Grockit sentence correction part 2

July 2013 No 7

Supercharge your

RESUME

Master a HIGH

GMATscore

Plus:Stacey Blackmans’admissions tips

LOMOGRAPHYA picture of marketing

genius

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Contents

Wimbledonp3

Lomographyp17

Nintendop32

Notre Damep40

MBA

Wimbledon's changes in marketingmanagement

How to use the MBA rankings theright way

Make your resume work for you

Get your bschool admissionspersonal essay just right

Learn how other MBA candidateshave overcome their challenges

The incredible marketing story ofcult brand Lomographic SocietyInternational

GMAT: Part 2 of Grockit's SentenceCorrection cheat sheet

GMAT: Manage your time perfectly

GMAT: Easy ways to get a highscore

Nintendo: Diversifying marketingstrategies in wake of smartphonegaming

Undiscovered series: Explore theUniversity of Notre Dame, MendozaSchool of Business

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Road to MBA:Sentence Correction Summary

Part 2In the second of a 6 part series, Vivian Kerr from Grockit

will be giving aspiring MBAs a comprehensivelook at all the different sections of the GMAT

including test prep strategy.

GMAT

MBAINTELLIGENCE JULY 2013 No 7MBAGMAT

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The word “strategy” may sound confusing,but all it means is a simple step-by-stepapproach for each unique GMAT question-type. Not only do you have to choose astrategy that works for you for GMATSentence Correction, but you have toimplement it every time, practicing enoughso that is becomes second-hand. Balletdancers practice a pirouette millions of times,so that when they perform onstage theydon’t have to think about it. You want to dothe same thing for GMAT.

Basic Sentence CorrectionStrategyStep 1. Spot the primary error. Step 2. Eliminate answer choices that do notfix. Step 3. Look for secondary errors andeliminate.

The easiest way to approach a SentenceCorrection question is to scan the originalsentence for a single error. Once you’ve founda grammar issue, you can immediatelyeliminate answer choices that do not correctthat error. If you have more than one answerchoice remaining, look for a second error, andcontinue to eliminate. The correct answer willbe free of grammar errors, stylistically concise,and have a clear, logical meaning. Don’t feellike you have to tackle all the errors in theoriginal sentence at once! Always use processof elimination.


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What if I cannot spot a primaryerror?If the primary grammar error doesn’timmediately stick out to you, one way toapproach each Sentence Correction is to startwith the "VPIMPS" and check systematicallyfor each error. This will take longer than just"spotting" the errors so it’s important tocontinue working on your knowledge of themost-tested grammar rules so you can betterspot the errors, but this is a good method forthose times when you just can't tell what (ifanything) is wrong with the sentence.“VPIMPS” stands for:

Verb Agreement – check the verb tense forlogic and make sure it agrees with the subjectin number

Parallelism – is there a list in the sentence ora series of clauses? Numerous commas andthe word “and” is often a clue that parallelismis present.

Idioms – two-part idioms and prepositionalidioms are very commonly tested; do youhave any doubts about a certain phrase? Tryputting it in a new sentence. Does it still makesense?

Modifiers – is an adjective used where anadverb is needed? Are there clauses thatbegin with “which” or “that”?

Pronouns – They must have a clearantecedent and agree with their nouns.“Meaning” often comes into play withpronouns. A pronoun may not have a statedantecedent, but the meaning will make itclear what the intended antecedent is.

Sentence fragments/run-ons – run-ons and fragments are commonlytested errors; consider: is there toomuch info in the sentence, or notenough? On this Learning you’ll learnthe definitions and examples ofdependent and independent clauses,along with some examples ofsubordinating conjunctions. Onceyou know how the pieces of asentence function together, you canpick out the run-ons and fragments.

Consider that if option (A) does notappear to have an error, even afteryou carefully examine it, it may in factbe 100% error-free! In that case,carefully examine option (B). It’simpossible for both (A) and (B) to begrammatically correct – if one doesnot have the error, the other choicemust!

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5 Tips for Completely UnderlinedSentence CorrectionsOccasionally you may see on your GMATpractice test or study session a difficultSentence Correction problem that has theentire sentence underlined. This means youcan’t fall back on any part of the sentence, ortrust that any phrase, clause, or single word iscorrect. So how should you approach thesetypes of GMAT questions? Even with a highintimidation-factor, we can “attack” thesechallenging SC’s with these 5 tips.

1. Always start with the Subject/Verb. Beginby identifying the main subject and thepredicate verb. The subject is the noun that isdoing the action of the sentence. It may notalways be the first noun you see in thesentence. The predicate verb is the mainaction of the sentence that is being done bythe subject. There could be many verbs in thesentence, so don’t be fooled!

