5.1 Sentence Correction: Core Grammar & Sentence Structure

Sentence Correction on the Executive Assessment

While Sentence Correction (SC) was removed from the GMAT Focus Edition, it remains a core component of the Executive Assessment (EA). The EA Verbal section consists of 14 questions, divided into two stages of 7 questions each. Sentence Correction is typically the largest single question category in the Verbal section, often around 6 of the 14 questions, according to test-prep sources—GMAC does not publish an official split.

SC questions present a sentence with a portion (or all) underlined. You are given five choices: the first choice exactly repeats the original underlined text, while the next four provide alternatives. You must select the choice that produces the most grammatically correct, concise, and logical sentence.

To succeed, you must move beyond "what sounds right" (which is often how we speak, not write) and rigorously apply rules of grammar and structure.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Every sentence requires a subject and a corresponding verb, and they must agree in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

The Prepositional Phrase Trap The EA frequently inserts long prepositional phrases between the subject and the verb to disguise disagreement.

• Incorrect: The flock of birds flying over the mountains were beautiful.
• Correct: The flock of birds flying over the mountains was beautiful.

Here, the subject is the singular collective noun "flock." The phrase "of birds..." is a modifier. Ignore prepositional phrases when determining subject-verb agreement.

Compound Subjects

• And: When subjects are joined by and, they generally require a plural verb. (e.g., The manager and the analyst are attending the meeting.)
• Or / Nor: When subjects are joined by or, either...or, neither...nor, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it.
  • Example: Neither the CEO nor the board members are willing to compromise.
  • Example: Neither the board members nor the CEO is willing to compromise.

Collective Nouns Nouns that represent a group (e.g., committee, board, team, corporation, majority) are strictly singular in American English (the standard tested on the EA) when acting as a single unit.

• Correct: The committee has reached its decision.

Verb Tenses & Sequence

Verb tenses indicate when an action occurs. EA SC primarily tests the logical sequence of tenses.

Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

• Simple Past indicates an action completed at a specific time in the past. (e.g., The company launched the product in 2020.)
• Present Perfect (has/have + past participle) indicates an action that began in the past and continues into the present, or an action whose effect continues into the present. (e.g., The company has launched five products since 2020.)

The Past Perfect Tense The past perfect (had + past participle) is used only to clarify the sequence of two past actions. The past perfect describes the older action, while the simple past describes the more recent action.

• Correct: By the time the auditor arrived (simple past), the CFO had resigned (past perfect). If the sequence is obvious due to words like before or after, the simple past can sometimes be used for both, but past perfect is often preferred for clarity. However, do not use past perfect if there is only one past event.

Future Perfect The future perfect (will have + past participle) describes an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

• Correct: By next quarter, the merger will have finalized.

Parallelism

Parallelism requires that items in a list or comparison be expressed in the same grammatical form (e.g., noun with noun, infinitive with infinitive, prepositional phrase with prepositional phrase).

Coordinating Conjunctions The FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) link parallel elements.

• Incorrect: She likes to swim, to run, and cycling.
• Correct: She likes to swim, to run, and to cycle.
• Correct: She likes swimming, running, and cycling.

Correlative Pairs Certain expressions require strict parallelism immediately following both parts of the pair:

• Either X or Y
• Neither X nor Y
• Not only X but also Y
• Both X and Y

Whatever grammatical structure follows "not only" must exactly mirror what follows "but also."

• Incorrect: The new software is not only fast but also it is reliable.
• Correct: The new software is not only fast but also reliable.

Parallel Structures Across Clauses When listing clauses, ensure the subject-verb structure matches.

• Correct: The consultant recommended that the company reduce its workforce and that it restructure its debt.