Amy Tan was raised in a literary family.

When (n)either is used without (n)or, a singular verb should be used. (N)either is short for (n)either one.

Incorrect: Although Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan have both written acclaimed novels,
neither were raised in a literary family.

Correct: Although Maxine Hong Kingston and Amy Tan have both written acclaimed novels,
neither was raised in a literary family.

39
In addition:
Collective (group) nouns = singular

Collective nouns are nouns that refer to groups of people, e.g., agency, company, board, institution, organization, team,
family, and committee. Note that while British English considers these nouns plural, the GMAT follows American
usage and only considers them singular.

Incorrect: Founded in 1948, the World Health Organization support countries’ attempts to
improve the health of their citizens by coordinating the efforts of multiple sectors.

Correct: Founded in 1948, the World Health Organization supports countries’ attempts to
improve the health of their citizens by coordinating the efforts of multiple sectors.

A number = plural
The number = singular

Incorrect: Although company executives and labor leaders were able to reach a rapid agreement,
a number of workers has unexpectedly begun to protest the new administration’s
economic policies.

Correct: Although company executives and labor leaders were able to reach a rapid agreement,
a number of workers have unexpectedly begun to protest the new administration’s
economic policies.

Incorrect: Although company executives and labor leaders were able to reach a rapid agreement,
the number of workers beginning to protest the new administration’s economic
policies are unexpectedly high.

Correct: Although company executives and labor leaders were able to reach a rapid agreement,
the number of workers beginning to protest the new administration’s economic
policies is unexpectedly high.

One = singular

Although this rule may seem obvious, it is easy to become confused if a prepositional phrase is inserted between
the subject and the verb.

Incorrect: According to a view held by many economists, one of the fundamental causes of
inflation involve changes in the demand for goods.

Correct: According to a view held by many economists, one of the fundamental causes of
inflation involves changes in the demand for goods.

Each (one) = singular

Incorrect: Each of the labor union’s members are expected to attend the meeting at which next
year’s contract will be negotiated with company officials.

Correct: Each of the labor union’s members is expected to attend the meeting at which next
year’s contract will be negotiated with company officials.

40
Every (one) = singular

Incorrect: Every one of the labor union’s members are expected to attend the meeting, at which
next year’s contract will be negotiated with company officials.

Correct: Every one of the labor union’s members is expected to attend the meeting, at which next
year’s contract will be negotiated with company officials.

Gerunds (-ING words) = singular

Incorrect: Playing parlor games such as charades were a popular pastime in the early twentieth
century, before the invention of radio and television.

Correct: Playing parlor games such as charades was a popular pastime in the early twentieth
century, before the invention of radio and television.

Infinitives (TO + verb) = singular

Incorrect: To train for competition in an athletic event at the Olympics are to be subjected to a
grueling regime of discipline and training, one that must be followed strictly for months
or even years.

Correct: To train for competition in an athletic event at the Olympics is to be subjected to a

grueling regime or discipline and training, one that must be followed strictly for months
or even years.

That, Whether, What = singular

Although the use of these words as subjects may sound odd to you, it is perfectly acceptable. If anything, answers
containing these constructions are more likely to be correct, and should thus be considered very carefully, precisely
because so many test-takers are likely to find them questionable.

Correct: That Jane Goodall became the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees was hardly
a surprise to those who had observed her childhood fascination with animals.

Correct: What has been repeatedly criticized is the author’s refusal to discuss her work publicly,
not the content of her novels.

Correct: Whether The Tale of Genji was actually written entirely by Murasaki Shikibu is unlikely
to ever be determined unless a major archival discovery is made.

Note that some of these words are condensed versions of longer phrases, e.g., that = the fact that, whether = the
question whether. In some cases, you may find it easier to understand what sentences are saying if you plug in the
complete phrase.

For an example of an authentic question using whether as a subject, see The Official GMAT Verbal Guide 2018,
question #260, p. 267 (does not test subject-verb agreement, however).

41
 Subject-Verb Agreement on the GMAT

Being able to spot subject-verb agreement errors without the aid of the answer choices is of course ideal; however,
you may not always be able to identify disagreements on your own. In such cases, you can work backwards from
the answer choices. When the answer choices are split between singular and plural verbs, you can be confident that
you are dealing with a subject-verb agreement question.

For example, consider the following set of answer choices:

(A) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the

mid-1980s began studying
(B) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s began to study
(C) remains puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s began studying
(D) remains puzzling to archaeologists, beginning in
the mid-1980s to study
(E) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s would begin to study

The first word of each answer choice provides a very important clue as to what the question is testing: choices (A),
(B), and (E) all begin with the plural verb remain, while choices (C) and (D) begin with the singular plural verb
remains.

Before you even start to consider the rest of the information in the answer choices, you must identify the subject of
the verb in question and determine whether that subject is singular or plural. Doing so will allow you to eliminate
at least two, even three, answers immediately, making it unnecessary for you to consider any additional errors in
those choices.

