Sample GMAT Sentence Correction Questions

1. One view of the economy contends that a large drop in oil prices should eventually lead to lowering interest rates, as well as lowering fears about inflation, a rally in stocks and bonds, and a weakening of the dollar.

(A)   lowering interest rates, as well as lowering fears about inflation,

(B)   a lowering of interest rates and of fears about inflation,

(C)   a lowering of interest rates, along with fears about inflation,

(D)   interest rates being lowered, along with fears about inflation,

(E)   interest rates and fears about inflation being lowered, with

2. After the Civil War, contemporaries of Harriet Tubman's maintained that she has all of the qualities of a great leader: coolness in the face of danger, an excellent sense of strategy, and an ability to plan in minute detail.

(A)   Tubman's maintained that she has

(B)   Tubman's maintain that she had

(C)   Tubman's have maintained that she had

(D)   Tubman maintained that she had

(E)   Tubman had maintained that she has

3. From 1982 to 1987 sales of new small boats increased between five and ten percent annually.

(A)   From 1982 to 1987 sales of new small boats increased between five and ten percent annually.

(B)   Five to ten percent is the annual increase in sales of new small boats in the years 1982 to 1987.

(C)   Sales of new small boats have increased annually five and ten percent in the years 1982 to 1987.

(D)   Annually an increase of five to ten percent has occurred between 1982 and 1987 in the sales of new small boats.

(E)   Occurring from 1982 to 1987 was an annual increase of five and ten percent in the sales of new small boats.

4. In recent years cattle breeders have increasingly used crossbreeding, in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics and partly because crossbreeding is said to provide hybrid vigor.

(A)   in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics

(B)   in part for the acquisition of certain characteristics in their steers

(C)   partly because of their steers acquiring certain characteristics

(D)   partly because certain characteristics should be acquired by their steers

(E)   partly to acquire certain characteristics in their steers

5. The peaks of a mountain range, acting like rocks in a streambed, produce ripples in the air flowing over them; the resulting flow pattern, with crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, are known as "standing waves."

(A)   crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, are

(B)   crests and troughs that remain stationary although they are formed by rapidly moving air, are

(C)   crests and troughs that remain stationary although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, is

(D)   stationary crests and troughs although the air that forms them is moving rapidly, are

(E)   stationary crests and troughs although they are formed by rapidly moving air, is

6. Like Auden. the language of James Merrill is chatty, arch, and conversational--given to complex syntactic flights as well as to prosaic free-verse strolls.

(A)   Like Auden, the language of James Merrill

(B)   Like Auden, James Merrill's language

(C)   Like Auden's, James Merrill's language

(D)   As with Auden, James Merrill's language

(E)   As is Auden's the language of James Merrill

7. In the textbook publishing business, the second quarter is historically weak, because revenues are low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare for the coming school year.

(A)   low and marketing expenses are high as companies prepare

(B)   low and their marketing expenses are high as they prepare

(C)   low with higher marketing expenses in preparation

(D)   low, while marketing expenses are higher to prepare

(E)   low, while their marketing expenses are higher in preparation

8. Teratomas are unusual forms of cancer because they are composed of tissues such as tooth and bone not normally found in the organ in which the tumor appears.

(A)   because they are composed of tissues such as tooth and bone

(B)   because they are composed of tissues like tooth and bone that are

(C)   because they are composed of tissues, like tooth and bone, tissues

(D)   in that their composition, tissues such as tooth and bone, is

(E)   in that they are composed of tissues such as tooth and bone, tissues

9. The Senate approved immigration legislation that would grant permanent residency to millions of aliens currently residing here and if employers hired illegal aliens they would be penalized.

(A)   if employers hired illegal aliens they would be penalized

(B)   hiring illegal aliens would be a penalty for employers

(C)   penalize employers who hire illegal aliens

(D)   penalizing employers hiring illegal aliens

(E)   employers to be penalized for hiring illegal aliens

10. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A)   extending

(B)   extends

(C)   extended

(D)   it extended

(E)   is extending

11. The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

(A)   has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are

(B)   has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is

(C)   have been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is

(D)   have been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are

(E)   are established by carbon-14 dating, but that which is much more difficult to determine is

12. The Baldrick Manufacturing Company has for several years followed a policy aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving the efficiency of its distribution system.

(A)   aimed at decreasing operating costs and improving

(B)   aimed at the decreasing of operating costs and to improve

(C)   aiming at the decreasing of operating costs and improving

(D)   the aim of which is the decreasing of operating costs and improving

(E)   with the aim to decrease operating costs and to improve

13. The Federalist papers, a strong defense of the United States Constitution and important as a body of work in political science as well represents the hand­iwork of three different authors.

(A)   and important as a body of work in political science as well, represents

(B)   as well as an important body of work in polit­ical science, represent

(C)   and also a body of work of importance in polit­ical science is representing

(D)   an important body of work in political science and has been representative of

(E)   and as political science an important body of work too, represent

14. Although the term "psychopath" is popularly applied to an especially brutal criminal, in psychology it is someone who is apparently inca­pable of feeling compassion or the pangs of conscience.

(A)   it is someone who is

(B)   it is a person

(C)   they are people who are

(D)   it refers to someone who is

(E)   it is in reference to people

15. Parliament did not accord full refugee benefits to twelve of the recent immigrants because it believed that to do it rewards them for entering the country illegally.

(A)   to do it rewards

(B)   doing it rewards

(C)   to do this would reward

(D)   doing so would reward

(E)   to do it would reward

16. Many policy experts say that shifting a portion of health-benefit costs back to the workers helps to control the employer's costs, but also helps to limit medical spending by making patients more careful consumers.

(A)   helps to control the employer's costs, but also helps

(B)   helps the control of the employer's costs, and also

(C)   not only helps to control the employer's costs, but also helps

(D)   helps to control not only the employer's costs, but

(E)   not only helps to control the employer's costs, and also helps

17. The plot of The Bostonians centers on the rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with her charming and cynical cousin. Basil Ransom, when they find themselves drawn to the same radiant young woman whose talent for public speaking has won her an ardent following.

(A)   rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with her charming and cynical cousin, Basil Ransom

(B)   rivals Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, against her charming and cynical cousin, Basil Ransom

(C)   rivalry that develops between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, and Basil Ransom, her charming and cynical cousin

(D)   developing rivalry between Olive Chancellor, an active feminist, with Basil Ransom, her charming and cynical cousin

(E) active feminist. Olive Chancellor, and the rivalry with her charming and cynical cousin Basil Ransom

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