BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Modifiers ..

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:03 am
Thanked: 1 times

Modifiers ..

by A.Kiran » Thu Nov 19, 2009 12:16 am
I am not able to understand the modifiers well .....

There are of 5 kinds of sentences:

( https://www.beatthegmat.com/modifiers-t47816.html#203946. )


What about the modifiers structures in the sentences ?
Are they finite ?

1. comma + ing ( Adverbials)
2. comma + ed ( Noun Clause )
3. comma + prepositon
4. which clause
5. That clause.
6. Who Clause
7. Prepositional Clause ( Adverbials)
8. Compound adverbial modifiers ( though i dont understand this well)
9. Compound prepositional or adjective modifiers ( does they exist ? i dont know )


Are there any left ?
and in a given sentence can these be arranged in Infinite ways ? or they can be arranged in only limited ways.


Is this a good question ?
Any answers please?
8.
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2228
Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanked: 639 times
Followed by:694 members
GMAT Score:780

by Stacey Koprince » Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:46 am
Modifiers are complicated - it would literally take me hours to type out any kind of definitive list and discussion of all types and uses of modifiers.

What have you been using to study grammar so far? Our SC book has a complete chapter on modifiers that tells us what we need to know for the GMAT, along with examples to understand. Have you used that? (or something like it from another company?) I would worry primarily about the ones listed in the book, as we care most about learning what we need to know specifically for the GMAT.
Please note: I do not use the Private Messaging system! I will not see any PMs that you send to me!!

Stacey Koprince
GMAT Instructor
Director of Online Community
Manhattan GMAT

Contributor to Beat The GMAT!

Learn more about me
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3380
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
Thanked: 2256 times
Followed by:1535 members
GMAT Score:800

by lunarpower » Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:57 am
hi -

like stacey says, yeah, it's impossible to have any sort of concise treatment of modifiers in general. instead, you should submit particular problems, so that we can give detailed explanations of the specific uses of the modifiers in those problems.

also, if you could clarify what is meant by this question:
and in a given sentence can these be arranged in Infinite ways ? or they can be arranged in only limited ways.
i don't really understand what you're asking here. perhaps stacey does; i couldn't find an indication either way in her post.

good luck!
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

--

Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.

Yves Saint-Laurent

--

Learn more about ron
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:03 am
Thanked: 1 times

by A.Kiran » Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:55 pm
and in a given sentence can these be arranged in Infinite ways ? or they can be arranged in only limited ways.
Hi Ron.

What i meant by the above is that, in a complex sentence are there any fixed patterns like Basic sentences ( which are only 5) or there are many number of patterns of the complex sentence that can be formed using the modifiers ?




Thanks to all to the response of my question.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3380
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
Thanked: 2256 times
Followed by:1535 members
GMAT Score:800

by lunarpower » Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:06 am
A.Kiran wrote:
and in a given sentence can these be arranged in Infinite ways ? or they can be arranged in only limited ways.
Hi Ron.

What i meant by the above is that, in a complex sentence are there any fixed patterns like Basic sentences ( which are only 5) or there are many number of patterns of the complex sentence that can be formed using the modifiers ?




Thanks to all to the response of my question.
hmm. wow.

well, i'm sure that there is some finite number of complex sentence patterns. (technically there would be an infinite number if you included longer and longer lists as separate constructions.)
but i'm just as sure that the number would be way, way, way too big to justify making a complete list.

what's almost certainly a better approach is to concentrate mostly on the smaller elements of the sentence - i.e., individual modifiers, parallel structures, and the like. such "micro" errors account for easily 95+ percent of all errors tested on the gmat.

there ARE errors that involve fragments, run-on sentences, and the like, but
* those are rare, and
* you are absolutely going to have to learn to identify them.
let's get one thing straight right now: say that some genius comes up with a list of, i don't know, 347 different sentence patterns, and says that those are all the sentence patterns in english. even if that were the case, you wouldn't be able to recognize faulty structures by going through all 347 of them and saying, "oh well, that's not in there ... must be a fragment."
instead, you'll have to recognize the specific cues that tip you off to faulty structures (or to sound structures, as the case may be).
it's a lot of work, but the only reliable way to get better at this is to do lots of problems, and take away individual lessons about what does and doesn't work.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

--

Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.

Yves Saint-Laurent

--

Learn more about ron
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1404
Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 6:55 pm
Thanked: 18 times
Followed by:2 members

by tanviet » Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:13 am
We need to study gmat rules. So, we study gmat books. Study of general grammar dose not help. Princeton Review book said that.

yes, focus on specific SC question and read gmat books. I used to study general grammar and waste the time of my own.

ok, for modifier problem, I face the following modifiers which I think you should care (and care only these)

1, (comma+doing) modify both subject and verb of main clause and must be in a meaningfully logic place (do not care this modifier is adverbials or adjectivals, gmat dose not need the terminology)

for example

learning English, I watch TV

or, I watch TV, leaning English

2, (comma+ ed) modifies previous noun (do not care how it is called adjectival or not)
Tired by studying gmat too hard, I go to bed

3,(comma_preposition phrase)
modify entire previous clause

the diet is vegitarian, with meat as a rarity

4, (comma+comparative phrase) modify the phrase preceding comma(immediatly preceding is prefered)

the number of gmat taker was haft of the student population of 2008, more than the CEO population of 2009

5,(comma +noun) modify

previous clause: She is beautiful, a fact any one agree

modify a previous noun : the number of acres managed by companies is 1000, an area which is big (Q 2 OG10).
Here "an area refers to the number of acres. this sentence is called resumptive sentence, in which a noun is repeated or has a special appositive far from the modified noun

in general grammar book, these modifiers are not discussed for purpose of gmat. In other words we do not have complete explanation. OG books do not provide full explanation. That is why study with this forum is important

Pls, correct me, or give your idea.
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:03 am
Thanked: 1 times

by A.Kiran » Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:00 pm
Thanks Ron.

I agree, only way is to do solve the problems to get over this exam.
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1