Now take a look at the whole question:

The presence of mysterious paintings in a cave

located outside Columbia, Missouri, remain puzzling
to archaeologists, who in the mid-1980s began
studying the images created by ancient residents of the
Mississippi Valley.

Be very careful when identifying the subject. While it is true that the mysterious paintings remain puzzling to
archaeologists, the grammatical subject of the sentence is actually the singular noun the presence. The plural noun
mysterious paintings is part of the prepositional phrase begun by the preposition of.

As a matter of fact, this sentence contains three prepositional phrases between the subject and the verb:

The presence of mysterious paintings in a cave located outside Columbia, Missouri, remain…
1 2 3
When you are dealing with very long sentences, you must still remember to back up all the way to the beginning of
the sentence. Subject-verb agreement questions can ask about verbs whose subjects are located anywhere in the
sentence, and verbs can be separated from their subjects by large amounts of information. As a result, the subject of
an underlined verb that appears close to the end of a sentence may be located all the way at the beginning.

If you cannot determine the subject of a verb logically, you should cross out any prepositional phrases and non-
essential clauses that appear in order to reduce the sentence to its most basic elements.

The presence of mysterious paintings in a cave located outside Columbia, Missouri, remain…

Now the error is much more apparent.

42
With that information, we can return to our question.

The presence of mysterious paintings in a cave

located outside Columbia, Missouri, remain puzzling
to archaeologists, who in the mid-1980s began
studying the images created by ancient residents of the
Mississippi Valley.

(A) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the

mid-1980s began studying
(B) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s began to study
(C) remains puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s began studying
(D) remains puzzling to archaeologists, beginning in
the mid-1980s to study
(E) remain puzzling to archaeologists, who in the
mid-1980s would begin to study

Because The presence, the subject of the verb, is singular, the verb must be singular as well: remains, not remain. (A),
(B), and (E) can thus be eliminated.

Notice that the question of whether began should be followed by the gerund studying or the infinitive to study has
become entirely irrelevant. (In fact, both versions are acceptable.)

Now let’s consider just choices (C) and (D):

(C) remains puzzling to archaeologists, who in the

mid-1980s began studying
(D) remains puzzling to archaeologists, beginning in
the mid-1980s to study

Neither of these answers is flat-out grammatically wrong, although if you have a good ear, you can probably hear
that (D) sounds somewhat awkward and be reasonably confident that (C) is correct.

Otherwise, you can think of it this way: the date mid-1980s indicates that the sentence is describing a completed
action in the past, and that a verb in the simple past should therefore be used. (C) contains such a verb (began),
along with a subject (who), whereas (D) contains only a participle (beginning). The construction in (C) is clearer and
more precise, making that answer correct.

Note: For an excellent Official Guide example of how focusing on verb “splits” can help you narrow down answers
quickly, see #771 on p. 701. Notice that (A), (B), and (D) all contain the plural verb leave, whereas (C) and (E) contain
the singular leaves. If you can back up to the beginning of the sentence and identify the singular noun absence as the
subject, you can immediately eliminate (A), (B), and (D).

43
Exercise: Subject-Verb Agreement
In the following sentences, fix any subject-verb agreement error. Label subjects, verbs, and prepositional
phrases, and cross out non-essential clauses. Some sentences may not contain an error. (Answers p. 190)

1. First described by Aristotle in his Poetics (c. 335 B.C.E.), the process of living vicariously through a
fictional character in order to purge one’s emotions are known as catharsis.

2. On the border between China and Tibet lies the Himalaya Mountains, which rise to more than 25,000 ft.
above sea level and include some of the highest peaks in the world.

3. The buildings of Frank Gehry, including Gehry’s private residence, attracts thousands of visitors
annually because critics frequently praise his designs for embodying the most important principles of
contemporary architecture.

4. Although Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt eventually became two of the most powerful
figures in business during the late nineteenth century, neither were born into a wealthy family.

5. The maps of historian and cartographer John Speed depict some of the first visual representations of
many towns and cities throughout England, Ireland, and Scotland.

6. Playboating, a discipline of whitewater rafting or canoeing in which players stay in one spot while
performing a series of complex maneuvers, involve specialized canoes designed specifically for the sport.

7. Often found in plastic drinking bottles is substantial amounts of a substance known as Bisphenol A, a
potentially toxic chemical that may affect the brains and behaviors of infants and young children.

8. Louise Glück’s seemingly straightforward language and unadorned style gives her poems an air of
accessibility that masks the intensity of their content.

9. Among the finds from a recent archaeological dig in London was earthenware knobs originally used for
“pay walls,” boxes into which Elizabethan theater-goers deposited their admission fees.

10. One of the animal kingdom’s best jumpers are the flea, whose ability to leap up to 200 times its own body
length is virtually unsurpassed among either insects or other land-dwelling creatures.

