GMAT sentence correction questions demand the recognition and correction of grammatical mistakes according to English grammar rules. In order to correct the improper use of English, a student has to thoroughly review English grammar rules among which are diction, consistency between parts of a sentence, verb forms, effective phrasing and more.
Sentence correction sample question
1.On a field expedition, the student-led group known as Humanitarian Engineering Leadership Project (HELP) is reporting back on an ongoing series of experiments with simple energy technologies that are the engineering students' trying to improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, of the traditional three-stone stove used in local villages in Tanzania.
A.trying to improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, of the traditional three-stone stove used in local villages in Tanzania.
B.trying that it improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, of the traditional Tanzanian three-stone stove.
C.attempt to try to improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, such a traditional Tanzanian three-stone stove.
D.attempt to try and improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, of the traditional Tanzanian three-stone stove used in local villages.
E.attempt to improve the efficiency, or reduce the wood use, of the three-stone stove traditionally used in local villages in Tanzania.
This questions tests:
- Use of the gerund trying vs. the noun attempt.
- Diction: the traditional three-stone stove used in local villages in Tanzania.
Use of the gerund trying vs. the noun attempt: A gerund is a form derived from a verb but that functions as a noun when it receives an –ing ending. Examples: Skiing is dangerous. Swimming is a favorite sport among the elderly. While trying is a proper gerund, its use here is awkward, especially following the possessive engineering students'. It is clearly better to use the straight forward noun attempt. We can eliminate answer choices A and B. The wording attempt to try is redundant. Eliminate C and D. The best answer is E.
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