Sección Verbal
Ejemplo de Sentence Correction
The notion that it is possible to see the Great Wall of China from outer space loses credibility once it is made subject to a scientific criterion, since to be able to would be equivalent to be able to discern, at a distance of two metres, a single human hair on a background of similar colour.
- once it is made subject to a scientific criterion, since to be able to would be equivalent to be able to discern
- once that notion is subjected to scientific criteria, since to be able to do so would be equivalent to being able to discern
- once that notion is subjected with scientific criteria, since being able to do so would be equivalent to be able to discern
- once it is subjected to a scientific criterion, since to be able to do that would be equivalent to be able to discern
- once that notion is the subject of scientific criteria, since being able to would be equivalent to being able to discern
Initial Solution
- Look down the list of beginnings. You will observe that options A and D start with the words ‘once it is’ and that options B, C, and E begin with the words ‘once that notion is’.
- Eliminate options A and D. The referent of ‘it’ is not clear. Common sense tells you that this pronoun refers to ‘the notion’, but in grammatical terms it could refer to ‘outer space’, ‘the Great Wall of China’, or ‘the notion’.
- Reserve option B. There are no discernible mistakes.
- Eliminate option C. The phrase ‘is subjected with’ is idiomatically wrong: it should be ‘is subjected to’.
- Eliminate option E. The clause ‘once that notion is the subject of scientific criteria’ has no grammatical or idiomatic mistakes, but it has two major defects of another kind. First, it changes the meaning of the sentence. This in not acceptable in the GMAT unless all the other options have grammatical or idiomatic mistakes, or mistakes of register. And second, it expresses a very vague idea. How exactly can the notion that one can see the Great Wall of China become ‘the subject of scientific criteria’? The statement is almost meaningless.
Answer: B
Subsequent Solution
The aim of the Initial Solution that has just been given is to outline the criteria that allow you to make quick and accurate eliminations. The Subsequent Solution that would follow it would contain a detailed description and analysis of all the other mistakes in the four incorrect options, and a comparison of those mistakes with the correct forms in option B. This is necessary because the GMAT constantly recycles errors: one that appears in a particular form in a certain question will very probably appear in another form in a different question. It is therefore in your interest to study the Subsequent Solutions in the Strategypractice Sessions in detail.