11. According to entomologist Deborah Gordon, the popular depiction of ants as brave soldiers and dutiful
factory workers is a human fiction, one entirely unrelated to true insect behavior.

12. The patent for the first mechanical pencils were granted to Sampson Morgan and John Hawkins in
England in the early nineteenth century, a time when fountain pens were the most commonly used
writing implement.

13. Each of the Taino’s five chiefdoms, which inhabited the Bahamas before the arrival of Europeans during
the late fifteenth century, were ruled by a leader known as a cacique.

14. Writing about scientific matters poses a problem because it requires the adoption of imprecise metaphors
that allow new findings to be put in perspective for readers with minimal expertise.

15. Possible explanations for the suspicion surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth includes the superstition that
the witches’ song is an actual incantation and the belief that theaters only mount the play when they are
in need of money.

16. Saint Maybe, the twelfth novel by Pulitzer prize-nominated author Anne Tyler, revolves around a
protagonist whose efforts to compensate for a single thoughtless act dictates the shape of his entire life.

44
17. The Hebrides islands have been continuously occupied since the Mesolithic period, and the culture of
their inhabitants have been shaped by the successive influences of Celtic, Norse, and English-speaking
peoples.

18. Found throughout England, stiles, structures that provides people with a passage through or over a
fence, are often built in rural areas or along footpaths in order to prevent farm animals from moving
between enclosures while allowing path users to travel freely.

19. In recent days, an increasing number of disturbing reports have filtered into the news agency – reports
suggesting that the country’s government, already reputed to be unstable, could be on the verge of
collapse.

20. Opposition to rodeos from animal-rights workers center primarily on the poor treatment and living
conditions of the horses that are ridden in competitions.

21. Because planes have been grounded and flights eliminated from schedules, the number of airplane
tickets available to passengers have declined, causing prices to rise.

22. Preliminary studies of the new drug suggests that adverse effects are unlikely and, moreover, that any
reactions that do occur will probably be minor.

23. The automotive company, whose products are at the center of a massive recall scandal, now faces an
array of challenges, including servicing damaged products, handling lawsuits, and managing a general
loss of business.

24. Dry stone structures, structures built from stones not bound together by mortar, achieves stability
because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by load-bearing façades of carefully
selected interlocking stones.

25. A landmark 2015 report that cast doubt on the results of dozens of published psychology studies has
exposed deep divisions in the field, but neither the report itself nor the critique published in response
have found evidence of data fraud or manipulation.

45
1. Precipitation in California is often erratic, and when 4. James Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922),
arriving, tends to fall in the mountainous northern and a landmark work in which the episodes of Homer’s
eastern parts of the state rather than the populous Odyssey are paralleled in an array of contrasting
and fertile southern and western ones. literary styles, with the stream of consciousness
narration most prominent among them.
(A) when arriving, tends to fall
(B) when arriving, has a tendency of falling (A) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
(C) when it arrives, it tends in falling paralleled in an array of contrasting literary
(D) when it arrives, tending to fall styles, with the stream of consciousness
(E) when it arrives, it tends to fall narration most prominent among them
(B) where the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
a parallel array of contrasting literary styles, with
2. Some people contend that the distinction between an the stream of consciousness narration being
extreme sport and a conventional one has as much to most prominent among these
do with marketing as with the level of danger involved (C) where the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
or how much adrenaline is generated. paralleled in an array of contrasting literary
styles, with the stream of consciousness
(A) with the level of danger involved or how much narration is most prominent among these
adrenaline is generated (D) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey is
(B) with the level of danger that is involved or the paralleled in an array of contrasted literary
adrenaline amount it generates styles, and the stream of consciousness
(C) with the level of danger involved or the amount narration is most prominent among these
of adrenaline generated (E) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
(D) to the danger level involved or the amount of paralleled in a contrasting array of literary styles,
adrenaline being generated with the stream of consciousness narration most
(E) to the level of danger involved or the amount of prominent among it
adrenaline it generates

5. By day, hippos enjoy bathing in water to cool

3. Just who inspired English painter John Constable’s themselves down, which might have contributed
marvelously enigmatic cloud studies, much prized by to their reputation for being relatively sluggish and
collectors, have never been entirely clear. sedentary.

