Sentence correction questions make up approximately 14 of the 41 questions in the GMAT verbal section. They present a usually knotty sentence with all or a portion underlined. The answer choices present five versions of the underlined portion and your task is to select the best. Note that the first answer choice always repeats the underlined portion of the original Written English. This is not entirely true. You’ll need a strong grasp of proper style and a taste for clarity in writing to do well. Here’s a list of useful GMAT tips that apply specifically to Sentence Correction questions (Verbal section):

  1. Familiarize yourself with the GMAT verbal section, specifically the sentence completion questions. This can be accomplished through specialized books, courses or tutoring.
  2. Don’t bother to read answer choice (A). It simply repeats the underlined part of the sentence.
  3. Do not worry about spelling or capitalization errors.  The test writers do not test for these 2 errors.
  4. Eliminate any answer choice that distorts the intended meaning of the sentence.
  5. Test-takers have a natural tendency to hyper-correct — to find fault with the original version (the first answer choice). Keep in mind that, on average, in 1 out of 5 Sentence Correction questions the original version (the first answer choice) is the best among the five choices.
  6. Some answer choices might contain internal grammatical errors (they’re grammatically improper, even apart from the sentence). Eliminate them right away to narrow down the viable choices.
  7. You’ll always encounter a second-best answer choice as well. Resolve close judgment calls in favor of the version that most effectively and concisely expresses the intended meaning of the sentence.
  8. Just because an answer choice is a bit wordy or awkward, don’t assume it’s a wrong choice. If it contains no grammatical errors, while each of the other choices do, then it’s nevertheless the best of the five choices.
  9. Just because an answer choice is grammatically correct, don’t assume it’s the best choice. It might be a bit wordy or awkward; or it might contain a redundancy; or it might employ the passive voice. Another choice might be better overall.
  10. Trust your ear. If an answer choice sounds awkward in the context of a sentence, don’t bother to analyze it — eliminate it and move on.