This section of the test features sentences with underlined words or phrases that may contain grammatical errors or errors in diction. One answer choice (E) indicates that the sentence does not contain an error.
Keep these tips in mind as you take this section of the test.
- Remember the format of these questions. All you need to do in this section is recognize errors. You do not need to improve the sentences. As you read the sentence, consider crossing off the letter beneath an underlined word or phrase that you are confident is not an error. Spend a little more time considering words or phrases that do not “sound right” to you.
- Put challenging language into perspective. Some sentences may contain unusual or uncommon language or a word that is often confused with another. Such language may be included in a question to distract you from an error. If you cannot find an error, your choices will be the confusing word or phrase and “E” (no error). These are good odds, so consider choosing the answer with the challenging language or confusing word.
- Look hard for agreement errors. Questions often contain errors in subject/verb agreement and pronoun/antecedent agreement. Sentences are very commonly constructed so that the subject and the corresponding verb or the pronoun and its antecedent are separated by many intervening words. Remember the basic rules of agreement and always confirm that subjects agree with verbs and that pronouns agree with their antecedents.
- Consider the relationship between the different parts of the sentence. Words such as “therefore,” “however,” “furthermore,” “yet,” and “although” establish specific relationships between parts of sentences. If you encounter one of these words and it is underlined, think about whether its function in the sentence is logical. A common construction involving the relationship between sentence parts is the presence of both “while” and “but” in a sentence. Each word establishes a contrast between two parts of a sentence, so the inclusion of both generally does not make sense. If either “whether” or “but” is underlined, consider choosing that option as the answer.
- Remember that the way we speak may not always be “correct”. Standardized examinations test knowledge of the strictest interpretations of the rules of standard American English. Questions may include common colloquialisms that “sound right” but are in fact considered to be “wrong.” Remember those rules that may not make sense or that are the subject of heated debate among grammarians, English teachers, style book authors, and linguists:
- Don’t use they/their/them/themselves with a singular antecedent.
- Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.
- Don’t use words like “very” or “so” to modify “unique.”
- Don’t use “between” with more than two people or things.
- Don’t use “different than” (the correct idiom is “different from).
- Don’t use “due to.” (There are some instances in which this phrase is grammatically correct, but these will not appear on the test. If you see “due to,” make sure there is no other error and then choose this phrase as your answer.
Also remember those rules that are generally agreed upon but that are commonly broken in colloquial speech:
- Don’t use “lay down” (”lie down” is correct).
- Don’t use “the reason is” and “because” in the same sentence.
- Don’t use “between you and I” (”between you and me” is correct).
- Don’t use objective pronouns with gerunds (use possessive forms with gerunds).
- Be confident. Some questions are easy. If a choice makes sense to you but it seems too obvious, do not second-guess yourself. Fill in your answer and move onto the next question.