(A) studies, much prized by collectors, have (A) which might have contributed to their
(B) studies, much prized by collectors, has reputation for being
(C) studies, many of them prized by collectors, have (B) which might contribute to its reputation for
(D) studies, many of which are prized by collectors, being
(E) studies, and many of them prized by collectors, (C) and this might have contributed to their
has reputation to be
(D) a preference that might contribute to their
reputation for being
(E) a preference which might have contributed to
their reputation to be

162
6. The starling, a bird mentioned in one of 9. Categorized as a “red” volcano as a result of the lava
Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the that periodically spews from its crater, a depression
United States in 1890 and has since become a measuring 2,100 feet across and 750 feet deep,
significant pest species. many cataclysmic explosions have been associated
with Mt. Vesuvius since the volcano’s most famous
(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 eruption in 79 A.D.
and has since become
(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 (A) many cataclysmic explosions have been
and has since become associated with Mt. Vesuvius since the volcano’s
(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 most famous eruption in 79 A.D.
and would since become (B) they have associated many cataclysmic
(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 explosions with Mt. Vesuvius since its most
and since became famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 (C) and many cataclysmic explosions were
and since has become associated with Mt. Vesuvius since its most
famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(D) Mt. Vesuvius has exploded cataclysmically many
7. The outsourcing of hospital workers has become times since its most famous eruption in 79 A.D.
relatively common in the last decade, driven by a (E) Mt. Vesuvius has erupted cataclysmically many
combination of factors including a desire for efficiency times since its most famous one in 79 A.D.
gains as well as the growing pressure on hospitals to
measure quality and keeping people healthy after 10. The wandering albatross, the first albatross ever to be
they are discharged. described by naturalists, is a large seabird that
belongs to the albatross family and found primarily in
(A) a desire for efficiency gains as well as the the seas around Antarctica.
growing pressure on hospitals to measure
quality and keeping (A) and found primarily in the seas around Antarctica
(B) a desire for efficiency gains as well as the (B) and that is found primarily in the seas around
growing pressure on hospitals to measure Antarctica
quality and they keep (C) and primarily found in the Antarctic seas
(C) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the (D) being found primarily in the seas around
growing pressure on hospitals to measure Antarctica
quality and keep (E) and are found primarily in the seas around
(D) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the Antarctica
growing pressure on hospitals in measuring
quality and to keep
(E) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the 11. All of the country’s political parties agree as to
growth of pressure on hospitals that measure whether constitutional reform is necessary to address
quality and keep chronic instability and other pressing issues, but when
it comes to deciding what kind of reform, they can
only agree to disagree.
8. Contrasting with the works of the rationalists, Hume
held that passion rather than reason governs human (A) agree as to whether constitutional reform is
behavior and postulated that humans can have necessary to address
knowledge only of the objects of experience. (B) agree that constitutional reform is necessary
to address
(A) Contrasting with the works of the rationalists, (C) have an agreement of constitutional reform being
(B) In contrast with the rationalists’ work, necessary to address
(C) In contrast to those of the rationalists, (D) agree that constitutional reform is necessary for
(D) Unlike those of the rationalists, the addressing of
(E) Unlike the rationalists, (E) agree about whether constitutional reform is
necessary to address

163
5. Fragment: A recent trend of advertisers treating Subject-Verb Agreement, p. 44
major awards ceremonies as platforms for new ads
that will elicit an audience response seems to be 1. First described by Aristotle in his Poetics (c. 335
intensifying, with a variety of well-known companies B.C.E.), the process of living vicariously through a
planning to introduce new campaigns. fictional character in order to purge one’s emotions is
known as catharsis.
6. Sentence
2. On the border between China and Tibet lie the
7. Fragment: Recent findings from research on Himalaya Mountains, which rise to more than 25,000
moose suggest that the development of arthritis in ft. above sea level and include some of the highest
human beings may be linked to nutritional deficits as peaks in the world.
well as to the natural consequences of aging.
3. The buildings of Frank Gehry, including Gehry’s
8. Fragment: Although photovoltaic (PV) cells, first private residence, attract thousands of visitors
discovered in the 1950s, have long been the dominant annually because critics frequently praise his designs
source for solar power, concentrated solar power for embodying the most important principles of
(CSP) technology has been rising in popularity in contemporary architecture.
recent years as well.
4. Although Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius
OR: Photovoltaic (PV) cells, first discovered in the Vanderbilt eventually became two of most powerful
1950s, have long been the dominant source for solar figures in business during the late nineteenth
power, but concentrated solar power (CSP) century, neither was born into a wealthy family.
technology has been rising in popularity in recent
years as well. 5. Correct

9. Fragment: A popular novelist and playwright, 6. Playboating, a discipline of whitewater rafting

George Barr McCutcheon is best known for the series or canoeing in which players stay in one spot while
of novels set in Graustark, a fictional country in performing a series of complex maneuvers, involves
Eastern Europe. specialized canoes designed specifically for the sport.

