General: Page 20 for cousin words Pgae 24 (avoid use of being) Verb agreement: Page 39 - additive phrases which

doesnt make the subject plural (like as well as, along with etc) Page 40 -- Whether indefinite pronouns (each, every, none etc) are singular or plural Page 41 quantity phrases, also look page 42 Parallelism: Page 56 idioms with built in parallel structure Pronouns: Go though page 71 in detail Raise vs Rise: Rise is used when no subject is there. Farther vs further: Farther is used for distance only the number of college graduates this is singular less and greater should accompany a THAN population use MUCH, not MANY FEWER Incentives, not LESS incentives. whether is preferred over whether or not compared to and compared with in GMAT they are almost same avoid use of being so as to is not correct most of the time If either neither is used alone (i.e. without or, nor), it is singular Collective nouns (e.g. team, army, agency) are always singular in GMAT. Police, Media - plural Each, every -- singular Anyone, no one, everyone, someone - singular (same for body, -thing) Not one - always singular . For e.g. Not one of my friends is here SANAM (Some, Any, None, All, More / Most) could of singular or plural depending on the noun after of. EACH following subject could be plural. For e.g. They each are . The number of .. - singular, A number of - plural Majority, minority follows the same rule as above the majority has decided, majority of students are ) Treat these quantity pharses (also like half) same as SANAM Subject phrases are always singular . E.g. Having good friends is a wonderful thing When in doubt, think SINGULAR Watch out for AND Possessive nouns can serve as antecedent of possessive pronouns only Never skip past - it, its, they, them, their. Special attention for their

Use of that or those is not accepted in GMAT when number changes. For e.g.: Her company is outperforming those of her competitors. - WRONG Her company is outperforming the companies of her competitors. - RIGHT In GMAT never use this, these, that, those in place of nouns. Use it they them. For e.g.: Her products are unusual; many consider these unique. -- WRONG Her products are unusual; many consider them unique. -- RIGHT Modifier phrases: Adjective + Adjective + Noun Adverb + Adjective + Noun A noun and its modified must touch each other Watch out for possessive Relative modifiers: THAT can never modify PEOPLE WHOSE can modify both PEOPLE and THING WHERE to be used only to modify NOUN place like area, site country etc We had an arrangement WHERE he cooked -- WRONG No comma for essential modifiers, use comma for non-essential modifiers. This mansion, which is painted red, is owned by RAM. The mansion that is painted red is owned by RAM. Use Which if the modifier is non-essential Use That if the modifier is essential which followed by preposition can act as essential modifier which should be used only to modify preceding NOUN. It should never be used to modify a clause. Crime has recently decreased in our neighborhood, which has led to a rise in property values. -- WRONG Crime has recently decreased in our neighborhood, leading to a rise in property values. -- RIGHT Never use present progressive tense to indicate future action. For e.g.: Ram is meeting Hari tomorrow -- Wrong Present perfect: For actions that started in past and either still continuing or the effect is still there. Example of effect is still there: The child has drawn a square in the sand. If you use SINCE, you must use present perfect Clauses linked by BUT or AND do not require the past perfect. For e.g.: X drove to the store, and Y bought some ice-cream - correct

If words like BRFORE or AFTER is used, past perfect is not required. For e.g: I cooked the food before Ram came. -- Correct Sometimes, later past tense can be used just as a date or time reference only: By 1945, the US had been at war for several years. -- Correct Look at example in page 110 Use past perfect, only if you need to emphasize the time sequence. Command subjunctive: used in bossy verbs like require, propose etc It should have THAT and no SHOULD Either bare form of the verb or BE Not all bossy verbs use command subjunctive. They use infinitive. E.g. WANT, Advise, Allow, forbid, persuade etc The vice president wants her to go to retreat - correct We allow him to be here - correct Bossy verbs which use only command subjunctive: Demand, dictate, insist, mandate, propose, recommend, request, stipulate, suggest Require can use both command sub.. or infinitve. Other such verbs are: ask, beg, intend, order, prefer, urge, require Avoid the use of command subjunctive after WHETHER Avoid passive voice Use WOULD for hypothetical past (If X happened, then Y would happen) LIKE is followed by noun, pronoun or noun phrase. Never put a clause after LIKE. For e.g.: Like X did, Y also did. -- Wrong AS can be used both as a preposition (like LIKE) or before a clause. LIKE cannot be used in prepositional phrases. For e.g: This is good for me, like for you. - WRONG Should be as for you Do not compare adverbs that ends with ly by changing it to -er. For e.g.: You run quicker than me. - WRONG You run more quickly than me - RIGHT Do not use comparative adjective without THAN. I will have higher energy bills. - WRONG I will have higher energy bills than last year. - RIGHT Coordinating conjunction: Together with a comma, they link two main clauses to make a correct sentence. Examples of coordinating conjunction: And, But, Or, For, Nor, Yet, So Subordinators: they create subordinate clauses which in turn get attached to the main clause. Examples are: Although, because, Before, After, Since, when, If, unless That, Though, While

