Sentence Correction GMAT Prep Question

As seen on:

[More]

Free Stuff

See Pricing

Download 121 Page E-Book

Sentence Correction GMAT Prep Question

[inline]
[script type='text/javascript']
// 0/1 = start/end
// 2 = state
// 3 = length, ms
// 4 = timer
// 5 = epoch
// 6 = disp el
// 7 = lap count

var t=[0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1];

function ss() {
t[t[2]]=(new Date()).valueOf();
t[2]=1-t[2];

if (0==t[2]) {
clearInterval(t[4]);
t[3]+=t[1]-t[0];
var row=document.createElement(‘tr’);
var td=document.createElement(‘td’);
td.innerHTML=(t[7]++);
row.appendChild(td);
td=document.createElement(‘td’);
td.innerHTML=format(t[1]-t[0]);
row.appendChild(td);
td=document.createElement(‘td’);
td.innerHTML=format(t[3]);
row.appendChild(td);
document.getElementById(‘lap’).appendChild(row);
t[4]=t[1]=t[0]=0;
disp();
} else {
t[4]=setInterval(disp, 43);
}
}
function r() {
if (t[2]) ss();
t[4]=t[3]=t[2]=t[1]=t[0]=0;
disp();
document.getElementById(‘lap’).innerHTML=”;
t[7]=1;
}

function disp() {
if (t[2]) t[1]=(new Date()).valueOf();
t[6].value=format(t[3]+t[1]-t[0]);
}
function format(ms) {
// used to do a substr, but whoops, different browsers, different formats
// so now, this ugly regex finds the time-of-day bit alone
var d=new Date(ms+t[5]).toString()
.replace(/.*([0-9][0-9]:[0-9][0-9]:[0-9][0-9]).*/, ‘$1′);
var x=String(ms%1000);
while (x.length<3) x='0'+x;
d+='.'+x;
return d;
}

function load() {
t[5]=new Date(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0).valueOf();
t[6]=document.getElementById('disp');

disp();

if (!window.opener && window==window.top) {
document.getElementById('remote').style.visibility='visible';
}
}

function remote() {
window.open(
document.location, '_blank', 'width=700,height=350'
);
return false;
}
[/script]

[/inline]

So here’s a question I got asked to answer. Some sources mistakenly put the answer as D, but really it’s C.

Visby is the largest city on the Swedish island of Gotland; arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, and has become a World Heritage Site.

A. arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, and has become a World Heritage Site.
B. it is arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, and, as a result of this, has become a World Heritage Site.
C. arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, it has become a World Heritage Site.
D. it has become a World Heritage Site, and arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia.
E. is arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, a World Heritage Site.

GMAT Pill Timer

Lap # This Lap Running Total

More importantly, you should have the right approach to this question. There are a couple of frameworks I talk about in the Sentence Correction Pill that will better help you understand how to attack this question. In particular, framework #3.

Here’s my recommended approach to this question:

Step 1: Scan the sentence and notice a semi colon that is NOT part of the underlined portion of the sentence. That means the underlined portion must read just like a full regular sentence.

Step 2: So now that we pretend the entire first part of the sentence before the semicolon is not there—we notice that the underlined portion does not make sense. “Arguably…., ” is the phrase that should describe the subject on the other side of the comma. Instead, we have “and has become…”–which does not make sense in A.

Step 3: Eliminate A and look at other alternatives in the answer choices.

With (B), it’s quite wordy “and, as a result of this…”—NOT GOOD

With (C), “arguably” describes the word next to the comma “it”–so that makes sense. seems OK

With (D), you don’t need the comma before “and”—-if you use a comma, then there needs to be a subject on the right side of the comma. –seems IFFY

With (E), where’s the subject? It starts with “is”–which does not make sense. Remember the underlined portion should read as a complete sentence so it cannot start with “is”—NOT GOOD

Step 4: Only answer choice (C) makes sense. Read it again..does it make sense as a sentence by itself?

“Arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, it has become a World Heritage Site.”

It’s OK to have “it” refer back to the portion on the other side of the semicolon way back in the beginning.

You can also reread it like this:
“Arguably the best-preserved medieval town in Scandinavia, [Visby] has become a World Heritage Site.”

Choose C and move on!

_________________
Zeke Lee
Founder of the GMAT Pill Study Method

Table of Contents | See Pricing

Verbal Videos: Sentence Correction | Critical Reasoning | Reading Comprehension
Quant Videos: Problem Solving | Data Sufficiency

2215Sentence+Correction+GMAT+Prep+Question2010-02-10+22%3A31%3A17TheGMATPill
Try the Demo Signup Now

About Zeke Lee

Zeke Lee is the "98th %ile in 2 weeks" guy from Stanford who teaches MBA candidates how to think efficiently on the GMAT and how to study less, but score more... [more]

MBA/Business School News

GMAT Prep Tips (About the GMAT)

Questions & Strategies For GMAT Prep