10. Sentence 7. Often found in plastic drinking bottles are

substantial amounts of a substance known as
11. Fragment: Brunei is the only sovereign state Bisphenol A, a potentially toxic chemical that may
located entirely on the island of Borneo; the affect the brains and behaviors of infants and young
remainder of the island's territory is divided between children.
the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.
8. Louise Glück’s seemingly straightforward
12. Fragment: Although Rodin purposely omitted language and unadorned style give her poems an air
crucial elements such as arms from his sculptures, his of accessibility that masks the intensity of their
consistent use of the human figure attested to his content.
respect for artistic tradition.
9. Among the finds from a recent archaeological
13. Correct dig in London were earthenware knobs originally
used for “pay walls,” boxes into which Elizabethan
14. Fragment: When companies move from a theater-goers deposited their admission fees.
traditional office model to an open office model,
discrete offices placed along a central corridor are 10. One of the animal kingdom’s best jumpers is the
removed in order to make way for large communal flea, whose ability to leap up to 200 times its own
rooms. body length is virtually unsurpassed among either
insects or other land-dwelling creatures.
15. Fragment: In 1763, the signing of the Treaty of
Paris marked the end of the Seven Years’ War, also 11. Correct
known as the French and Indian War, ushering in
(or: War, and ushered in) a period of British
dominance outside of Europe.

190
12. The patent for the first mechanical pencils was 23. Correct
granted to Sampson Morgan and John Hawkins in
England during the early nineteenth century, a time 24. Dry stone structures, structures built from
when fountain pens were the most commonly used stones not bound together by mortar, achieve
writing implement. stability because of their unique construction method,
which is characterized by load-bearing façades of
13. Each of the Taino’s five chiefdoms, which carefully selected interlocking stones.
inhabited the Bahamas before the arrival of
Europeans during the late fifteenth century, was 25. A landmark 2015 report that cast doubt on the
ruled by a leader known as a cacique. results of dozens of published psychology studies has
exposed deep divisions in the field, but neither the
14. Writing about scientific matters poses a problem report itself nor the critique published in response
because it requires the adoption of imprecise has found evidence of data fraud or manipulation.
metaphors that allow new findings to be put in
perspective for readers with minimal expertise. Cumulative Review 1: Chapters 1-4, p. 47

15. Possible explanations for the suspicion 1. B

surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth include the 2. C
superstition that the witches’ song is an actual 3. A
incantation and the belief that theaters only mount 4. B
the play when they are in need of money. 5. E
6. D
16. Saint Maybe, the twelfth novel by Pulitzer prize- 7. C
nominated author Anne Tyler, revolves around a 8. D
protagonist whose efforts to compensate for a single 9. A
thoughtless act dictate the shape of his entire life. 10. E

17. The Hebrides islands have been continuously Verb Exercise 1, p. 52

occupied since the Mesolithic period, and the culture
of their inhabitants has been shaped by the successive 1. Correct
influences of Celtic, Norse, and English-speaking
peoples. 2. After traveling widely through Russia, where
he discovered many previously unknown artistic
18. Found throughout England, stiles, structures masterpieces, Diaghilev mounted a massive
that provide people with a passage through or over a exhibition of Russian portraiture in St. Petersburg.
fence, are often built in rural areas or along footpaths
in order to prevent farm animals from moving 3. Correct
between enclosures while allowing path users to
travel freely. 4. In 1915, the Dutch government approved the
proposal for new ships to protect its holdings in the
19. Correct East Indies, not realizing that the request had
been/was withdrawn because of the start of the First
20. Opposition to rodeos from animal-rights World War.
workers centers primarily on the poor treatment and
living conditions of the horses that are ridden in 5. Correct
competitions.
6. By the time Pearl Buck was awarded the Nobel
21. Because planes have been grounded and flights Prize for Literature in 1938, she had been a best-
eliminated from schedules, the number of airplane selling author in the United States for nearly a
tickets available to passengers has declined, causing decade.
prices to rise.
7. Correct
22. Preliminary studies of the new drug suggest
that adverse effects are unlikely and, moreover, that
any reactions that do occur will probably be minor.

191
 Answers and Explanations: Multiple-Choice Practice Questions

1. E: Sentence vs. fragment; Idiom: gerund vs. infinitive

Precipitation in California is often erratic, and when

arriving, tends to fall in the mountainous northern and
eastern parts of the state rather than the populous
and fertile southern and western ones.

(A) when arriving, tends to fall

(B) when arriving, has a tendency of falling
(C) when it arrives, it tends in falling
(D) when it arrives, tending to fall
(E) when it arrives, it tends to fall

A subject + conjugated verb should follow the conjunction when; the gerund is not idiomatically acceptable. (A) and
(B) include the gerund arriving and thus can be eliminated.

(C) is incorrect because the verb tend should be followed by the infinitive (to fall) rather than the gerund (falling).

(D) is incorrect because the main clause is a fragment that lacks a subject + conjugated verb: tending to fall in the
mountainous northern and eastern parts of the state rather than the populous and fertile southern and western ones is not a
complete sentence.

(E) is correct because it supplies a subject and verb (it tends) for the main clause, and uses the infinitive (to fall) after
the verb tends.

2. C: Parallel structure

Some people contend that the distinction between an

extreme sport and a conventional one has as much to
do with marketing as with the level of danger involved
or how much adrenaline is generated.

