If you`re preparing for the GMAT, then you know how important sentence correction is. One of the most critical components of writing a grammatically correct sentence is ensuring that the subject and verb agree. It may seem like a small detail, but it can make or break your score on the exam.
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule of grammar in English. It requires that the subject of a sentence agrees with the verb in number. In other words, if your subject is singular, your verb must be singular as well. If your subject is plural, your verb needs to be plural too.
For example, “The cat chases the mouse” is correct, while “The cat chase the mouse” is incorrect because “cat” is singular and “chase” is plural.
When it comes to the GMAT, you can expect to encounter a variety of sentence correction questions that test your understanding of subject-verb agreement. These questions may include sentences where the subject and verb are separated by other words, making it more difficult to spot errors.
Here are some tips to help you master GMAT sentence correction subject-verb agreement:
1. Identify the subject and the verb: The first step is to identify the subject and the verb in the sentence. Once you`ve done that, you can determine whether they agree in number.
2. Watch out for prepositional phrases: Prepositional phrases can make subject-verb agreement tricky. Make sure you`re paying attention to the subject of the sentence, not just the words that come before or after it.
3. Look for clues: Sometimes there are clues in the sentence that can help you identify the correct subject-verb agreement. For example, if there`s a plural noun in the sentence, then the verb should be plural too.
4. Practice, practice, practice: The best way to get better at subject-verb agreement is to practice. Work through as many GMAT sentence correction questions as you can, and pay close attention to the ones that involve subject-verb agreement.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential part of GMAT sentence correction. It may seem like a small detail, but it can have a big impact on your score. By practicing and paying close attention to the subject and verb in each sentence, you can improve your skills and feel confident on test day.