When I see …
… SC and cannot find any obviouse error in A …
I will …
… reserve A ASAP
Procedure for SC
How to approach each SC question?
Level 0: spot all S, V, and modifiers
Level 1: System 1
1. Subject-Verb agreement 1st: verb.
2. Parallelism (determine where it starts)
3. Modifiers
Level 2: System 2
4. Pronouns:
- Agree in number (or appositive)
- Dangling (without antecedent)
- Ambiguity (It’s not an absolute rule. Keep this for future judgment)
5. Verb tense
6. Comparison
Level 3: System 2
7. Meaning
8. Concession
9. idioms
Finishing the question:
- Once you’ve eliminated the most obviously incorrect choices, carefully compare the other choices and seek to determine how the differences between them indicate which is correct. In most cases, there will be a subtle difference in meaning conveyed that will indicate which choice is the best.
- If two choices both seem correct, often there’s an issue with the non-underlined portion. So, if you are staring at two choices that seem perfect, check to see which works better with the non-underlined portion.
- When something in a version “sounds strange,” you have likely found an issue. When you’re practicing, seek to articulate exactly what that issue is, even if you have to spend five minutes pondering the choice to do so.
At the same time, sometimes the correct answer is written to sound a little strange. So, be careful to determine whether what sounds strange is really flawed or just sounds strange even though it’s correct.
For tougher onces note:
- Nothing special about “A”
- Be literal and through (System 2)
- Clear and consice
- Some corrects are fooled you to the wrong choice
When I see
… dificulty in finding level 1 in first 30 sec …
I will …
… noting myself, Man! you still have Level 2, 3 and even logical guess
When I see …
… complex words …
I will …
… give it a chance. It may be a substitution of a simple word, but as soon as I couldn’t understand its syntysis or X!
Defrostation
When I see …
… Noun modifiers …
I will …
consider whether restrictive or non-restrictive modifier is needed.
Absolute phrase, That/Which/… Whom… Who/Whose, participale phrases
When I see …
… a pronoun …
I will …
Also find all possible antecedents especially for “it.”
When I see …
… answer choices with little differences …
Especially involved parallelism or comparison
I will …
… create a short list for each answer choice’s errors
When I see …
… conditional tense …
I will …
… cross check if there is another signals of redundancy like modal verb “may”
When I see …
… demonstrative pronouns in comparison …
that of, those of
I will …
Mechanically replace possible antecedents that make sense, ASAP.
When I see …
… that, which, who modifiers …
I will …
- Consider the fact that closeness is not the strong role. In all cases you have to consider the meaning.
- Stop my urge to eliminate that can not modify human, human may be a part or prepositional phrase.
The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual that, in turn, create unconscious physiological responses.
When I see …
… compound subject in subject-verb agreement …
Especially involving parallelism
I will …
Force myselfe to check the subject again for each answer choice, because in some answer choices it would be change.
Example:
While most of the earliest known ball courts in Mesoamerica date to 900–400 b.c., waterlogged latex balls found at El Manati and representations of ballplayers painted on ceramics found at San Lorenzo attest to the fact that the Mesoamerican ballgame was well established by the mid-thirteenth century b.c.
✔︎(A) waterlogged latex balls found at El Manati and representations of ballplayers painted on ceramics found at San Lorenzo attest
→ Sub: waterlogged … and representation (P) verb: attest (P)
✗(E) the finding of waterlogged latex balls at El Manati and of representations of ballplayers painted on ceramics at San Lorenzo attest
→ Sub: the finding (S) verb: attest (P)
When I see …
… SC involved Comparison with “Whereas,” “While,” “Although,” and “Unlike.” …
I will …
Note that unlike sentence elements connected by “unlike,” clauses connected by “whereas,” “while,” and “although,” don’t have to be particularly similar to each other.
Example:
Windsurfing is considered physically challenging, involves standing on a board and holding a sail, and is in contrast to kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board and being attached to a kite and can be done in ways to make it not very physically challenging, though still somewhat dangerous.
(A) Windsurfing is considered physically challenging, involves ⍭⍭ standing on a board and holding a sail, and is in contrast to kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board and being(!) attached to a kite and can be done in ways to make it
(B) Whereas windsurfing, which involves standing on a board and holding a sail, is considered to be(✗- considerd X) physically challenging, kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board and attached(✗) to a kite, can be done in ways in which it is
(C) Unlike(✗) the way in which windsurfing, which involves standing on a board and holding a sail, is considered physically challenging, there are ways in which kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board while attached to a kite, can be done so that it is
(D) Windsurfing, which involves standing on a board and holding a sail, is considered physically challenging, while there are ways in which kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board while attached to a kite, can be done such that it is
(E) Windsurfing, involving standing on board while holding a sail, is considered to be(✗) physically challenging, unlike(✗) ways in which kiteboarding, which involves standing on a board while being attached(✗: convey that the activity of kiteboarding centers on the process of “being attached”) to a kite, can be done so that it is
When I see …
… SC involved Comparison with “Like” vs. “As” …
I will …
- “Like” can be used only in comparisons of nouns or pronouns. It cannot be used to connect verbs or clauses.