Do not use comma to separate two verbs having same subject. Either eliminate the comma or add a subject for second verb to create another main clause. Ram walked to school, and later ate his lunch. - Wrong Ram walked to school and later ate his lunch. -- Correct Ram walked to school, and he later ate his lunch. - RIGHT Semicolon used to connect to closely related statements, each of which can stand alone separately. Semicolons are often followed by transition expression, such as however, therefore, in addition. These words should not be used with comma. For example, It is raining today, therefore, Ram will not go to school. -- Wrong It is raining today; therefore, Ram will not go to school. -- Right Semicolon is also used to separate items that themselves contain commas. The part before colon should be self sufficient. The part after colon should be as close possible to the portion it is explaining. This is not required for dash (-) Countable modifiers: Many, Few, Numerous Uncountable modifiers: Much, Less, Greater, Amount, little, Used for both: More, Most, All, Enough Increase / Decrease is not same as greater / less Increase / decrease means change over time. Greater / less used for comparison Idioms: He wins frequently, AS MUCH because he plays SO hard, AS because he cheats. Act as - function as, act like - behave in similar manner The wall acted as a resistance He acted like a joker ALTHOUGH is generally followed by a clause Zebras are MORE vicious compared to horses - THIS IS WORNG Confidence THAT Correct, Confidence IN - Wrong In contrast with and In contrast to both are correct Create TO, Credit WITH, Danger OF, Dated AT, Develop INTO -- > all correct Declares AS, Different THAN - wrong

DOUBT used in a positive statement without NOT or NO, should be followed by WHETHER or IF. I doubt whether he will come today - correct I doubt that he will come today - incorrect Due to - to check whether Due to is appropriate, replace it by Caused by and check if it makes sense Estimated to be - correct, estimated AT - wrong FACT THAT is usually not used Found THAT Correct, Found TO BE Suspect INSTEAD OF usually not used . RATHER THAN is used Intent OF and Intent TO - Both correct Lie IN / Lay IN - correct Loss OF strength and Loss IN euro both correct Means TO / Mistaken FOR - correct Native TO (for animal / plant), Native OF (for people) ONLY should be used just before the word it tries to modify. Her performance is ONLY exceeded by theirs -- wrong Her performance is exceeded only by theirs correct He OWES to the money TO the government FOR the back taxes. correct He OWES to the money TO the government BBECAUSE OF the back taxes. wrong Privilege TO / Privilege OF incorrect Think of x AS y - correct idiom, think of x TO BE y - incorrect Thought TO BE correct Aimed at correct, with the aim of - correct With the aim to - incorrect Pronounced AS - Incorrect Recognize THAT, Recognize x TO BE y, Recognize x AS y - all correct Reduction IN - correct, Reduction OF - wrong Reluctant TO say - correct, Reluctant ABOUT saying - incorrect Restrictions ON - correct, Restrictions FOR - incorrect Seems THAT, Seems TO, It seems AS IF - all correct Seems like it doesn incorrect ALL companies have SIMILAR issues - correct EVERY / EACH company has SIMILAR issues - wrong Prohibits x FROM doing y - correct Forbids x TO do y - correct Owes something TO x FOR y correct The sauce was SO hot AS TO burn my mouth - correct

The sauce had SO MUCH / SUCH heat AS TO burn my mouth - incorrect Substitute FOR correct, Substitute IN PLACE OF - incorrect Succeeded IN REACHING - Correct, Succeeded TO REACH incorrect I enjoy driving SUCH cars as Ferrari - correct Targeted AT - correct, Targeted TO incorrect Use TO break correct, Use FOR breaking incorrect Use AS weapon correct, Use LIKE weapon - incorrect Variations IN - correct, Variations OF / Variations AMONG - incorrect View AS correct, View LIKE / View TO BE incorrect Worried ABOUT - correct, Worried OVER - incorrect Ability TO - correct, Ability OF -> incorrect Expected that xyz SHOULD - incorrect Remove it is ..that Never drop OF if you have time period, quantity or measurement as the first week. The week of Memorial Day (not the memorial day week) The year of the merger (not the merger year) The amount of oxygen (not the oxygen amount) The density of honeybee population (not the honeybee pop density) SAY is the only reporting verb after which THAT is not required He said he is good in math correct Concrete nouns and action nouns (revolution, pollution, withdrawal etc) should not be parallel. Simple gerund (tasting wine) and complex gerund (the wine tasting) should not be parallel Action noun and complex gerund can be parallel. Identify this if you see a gerund (-ing verb) after of and an article in front. Adjective, past participle and present participle (when used as adjective) can be parallel Only a few feet WIDE but SPANNING across continents, the railroad changed history Aid in healing is correct, aid to heal is incorrect Begin AS and Bgin WITH -- both correct Way FOR - incorrect CLAIMS TO BE ABLE TO - CORRECT There should be used either to refer a place or a noun, never to refer an adjective. Try to avoid plural possessive Police is plural