(A) with the level of danger involved or how much

adrenaline is generated
(B) with the level of danger that is involved or the
adrenaline amount it generates
(C) with the level of danger involved or the amount
of adrenaline generated
(D) to the danger level involved or the amount of
adrenaline being generated
(E) to the level of danger involved or the amount of
adrenaline it generates

This question requires that you deal with two types of parallel structure simultaneously. The first clue is the
presence of the word pair as much…as. Because the preposition with is used after the first half of the word pair, it
must be used after the second half as well: as much to do with x as with y. Don’t get distracted by to; it’s part of the
infinitive to do and doesn’t affect the parallel structure.

Based on that information, you can eliminate (D) and (E).

Now look at the second type of parallel structure: the constructions on either side of the word or must match as
well.

(A) is not parallel because the first side starts with a noun (the level) and the second side contains a pronoun (how).

203
(B) does contain two nouns (level…the adrenaline amount), but the structure is not parallel. The first item is active
whereas the second is passive.

(C) is correct because the two sides match: each contains the structure noun + of + noun immediately followed by a
past participle (involved, generated).

3. B: Subject-verb agreement

Just who inspired English painter John Constable’s

marvelously enigmatic cloud studies, much prized by
collectors, have never been entirely clear.

(A) studies, much prized by collectors, have

(B) studies, much prized by collectors, has
(C) studies, many of them prized by collectors, have
(D) studies, many of which are prized by collectors,
(E) studies, and many of them prized by collectors,
has

The fact that (A) and (C) contain the plural verb have, while (B) and (E) contain the singular verb has tells you that
this question is testing subject-verb agreement.

The sentence contains a non-essential clause; even though the end of it is underlined, you may want to cross it out
in order to simplify the sentence: Just who inspired English painter John Constable’s marvelously enigmatic cloud
studies…have never been entirely clear.

The key to answering the question is to recognize that the subject is not the plural noun cloud studies, which is
located closest to the verb, but rather Just who. When who is used as a subject this way, it is always singular and
requires a singular verb. That eliminates (A) and (C).

(B) is correct because the phrase much prized by collectors correctly functions as a non-essential clause describing the
noun cloud studies, and the sentence makes sense when the non-essential clause is removed (Just who inspired English
painter John Constable’s marvelously enigmatic cloud studies…has never been entirely clear).

(D) is incorrect because this version is missing a main verb (has); the sentence no longer makes grammatical sense
when the non-essential clause is removed.

(E) is incorrect because the construction and many of them prized by collectors is awkward and rhetorically
unacceptable; a non-essential clause that describes a noun should not normally begin with and.

204
4. A: Relative pronoun; Pronoun Agreement; Subject-verb agreement; Misplaced modifier

James Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922),

a landmark work in which the episodes of Homer’s
Odyssey are paralleled in an array of contrasting
literary styles, with the stream of consciousness
narration most prominent among them.

(A) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are

paralleled in an array of contrasting literary
styles, with the stream of consciousness
narration most prominent among them
(B) where the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
a parallel array of contrasting literary styles, with
the stream of consciousness narration being
most prominent among these
(C) where the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
paralleled in an array of contrasting literary
styles, with the stream of consciousness
narration is most prominent among these
(D) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey is
paralleled in an array of contrasted literary
styles, and the stream of consciousness
narration is most prominent among these
(E) in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are
paralleled in a contrasting array of literary styles,
with the stream of consciousness narration most
prominent among it

Don’t get too distracted by the fact that the original version of the sentence is awkward. If you look at the answer
choices, you’ll notice that some answer choices contain where while others contain in which. If you remember that
where should only be used to refer to places, then you can eliminate (B) and (C).

(A) is correct because it uses the plural pronoun them to refer to the plural noun styles. The use of with after the
comma is also idiomatically acceptable.

(D) is incorrect because the plural noun episodes is the subject of the singular verb is; the singular noun Odyssey is
part of the prepositional phrase of Homer’s Odyssey. In addition, the pronoun these, which appears at the end of the
sentence, should be followed by a noun.

(E) is incorrect because the singular pronoun it is used to refer to the plural noun styles. In addition, contrasting
modifies literary styles and should be placed next to that phrase rather than next to array (the styles are contrasting,
not the array itself).

205
5. D: Pronoun: missing referent; Idiom: gerund vs. infinitive

By day, hippos enjoy bathing in water to cool

themselves down, which might have contributed
to their reputation for being relatively sluggish and
sedentary.

(A) which might have contributed to their

reputation for being
(B) which might contribute to its reputation for
being
(C) and this might have contributed to their
reputation to be
(D) a preference that might contribute to their
reputation for being
(E) a preference which might have contributed to
their reputation to be

The pronoun which must refer to the noun that comes immediately before it. In this case, however, there is no noun,
only a verb (cool themselves down), and a verb cannot act as a referent. That eliminates (A) and (B).

(C) is incorrect because this should be followed by a noun, and reputation should be followed by for + gerund rather
than by an infinitive.

