How to prepare for GMAT Sentence Correction
Sentence correction is one of the three topics tested in GMAT verbal section. A sentence correction question consist of a sentence and either a part of the sentence or the complete sentence is underlined. Underlined part has some grammatical error. Below the sentence, there are five choices. First option is same as the underlined portion of the sentence and remaining four options are modifications of first option. We have to select the most grammatically and logically correct option. There are two things required to prepare for GMAT Sentence Correction section
1. Grammar rules
2. Approach to apply those rules.
Now there are two ways to learn grammar rules
1. Learn all the rules together and then learn to apply all those rules together on the questions
2. Learn one concept and the apply that concept on the questions.
I use second way to prepare students for sentence correction. I start my sentence correction course by teaching a small concept to students, then apply that concept on some simple questions and then I teach the next concept. After completing two topics I give homework to my students and ask them to write down the solution of each question of the homework step by step in the notebook. In next class I listen to step by step explanation of each question. Through this I get to know weather student followed the right approach to solve the questions or not. This way I teach all the concepts. Once concepts are done, I give 20 questions at a time from the official guide as homework and listen to the explanation of those questions in the following class. These discussions ensure that student follow a consistent approach to solve questions.
Once concepts are done, next important thing is a consistent approach. Now there are two ways to approach sentence correction questions.
- Read the sentence, understand the meaning of the sentence , identify the grammatical error and then read the options to find the right answer
- Compare the answer choices, find the differences among the choices, identify the error and eliminate the wrong options.
I follow the second approach because it is difficult for most students to identify the grammatical error while reading the sentence. So, when we compare the options, from the difference among the choices, we can easily identify the grammatical error.
Now, whether you follow first approach or second, you should follow the same approach always. The main problem with most students is that they don’t follow a consistent approach to solve question and this inconsistent approach decrease their accuracy and increase the time to solve the question.