How Do I Score Well on GMAT® Sentence Correction?

Sentence correction questions are part of the verbal section of the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) and evaluate your ability to recognize various errors within sentences. Each question is multiple choice and contains an underlined section of words that could contain errors or be correct as written. Common sentence errors include incorrect verb tenses, misuse of idioms, incorrect pronouns, misplaced modifiers, incorrect subject and verb agreement and problems with sentence parallelism. To score well on the GMAT® sentence correction section, you will need to be able to identify such errors and find the answer that most effectively reconstructs the underlined phrase. It also helps to practice the kinds of questions you'll see on the test.

Before you begin any practice questions for the GMAT® sentence correction test, it is critical that you review basic grammar rules and sentence structure concepts. You have many options for studying grammar, including purchasing English textbooks and grammar workbooks, reading material online and taking a GMAT® preparation class that focuses on the verbal section of the exam. In addition to reviewing grammar rules, you also should review the use of idioms in writing if you're not familiar with common expressions. Knowing how to clarify a complex sentence and reconstruct phrases to clarify the meaning also will help. It is important to note that the exam does not test your knowledge of punctuation, so you won't need to focus much on this area.

After reviewing grammar, idioms and sentence structure, you should start practicing sample questions from the GMAT® sentence correction test. These are easily found on websites designed for test takers and potential graduate school students and are often free to take on the Internet. This will give you an idea of what to expect and should help you identify your weaknesses. The online practice questions usually provide an explanation for the correct answer and can help you identify patterns found in GMAT® sentence correction questions.

When you take the real GMAT® sentence correction exam, there are some tips that can help you score better on the exam. You may find that all of the potential answers sound incorrect or awkward, so you should pay attention to grammar errors in these confusing sentences. You should remember, however, that grammatically correct answers may not be correct if they contain usage errors. It is most helpful to mark off any sentence you know is incorrect and to choose the best one of those that remain.