Logically, which must refer to the fact that hippos enjoy bathing to cool themselves, and both (D) and (E) correctly
convey that idea by supplying the noun preference.

(D) is correct because the correct idiom is reputation for + gerund.

(E) is incorrect because which should only be used after a comma; that should be used after preference. In addition,
reputation to be is idiomatically incorrect; reputation for being should be used instead.

6. A: Verb form; Subject-verb agreement

The starling, a bird mentioned in one of

Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the
United States in 1890 and has since become a
significant pest species.

(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890

and has since become
(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890
and has since become
(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890
and would since become
(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890
and since became
(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890
and since has become

The sentence contains a non-essential clause, so you might want to start by crossing it out in order to simplify the
sentence: The starling…was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

Next, the word since is a tip-off that the present perfect (has/have + past participle) is required – the sentence is
describing an action that began in the past (1890) and that is continuing into the present. Based on that information,
you can eliminate (C) and (D).

206
(B) and (E) can be eliminated because the subject is the singular noun the starling, whereas the verb were is plural.
Notice how this error becomes apparent when the non-essential clause is removed.

That leaves (A), which is correct because it uses the present perfect (has become) and the singular verb was.

Notice that the preposition issue (of vs. to) is a distractor here; either is acceptable.

7. C: Parallel structure; Logical construction

The outsourcing of hospital workers has become

relatively common in the last decade, driven by a
combination of factors including a desire for efficiency
gains as well as the growing pressure on hospitals to
measure quality and keeping people healthy after
they are discharged.

(A) a desire for efficiency gains as well as the

growing pressure on hospitals to measure
quality and keeping
(B) a desire for efficiency gains as well as the
growing pressure on hospitals to measure
quality and they keep
(C) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the
growing pressure on hospitals to measure
quality and keep
(D) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the
growing pressure on hospitals in measuring
quality and to keep
(E) a desire for gains in efficiency as well as the
growth of pressure on hospitals that measure
quality and keep

The phrase as well as indicates that this question is testing parallel structure; the constructions on either side of must
match. The first item begins with a noun (desire), a construction that is retained in all of the answer choices. As a
result, the second item must begin with a noun as well.

That line of reasoning might prompt you to start with (E); however, that answer does not really make sense. The
sentence indicates that the hospitals being pressured are ones that are already measuring quality and keeping people
healthy after they are discharged. Given the context of the sentence, a more logical meaning is that the hospitals are
being pressured to start measuring quality and keeping people healthy. So even though (E) is grammatically
correct, it’s wrong.

If you look at the other answers carefully, you can notice that they don’t actually contain parallel construction
errors. Growing simply acts as an adjective that modifies the noun pressure, so the two sides are parallel after all.

When you look at (A)-(D), remember that the constructions on either side of the transition and must be parallel too.

(A) is incorrect because measure and keeping are not parallel.

(B) is incorrect because to measure and they keep are not parallel.

(C) is correct because to measure and keep can be considered parallel. The word to “applies” to keep; it is not
necessary to repeat it.

(D) is incorrect because in measuring and to keep are not parallel.

207
8. E: Faulty comparison; Idiom

Contrasting with the works of the rationalists, Hume

held that passion rather than reason governs human
behavior and postulated that humans can have
knowledge only of the objects of experience.

(A) Contrasting with the works of the rationalists,

(B) In contrast with the rationalists’ work,
(C) In contrast to those of the rationalists,
(D) Unlike those of the rationalists,
(E) Unlike the rationalists,

The original version of the sentence incorrectly compares the works of the rationalists (things) to Hume (person). In
addition, the phrase contrasting with is not idiomatic; the correct idiom is in contrast to. Since the non-underlined
part of the comparison involves a person, the underlined portion must be changed to refer to people.

(B) contains the same error as (A), comparing the rationalists’ work to Hume. In addition, the phrase in contrast with
is not idiomatic.

(C) and (D) are both incorrect because they simply replace the noun works with pronouns (that and those).
Grammatically, they re-create the original error.

(E) is correct because it compares the rationalists to Hume.

9. D: Dangling modifier; Pronoun agreement: missing referent

Categorized as a “red” volcano as a result of the lava

that periodically spews from its crater, a depression
measuring 2,100 feet across and 750 feet deep,
many cataclysmic explosions have been associated
with Mt. Vesuvius since the volcano’s most famous
eruption in 79 A.D.

(A) many cataclysmic explosions have been

associated with Mt. Vesuvius since the volcano’s
most famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(B) they have associated many cataclysmic
explosions with Mt. Vesuvius since its most
famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(C) and many cataclysmic explosions were
associated with Mt. Vesuvius since its most
famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(D) Mt. Vesuvius has exploded cataclysmically many
times since its most famous eruption in 79 A.D.
(E) Mt. Vesuvius has erupted cataclysmically many
times since its most famous one in 79 A.D.

The key to recognizing what this question is testing is to cross out the non-essential clause, which is strategically
placed to obscure the error: Categorized as a “red” volcano as a result of the lava that periodically spews from its
crater…many cataclysmic explosions have been associated with Mt. Vesuvius since the volcano’s most famous eruption in 79
A.D.

What is categorized as a red volcano as a result of the lava that periodically spews from its crater? Logically, Mt. Vesuvius.
Since Mt. Vesuvius does not appear at the beginning of the clause in question, the modifier is dangling. In order to
fix the error, Mt. Vesuvius must be placed at the beginning of the clause. That eliminates (A), (B), and (C).

208
(D) is correct because it places Mt. Vesuvius after the comma and uses the singular pronoun its to refer to Vesuvius.

(E) is incorrect because the pronoun one should logically refer to the noun eruption; however, only the verb erupted
appears, and a verb cannot act as a referent.

10. B: Parallel structure

The wandering albatross, the first albatross ever to be

described by naturalists, is a large seabird that
belongs to the albatross family and found primarily in
the seas around Antarctica.

(A) and found primarily in the seas around Antarctica

(B) and that is found primarily in the seas around
Antarctica
(C) and primarily found in the Antarctic seas
(D) being found primarily in the seas around
Antarctica
(E) and are found primarily in the seas around
Antarctica

The key to understanding how this question functions is to recognize that the underlined portion of the sentence is
part of the clause beginning with that, and that the correct version must be parallel to the non-underlined portion of
that clause, and that clause only – the rest of the sentence is effectively irrelevant.

(A) and (C) are incorrect because found primarily should be is found primarily. The albatross is not a large seabird that
found around Antarctica – it is a large seabird that is found around Antarctica.

(B) is correct because it supplies the verb is before found, creating the passive construction that makes the sentence
logical. In addition, the word that makes this version parallel to the beginning of the clause: that belongs…that is
found.

(D) is incorrect because the gerund being is not parallel to the verb belongs in the non-underlined portion of the
clause.

(E) is incorrect because the plural verb are does not agree with the singular subject, a large seabird.

11. B: Idiom

All of the country’s political parties agree as to

whether constitutional reform is necessary to address
chronic instability and other pressing issues, but when
it comes to deciding what kind of reform, they can
only agree to disagree.

(A) agree as to whether constitutional reform is

necessary to address
(B) agree that constitutional reform is necessary
to address
(C) have an agreement of constitutional reform being
necessary to address
(D) agree that constitutional reform is necessary for
the addressing of
(E) agree about whether constitutional reform is
necessary to address

The correct idiom is agree that, eliminating (A), (C), and (E).

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(D) is incorrect because necessary should be followed by the infinitive rather than the gerund.

That leaves (B), which is correct because it places the infinitive to address after necessary.

12. E: Diction; Pronoun: ambiguous referent

Even an act as apparently benign as eliminating

mosquitoes could have serious ecological affects
because they interact with other species in ways
that scientists do not yet fully understand.

(A) eliminating mosquitoes could have serious

ecological affects because they interact
(B) the elimination of mosquitoes can have serious
ecological affects because mosquitoes interact
(C) eliminating mosquitoes could have serious
ecological affects because they interact
(D) to eliminate mosquitoes can have serious
ecological effects because they interact
(E) eliminating mosquitoes could have serious
ecological effects because mosquitoes interact

If you look through the answer choices, you can notice that (A), (B), and (C) contain affects whereas (D) and (E)
contain effects. The word in question functions as a noun, so effects is the correct version. That eliminates (A)-(C).

(D) is incorrect because the gerund eliminating rather than the infinitive to eliminate is more idiomatic here. Can
should be could: the phrase scientists do not yet fully understand indicates that the sentence is describing a
hypothetical situation. Finally, they is ambiguous because there are two plural nouns to which this pronoun could
potentially refer: mosquitoes and ecological effects.

(E) is correct because it uses the gerund eliminating (in this case grammatically equivalent to a noun) to refer to “an
act,” and the conditional could to refer to a hypothetical situation. In addition, the inclusion of the noun mosquitoes
removes the ambiguity created by the pronoun they.

13. D: Pronoun agreement; Tense; Transition

One historical theory posits that an important effect of

the Industrial Revolution was that living standards for the
general population began to increase consistently
for the first time in history, while an opposing theory
holds that it did not begin to improve meaningfully
until the late 1800s.

(A) while an opposing theory holds that it did not

begin
(B) while an opposing theory holds that they have
not begun
(C) but an opposing theory holds that it did not
begin
(D) but an opposing theory holds that they did
not begin
(E) with an opposing theory holding that it did
not begin

The easiest way to approach this question is to focus on the word it. When this pronoun appears in the underlined
portion of a sentence, the question will often test pronoun agreement. Furthermore, the answer choices alternately
include it and they, confirming that pronoun agreement is the focus of the question.

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