GMAT Verbal Section Testing Tips - Grammar and Sentence Structure

The verbal section of the GMAT is designed to test an individual's reading, writing and critical thinking skills. In order to evaluate these skills, the grammar and sentence structure questions on the exam are specifically designed to evaluate the individual's understanding of the basic concepts of the English language. However, there are certain key concepts about the grammar and sentence structure questions on the exam that an individual taking the exam might want to keep in mind. First, it is important to realize which characteristics the correct option for each question should have. Each grammar and sentence structure question is looking for the option that is grammatically correct, structured correctly, and uses each word in the sentence correctly while maintaining the meaning of the original sentence. In other words, the option should make every aspect of the sentence correct without changing what the sentence is trying to say. If the option does not correct every mistake or it changes the meaning of the original sentence, you can immediately eliminate the choice as the correct option.

Secondly, you should look for common mistakes in structure and grammar when attempting to find errors in the sentence. Most of the grammar and sentence structure questions on the exam will provide you with sentences that have common errors such as incorrect verb tenses, improper punctuation, incorrect usage of adverbs, incorrect usage of common words such as using "there" instead of "their", plural pronouns used in the place of singular nouns, and many other similar mistakes that people commonly make. Each sentence may have more than one mistake so it is important to make sure that you look for all of the mistakes in the sentence instead of just finding the most obvious mistake. It is also important to realize that the grammar and sentence structure questions on the exam are only looking for grammar, structure, and usage mistakes so you do not need to look for spelling or other similar typos.