- In a comparison involving two clauses, “as” must be used.
- Use as in comparisons in the expression as … as, with an adjective or adverb in between:
→ ✔︎ Basketball is as popular as football here. | ✔︎ He can’t sing as well as his brother. - As is also used after be the same (age/size etc):
→ ✔︎ He is the same age as me. - ✗ Do not use as on its own before a noun or pronoun in comparisons.
✔︎ Use like: → ✔︎A movie is not like a book. | ✔︎ Like other people, he values his privacy.
✗ Don’t say: → ✗ A movie is not as a book. | ✗ As other people, he values his privacy. - Use as if/as though before a clause describing an imaginary situation:
→ ✔︎He talked to them as if they were children. - ✗ Do not use as if/as though directly before a noun.
✔︎ You say: → You treat him as if he were your servant.
✗ Don’t say: → You treat him as if your servant.
When I see …
… SC involved Comparison with “Like” vs. “Such as” and “Including” …
I will …
Note that he word “like” is strictly a comparison word and cannot be used to introduce examples. To introduce examples, we can use “such as.” We can also use “including” to introduce examples.
Example:
Wheat protein, often referred to as gluten, can disrupt the sleep of those who are intolerant to it by triggering an immune response similar to pathogens, like viruses, yeast, and bacteria, all of which have the ability to disrupt sleep.
(A) disrupt the sleep of those who are intolerant to it by triggering an immune response similar to pathogens, like(such as)
(B) be disruptive to the sleep of intolerant people✗ because it can trigger an immune response, which(IC), like the responses triggered by pathogens, such as
(C) disrupt the sleep of those intolerant to gluten by triggering an immune response like(as) pathogens do, including(Misplaced participle)
(D) be disruptive for(to) the sleep of those intolerant to it by triggering an immune response similar to that of(an immune response) the responses triggered by pathogens, including
✓(E) disrupt the sleep of those who are intolerant to it by triggering an immune response like ✓the one triggered by pathogens, such as
When I see …
… “when compared” or “if compared” …
I will …
Be careful not to be fooled by sentences that mention the items meant to be compared. Not every sentence that uses wording like “when compared” or “if compared” expresses an incomplete comparison. In some cases, sentences that use such wording are perfectly logical1.
Similar to a cat, a fox’s tail helps them to balance when they are running, jumping or pouncing.
(B) When compared with that of a cat, a fox’s tail is similar, helping the fox to balance when
(C) A fox’s tail is similar to that of a cat, which helps the fox to balance when
(D) Like a cat’s tail, a fox’s tail is similar, and helps it to balance when
✓(E) A fox’s tail, similar to that of a cat, helps it to balance when
1. The Torre Eurosky, the tallest building in Rome, towers over buildings around it, but when the Torre Eurosky is compared with the Freedom Tower in New York City, the Torre Eurosky may seem rather small.
When I see …
… SC involved Comparison …
I will …
check the fact that Comparison: at least two items compared
Unlike the weather in the Hawaiian Islands, which tends to be significantly cooler during the winter months than the summer, the weather in Panama is consistently warmer.
✓(E) In Panama, the weather is consistently warmer than that of the Hawaiian Islands, which tends to be significantly cooler during the winter months than in summer.1
1. Notice that the wording of this version is chosen with the intent of raising doubt in the mind of test-takers that this version is correct. To that end, weather is connected with Panama via the use of “in,” while weather is connected with the Hawaiian Islands via the use of “of.” Also, “during the winter months” and “in summer,” while logically similar, are not perfectly matched.
… SC involved Ellipsis in comparison …
I will ….
Check if there is an ambiguity in comparison.
- Be aware that Ellipsis is allowed for non-compared part as long as it conveys meaning without omitted words. Otherwise we have an ambiguity in comparision.
Example:
So extensive is the critic’s knowledge, so thorough is his research, and his reviews often delve as deeply into the subjects of the books he reviews as the books themselves.
✓(B) knowledge and so thorough his research that his reviews often delve as deeply into the subjects of the books he reviews as do1
1. The original sentence conveys:
- His reviews often delve as deeply into the subjects of the books he reviews as the books themselves delve.
