Study and Strategy questions relating to the GMAT.
CHUNX638
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If I really need to know the meaning of the SC question?

by CHUNX638 Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:16 pm

In Manhattan's guide of SC, I need to read for meaning when I do a SC question.
Actually, I always can solve a question by judging its construction.
Can I just work out one question by its construction, and don't read for its meaning?
Thank you very much.
StaceyKoprince
ManhattanGMAT Staff
 
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Re: If I really need to know the meaning of the SC question?

by StaceyKoprince Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:46 am

Over the past 5 years, the GMAT has increasingly included questions that do require you to be able to pay attention to the meaning in order to get down to one correct answer. (That is, there are 2 choices that are grammatically correct, but one is illogical, ambiguous, or redundant in some way.)

Most of the published GMAT questions (in, for example, the Official Guide) are older—they use the questions for a while before they retire them and publish them. So it is true that you can get away with not paying attention to meaning in a large majority of the published questions—but if you don't pay any attention to meaning, then that may hurt you on the real test.

If you are going for a very high score (40+ on Verbal), it's important to be able to notice when choices have meaning issues. If you aren't going for that high of a V score, then you might be able to get away with not paying attention to meaning—but I would only do this if you are having trouble noticing the meaning issues. (In the same way, if you were having trouble with, say, probability problems on Q, then I'd say it was fine to bail on probability questions—but if you weren't having trouble studying the topic, then you might as well study it.)
Stacey Koprince
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Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep
CHUNX638
Students
 
Posts: 15
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Re: If I really need to know the meaning of the SC question?

by CHUNX638 Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:33 am

It's very helpful. Thanks!
StaceyKoprince
ManhattanGMAT Staff
 
Posts: 9349
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:05 am
Location: Montreal
 

Re: If I really need to know the meaning of the SC question?

by StaceyKoprince Mon Mar 09, 2020 6:00 pm

You're welcome! Good luck with your studies. :D
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep