Sentence Correction

papgust wrote:

shoot4greatness wrote:

papgust wrote:Quantity Words:

Used with Used with
Countable Items Uncountable items
--------------------- -----------------------
Fewer Less
Number Amount, Quantity
Many Much

we spent less than 5$ on the trip.
Is this statement correct.

Shawshank wrote:

papgust wrote:

shoot4greatness wrote:

papgust wrote:Quantity Words:

Used with Used with
Countable Items Uncountable items
--------------------- -----------------------
Fewer Less
Number Amount, Quantity
Many Much

we spent less than 5$ on the trip.
Is this statement correct.

5$ is an amount (an uncountable item). So, "less" is apt than "fewer".

papgust wrote:You CANNOT end a modifier with a preposition.

Examples:
"dioxins that north americans are exposed to" -- INCORRECT.
"dioxins to which north americans are exposed" -- CORRECT.

kapur.arnav wrote:

papgust wrote:You CANNOT end a modifier with a preposition.

Examples:
"dioxins that north americans are exposed to" -- INCORRECT.
"dioxins to which north americans are exposed" -- CORRECT.

Can you elaborate further on this by using a complete sentence as an example...

Thanks so much for collating the material... You are doing a brilliant job!!

papgust wrote:"In contrast to":

If you say "in contrast to", then you don't HAVE to mention both statistics... Although you still can mention.


Examples:
"In contrast to the corresponding rate in Esteria, the unemployment rate in Burdistan fell last month." -- CORRECT! In this case, the "in contrast to" construction implies that the Esterian rate went up. We don't actually have to say this explicitly.

But, if you want, you can mention both statistics:
"In contrast to the corresponding rate in Esteria, which rose by 0.5%, the unemployment rate in Burdistan fell by 0.3% last month." -- ALSO CORRECT!



Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

papgust wrote:"A substance to promote" is UNIDIOMATIC.

Substance --> Concrete Noun
Promote --> Verb


"A NOUN TO VERB" is CORRECT ONLY when Noun is ABSTRACT.

Examples:
"A way to produce goods"
"A reason to try harder"

"A substance to promote X" --> WRONG! "Substance" is a concrete noun.
"A substance that promotes X" --> CORRECT!

"A tool to install the shelves" --> WRONG! "Tool" is a concrete noun.
"A tool with which to install the shelves" --> CORRECT!




Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

papgust wrote:"Greater than" Vs "More than":


"Greater than" --> When describing numbers alone

"More than" --> When describing the numbers of objects OR When making comparisons.

papgust wrote:"X as much as Y" is a PROPER idiom.

"Not so much as" is another PROPER idiom used ONLY in the negative contexts.
E.g:
"Not so much as a whisper was heard from the crowd"


Incorrect Idioms:
* "So much/many as"
* "As much/many that"
* "So much/many that"

Can there be a q with specific choices in which we can have both not so much as and as much as...



--> [Refer OG11, Qn. # 30] <--

papgust wrote:Both forms are correct -

"attributes X (an effect) to Y (a cause)" -- [Active Voice]

"X (an effect) is attributed by Y (a cause)" -- [Passive Voice]


Incorrect form:
"X is attributed as the cause of Y"

--> [Refer OG11, Qn. # 67] <--

papgust wrote:--[ IMPORTANT ]--

LIKE / AS RULE:

You make comparisons with LIKE when you compare nouns, or noun phrases (i.e., anything that doesn't have a VERB).
EXCEPTION:
Prepositional phrases take "As".
Note that there may be modifiers attached to these nouns. If there are, don't care. Modifiers are disposable.


You make comparisons with AS when you compare clauses (things that have real VERBS), or prepositional phrases.

NOTE: When you're deciding whether something is a clause or just a noun phrase, remember that -ING FORMS DO NOT COUNT AS VERBS (unless there's a helping verb attached to them).


Examples:
"Those babies are cute, like little pandas sliding down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
Note that:
* "sliding" is NOT a verb.
* "sliding down rainbows" is a modifier, and thus doesn't have to be considered in the grammar of the sentence.

"Those babies are cute, as are little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "are" is a verb, so this is a clause.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.

"Those babies are cute, like little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "little pandas" is a noun.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.

"Our family lives on a farm now, as in the 19th century." -- CORRECT! Prepositional phrases take "as"



Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

mundasingh123 wrote:

papgust wrote:--[ IMPORTANT ]--

LIKE / AS RULE:

You make comparisons with LIKE when you compare nouns, or noun phrases (i.e., anything that doesn't have a VERB).
EXCEPTION:
Prepositional phrases take "As".
Note that there may be modifiers attached to these nouns. If there are, don't care. Modifiers are disposable.


You make comparisons with AS when you compare clauses (things that have real VERBS), or prepositional phrases.

NOTE: When you're deciding whether something is a clause or just a noun phrase, remember that -ING FORMS DO NOT COUNT AS VERBS (unless there's a helping verb attached to them).


Examples:
"Those babies are cute, like little pandas sliding down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
Note that:
* "sliding" is NOT a verb.
* "sliding down rainbows" is a modifier, and thus doesn't have to be considered in the grammar of the sentence.

"Those babies are cute, as are little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "are" is a verb, so this is a clause.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.

"Those babies are cute, like little pandas that slide down rainbows" -- CORRECT!
* "little pandas" is a noun.
* "that slide..." DOES NOT count, since it's part of a modifier.

"Our family lives on a farm now, as in the 19th century." -- CORRECT! Prepositional phrases take "as"



Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

I want to give this prize to the gujys who are fighting the war for us.
"are fighting" is part of the modifier so isnt "are fighting" a verb.Plesae advise.

kapur.arnav wrote:

papgust wrote:Both forms are correct -

"attributes X (an effect) to Y (a cause)" -- [Active Voice]

"X (an effect) is attributed by Y (a cause)" -- [Passive Voice]


Incorrect form:
"X is attributed as the cause of Y"

--> [Refer OG11, Qn. # 67] <--

Isn't passive voice mostly wrong on GMAT... Given a question which has both active and passive... Should one go with the active voice...

kapur.arnav wrote:

papgust wrote:"X as much as Y" is a PROPER idiom.

"Not so much as" is another PROPER idiom used ONLY in the negative contexts.
E.g:
"Not so much as a whisper was heard from the crowd"


Incorrect Idioms:
* "So much/many as"
* "As much/many that"
* "So much/many that"

Can there be a q with specific choices in which we can have both not so much as and as much as...

--> [Refer OG11, Qn. # 30] <--

kapur.arnav wrote:

papgust wrote:"Greater than" Vs "More than":


"Greater than" --> When describing numbers alone

"More than" --> When describing the numbers of objects OR When making comparisons.

Did not get this... It will be great if we can have examples of the above rule...

kapur.arnav wrote:

papgust wrote:"A substance to promote" is UNIDIOMATIC.

Substance --> Concrete Noun
Promote --> Verb


"A NOUN TO VERB" is CORRECT ONLY when Noun is ABSTRACT.

Examples:
"A way to produce goods"
"A reason to try harder"

"A substance to promote X" --> WRONG! "Substance" is a concrete noun.
"A substance that promotes X" --> CORRECT!

"A tool to install the shelves" --> WRONG! "Tool" is a concrete noun.
"A tool with which to install the shelves" --> CORRECT!




Courtesy: Ron Purewal, GMAT Expert.

I did not get this at alll.... is there a specific rule to identify a concrete and abstract noun...