Introduction to English Grammar made Easy

Imagine a road in a hypothetical country wherein it is a free-for-all situation regarding traffic rules. You can keep to the left, if you like but none else will object if all of a sudden, you decide to move to the right side of the road. You may take a U-turn anywhere on the road, besides being able to cross red lights at will. Are you already feeling slightly dizzy even imagining such a road? A similar but far graver situation is bound to unfold if it is a free-for-all on the road of language.  If every pedestrian and driver moves the way he /she likes, unmindful of what others do, predictably, it is going to create so many avoidable accidents. It is not for nothing that grammar has been likened to the policeman of a language, whose job is to facilitate, regulate and control the flow of thought.

We need a certain uniformity in terms of communicating our thoughts to others so that they are understood in exactly the same manner that we had intended.  That is why we all need grammar  in every walk of life. If your intention was to convey idea X and if the listener or the reader is getting Y, you can well imagine the misunderstanding, confusion and possibly chaos that can result consequently. Sample these hilarious but extremely telling examples of such linguistic misinterpretation:

Written
Intended

A. Specialist in ladies and other diseases

B. Specialist in ladies' and other diseases

C. Fine for parking

D. Fine, for parking

E. The patient had an alleviation of blood pressure 

F. The patient had an elevation of blood pressure

You can see easily that a small mistake here or there can lead to dangerous humor and perfectly avoidable misunderstanding.

Sentence Correction

The Sentence Correction segment on the GMAT is intended to assess your grasp of the basics of English grammar and its applications. In a typical question, you will be offered a sentence, wherein all or some parts are underlined. You will be required to choose the best possible replacement for the underlined part from among the choices given.

EXAMPLE

Not the one to take anything lying down, it was decided by Rosa Parks to raise a voice against such atrocities.

A. it was decided by Rosa Parks to raise a voice against such atrocities

B. it was a decision by Rosa Parks to raise a voice against such atrocities

C. Rosa Parks decided to raise a voice against such atrocities

D. Rosa Parks had decided to rise a voice against such atrocities

E. it was decided to raise a voice by Rosa Parks against such atrocities



In the question above, the best choice is C.

Typically, the first option marked A would simply repeat the original and is to be marked only if you believe that the original is the best. Else, select your answer from the rest as per your best judgment.