- His reviews often delve as deeply into the subjects of the books he reviews as his reviews delve into the books themselves.
Neither “delve” nor “reviews delve into” is repeated in this version, and either could be understood to be repeated. So, the meaning conveyed is ambiguous.
When I see …
… SC involved Verb comparison …
I will …
Check Two things:
1.Correct substitution of “do, does or did”
- Multiple tense allowed as long as it make sense
2.Pay attention to the verbs used in comparisons
Example:
Analysts predict that, this year, the company’s revenue will grow 12 percent, a number much greater than it was in any of the previous five years.
✓(B) much more than it did
When I see …
… SC involved Noun comparison …
I will …
Check 2 things:
- Should be logical:
Example:
With the average yearly temperature increasing in the state, meteorologists predict that severe forest fires will damage this year a number of California’s state parks greater than last year.
✓(C) a number of California’s state parks this year greater in comparison with such fires - Shouln’t mistakenly compare with itself
Example:
High blood pressure in the U.S. population is significantly more prevalent than the Swiss population, although the Swiss eat more cheese from France and drink more beer from Belgium than Americans eat and drink.
(D) High blood pressure in the U. S. population is significantly more prevalent than it is in the Swiss population,
(E) In the U. S. population, high blood pressure is significantly more prevalent than it is in the Swiss population, 1
1. in the answer choice D, the noun is restricted by “in.” Thus, “High blood pressure in the U. S. population” compared with “High blood pressure in the U. S. population is in the Swiss population,”
When I see …
… Comparison or Parallelism involving pronouns or helping verbs …
I will …
Replace the antecedent or verb ,step back, and reread the sentence.
In no other historical sighting did Halley’s comet cause such a worldwide sensation as did its return in 1910-1911.
(A) did its return in 1910-1911
(B) had its 1910-1911 return
(C) in its return of 1910-1911
(D) its return of 1910-1911 did
(E) its return in 1910-1911
(A) did its return in 1910-1911
“In no other historical sighting did Halley’s comet cause such a worldwide sensation as caused Halley’s comet’s return in 1910-11.”
- Compare “in no other historical sighting” with “caused Halley’s comet’s return in 1910-11” → ✘
(B) had its 1910-1911 return
- had ?! → ✘
(C) in its return of 1910-1911
In no other historical sighting did Halley’s comet cause such a worldwide sensation as in its return of 1910-1911.
- Compare “in no other historical sighting” with “in Halley’s comet’s return of 1910-1911” → ✔︎
(D) its return of 1910-1911 did
In no other historical sighting did Halley’s comet cause such a worldwide sensation as its return of 1910-1911 caused.
- Compare “in no other historical sighting” with “in Halley’s comet’s return of 1910-1911 caused” → ✘
(E) its return in 1910-1911
In no other historical sighting did Halley’s comet cause such a worldwide sensation as its return in 1910-1911.
- Compare “in no other historical sighting” with “Halley’s comet’s return” → ✘
When I see …
… present/past perfect tense in SC …
Especially when the question involves with more than two actions
I will …
- Try to create a sequence order.
- Be on the lookout that present/past perfect occurred prior to another verb or time limit.
Once they had seen the report from the medical examiner, the investigators had no doubt that the body recovered from the river was that of the man who had attempted to escape from the state prison.
- The man scaped
- … probably dead in the river …
- investigator see the report
- they have no doubt
Hence:
The man scaped (Past Perfect) → investigator see the report (Past Perfect) → they have no doubt (Simple Past)
When I see …
… ponctuations in SC …
I will …
- Focus on:
1. comma splices
2. semicolons (in a list | between indipendent clauses) - Not focus on:
1. other uses of commas
2. dashes (& m dashes)
3. colons
When I see …
… SC questions invoilving whether/if …
I will …
- I don’t know if it will rain today. ✗
we cannot use if when we have two choices - I don’t know whether or not it will rain today. ✗ “whether” implies “or not” so it has a redundancy
- I don’t know whether it will rain today or not. ✗ “whether” implies “or not” so it has a redundancy
- I don’t know whether it will rain today. ✓
When I see …
… SC questions invoilving Due to/Because …
I will …
- the team won due to the capitan’s performance. ✗
if we are explaining an action and then providing a reason for that we “MUST USE Because of” - the team won because of the capitan’s performance. ✓
if we are explaining an action and then providing a reason for that we “MUST USE Because of” - the team victory was due to the capitan’s performance. ✓
if we are describing a noun and then providing a reason for that we “MUST USE Due to” - the team victory was because of the capitan’s performance. ✗
if we are describing a noun and then providing a reason for that we “MUST USE Due to”
