About GMAT Sentence Correction

The sentence correction problem type is one of the easier question formats on the GMAT. The questions are somewhat similar to the English questions on the ACT in that both question types seek to test grammar. What makes sentence correction easier than critical reasoning for most test-takers is the fact that sentence correction is based upon a specific set of rules that can be mastered with study and practice. Moreover, the GMAT's sentence correction section only contains a handful of different problem types (e.g., subject-verb agreement, idioms, parallelism, verb form) and if you learn to recognize the format and master the content it tests, you will score extremely well.

The official directions for sentence correction problems are as follows:

Sentence correction questions present a sentence, part or all of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence, you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined passage. The first answer choice repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original phrasing is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

This type of question tests your ability to recognize the correctness and effectiveness of expression in standard written English. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar, choice of words, and sentence construction. Choose the answer that produces the most effective sentence; this answer should be clear and exact, without awkwardness, ambiguity, redundancy, or grammatical error.1

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