GMAT Crash Course in Effective Writing (IV)

5b(2). Modification

1. Errors in the Use of Adjectives and Adverbs.
Check if a word modifier is an ADJECTIVE or an ADVERB. Make sure the correct form has been used. An ADJECTIVE describes a noun and answers the questions: how many, which one, what kind?
She is a good tennis player. (What kind of tennis player?)

An ADVERB describes either a verb or an adjective and answers the questions: when, where, why, in what manner, and to what extent?

She plays tennis well. (She plays tennis how?) This exercise is relatively easy. (How easy?) Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the adjective, such as he worked quickly.

EXCEPTIONS:
Adjective Adverb
wrong: She is a real good swimmer.

right: She is a really good swimmer.

"really" is acting as an adverb to modify the adjective "good"
wrong: The new student speaks bad.
right: The new student speaks badly.
"Badly" modifies how the student speaks.

2. Errors of Adjectives with Verbs of Sense.
The following verbs of sense are described by ADJECTIVES:

be look smell taste feel seem
wrong: After the three-week vacation, she looked very well.
right: After the three-week vacation, she looked very good.

NOTE: "She is well" is also correct in the meaning of "She is healthy" or in describing a person's well-being.

wrong: The strawberry shortcake tastes deliciously.
right: The strawberry shortcake tastes delicious.

3. Location of Modification
z A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another part of the sentence.
z You should place a modifier as close as possible to what it is modifying.
z Modifiers sometimes appear to modify words that they don't actually modify. Test writers often utilize tricks to confuse students with modification:
* That/which clauses, especially ones that come at the end of sentences
* Sentences beginning or ending with descriptive phrases

Examples.

Faulty modifications often inadvertently change the meaning of sentences.

1. On arriving at the train station, his friends met him and took him immediately to his speaking engagement in Springfield.This sounds as if the friends arrived at the train station. It should say... "When Jay arrived at the train station, his friends met him…
??? Where did the Jay come from?? Sometimes one of the answer choices might inject new names into a sentence. This is appropriate here since the pronouns had no specific nouns they referred to.
Tricks: note that its is a possessive of it, and it's is the contraction of it and is.

5b3. Pronouns

It is often difficult to tell what noun a pronoun replaces and what case (subjective or objective) should be used.

Which pronoun you use depends on if the pronoun is being used as the subject or the object of a sentence.

Subject Objective
he him
she her

who whom
I me
they them
we us

A. Pronoun Subject-Object.
Check if a pronoun is the SUBJECT or the OBJECT of a verb or preposition.

wrong: How could she blame you and he for the accident?
right: How could she blame you and him for the accident?

Example
(She/her) was better suited.

Here the pronoun is the subject of the verb suited, meaning, "she" acts as the subject.

WHO/WHOM

If the pronoun is acting as a subject, it should be who. If it is acting as an object, it should be whom.

Example

I don't know (who/whom) Steven meant.

Whom is in the object form because it is the object of meant (with Steve as the subject).

B. Check if the pronoun and its verb agree in number.
Remember that the following are singular:

anyone anything each

either everyone everything

neither no one nothing

what whatever whoever

These are plural:
both many several others few

1) wrong: Everyone on the project have to come to the meeting.
right: Everyone on the project has to come to the meeting.

The forms "either... or" and "neither.. .nor" are singular and take a singular verb. However, if the noun closest to the verb in the "neither..nor or either...or" is plural, then the verb is
plural.

2) wrong: Neither his bodyguards nor he was there.

right: Neither he nor his bodyguards were there.

3) wrong: Either his bodyguards or he is bringing it.
right: Either he or his bodyguards are bringing it.

C. Check if possessive pronouns agree in person and number.
1) wrong: Some of you will have to bring their own beer.
right: Some of you will have to bring your own beer.

Some is singular.

2) wrong: If anyone comes over, take their name.
right: If anyone comes over, take his name.

The subject is anyone, which is singular, which requires a singular pronoun (his).

D. "Objects" of to be verbs are in the subject form.
1) wrong: It must have been her who called.
right: It must have been she who called.

E. A relative pronoun (which, that or who) refers to the word preceding it. If the meaning is unclear, the pronoun is in the wrong position. The word which introduces non-essential clauses, that introduces essential clauses. Who refers to individuals, that refers to a group of persons, class, type, or species.
1) wrong: The line at the bank was very slow, which made me late.
right: I was late because of the line at the bank.
OR The line at the bank made me late.

F. In forms using impersonal pronouns, use either "one.. one's/his or her" or "you.. your."
1) wrong: One should have their teeth checked every six months.
right: One should have one's/his or her teeth checked six months.
OR: You should have your teeth checked every six months.

2) wrong: One should take your responsibilities seriously.
right: One should take one's/his or her responsibilities seriously.
OR: You should take your responsibilities seriously.

3. Location of Modification
. A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes another part of the sentence.
. You should place a modifier as close as possible to what it is modifying.
. Modifiers sometimes appear to modify words that they don't actually modify.
Test writers often utilize tricks to confuse students with modification:

* That/which clauses, especially ones that come at the end of sentences
* Sentences beginning or ending with descriptive phrases
Examples.

Faulty modifications often inadvertently change the meaning of sentences.

1. On arriving at the train station, his friends met him and took him immediately to his speaking engagement in Springfield.This sounds as if the friends arrived at the train station. It should say... "When Jay arrived at the train station, his friends met him…

??? Where did the Jay come from?? Sometimes one of the answer choices might inject new names into a sentence. This is appropriate here since the pronouns had no specific nouns they referred to.
Tricks: note that its is a possessive of it, and it's is the contraction of it and is.