2. Chunk It Out. Parse out the rest of thesentence. Is there a long prepositional phrase,a lot of adjectives, relative clauses that beginwith “that,” etc. You should also look for

common “splits” like broken parallelism orverb issues. If you need to use your scratchpad to write out the sentence in shorthandand draw marks around parts of it, go for it!This is also called the Bracketing Method –watch this video on Learnist to see it inaction!

3. Focus on Modifiers. These sentences arelong because they have a lot of addedclauses. See if you can mentally “eliminate”them to focus on the bare bones of thesentence. Make sure you understand howeach modifier relates to the rest of thesentence. Is it clear what it is modifying? Doesit help or hinder the meaning?

4. Slow down! Plan to spend at least 10 extraseconds on these questions. Don’t rushthrough them, as the answer choices may becloser together. Remember to look for subtledifferences in style. The GMAT loves toinclude active voice v. passive voice inharder SC questions.

5. Before you select your answer, re-read thewhole sentence.Check to make sure the meaning is unambiguous and that it’s clear, despite itslength.

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Let’s examine a practicequestion from Grockit!

The spending on durable goods such ashousehold appliances and automobiles is acyclical pattern that depends on if the overalleconomy is healthy, whereas non-durablegoods like food and shelter remain constantregardless of the economy.

(A) The spending on durable goods such ashousehold appliances and automobiles is acyclical pattern that depends on if the overalleconomy is healthy, whereas non-durablegoods such as food and shelter remainconstant regardless of the economy.

(B) Regardless of the economy, spending onnon-durable goods such as food and shelterremains constant even though spending ondurable goods such as household appliancesand automobiles is a cyclical pattern thatdepends on whether the overall economy ishealthy.

MBAGMAT

(C) Spending on durable goods such ashousehold appliance and automobilesfollows a cyclical pattern that depends on thehealth of the overall economy, whereasspending on non-durable goods such as foodand shelter remains constant regardless ofthe economy's health.

(D) Whether the overall economy is healthydetermines the cyclical pattern of spendingon durable goods such as householdappliances and automobiles, whereas non-durable spending such as food and shelterremains constant regardless of the economy.

(E) The cyclical pattern of spending ondurable goods such as household appliancesand automobiles depends on whether theoverall economy is healthy but non-durablegoods such as food and shelter remainconstant regardless of the economy.

We can see that we have (1) awkwardphrasing in “depends on if” and (2) anunparallel comparison between “thespending” and “non-durable goods.” B, D, andE lack the required parallelism. C is cleargrammatically, stylistically, and has astraightforward meaning. The correct answeris (C).


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Study TipsNon-native speaker? Start with a basicgrammar review. You can ignore most of thechallenging vocabulary on sentencecorrections as long as you identify what partof speech each word is, and how it functionswithin the sentence. To do this, you’ll need tospend some time with a solid Englishgrammar review book. I recommend pairing aheavy-duty review book, like the OxfordGuide or those published by McGraw-Hill orLongman, with a “fun” book like Writer’sExpress or English Grammar for Dummies.

Memorize your idioms early. Startapplying the GMAT Idioms early in yourstudies and incorporate them into youreveryday speech, emails, andEnglish compositions. The moreyou can incorporate the into yourEnglish writing, the more confidentyou’ll become.

Read and listen to high-quality Englishpublications. My recommendationsinclude The New Yorker, the AtlanticMonthly, the New York Times, the Wall StreetJournal, or any scholarly journal that you findinteresting. Listen to NPR or audio books ofEnglish-language classics. Set a regularschedule for your reading and stick to it.You’ll also find this helpful for improving yourReading Comprehension!

Try a free practice question on your ownnow, or explore Sentence Correction in moredepth on the GMAT Boot Camp!

Vivian KerrVivian Kerr has been teaching and tutoring in the Los Angeles area since 2005. She graduatedfrom the University of Southern California, and has worked for several test-prep companiesincluding Kaplan for whom she taught ACT, SAT, ISEE, GRE, GMAT, and did admissionscounseling. She has contributed blogs to Beat the GMAT, College Xpress, and currently blogs,tutors, and writes content for the online test prep company Grockit, which focuses on makingstandardized test preparation affordable and accessible for students around the world.

ISSUE 2 ISSUE 3Offering an analysis of the South American airlineAerolineas Argentinas, this piece examines how thetools of relationship management could supportthis organisation’s goals. It providesrecommendations for the airline by asking whetherit can increase its profitability by improving itsrelationships and marketing strategies.

This piece offers a critical review of the BurtonSnowboards brand – a company that can becredited with creating its own industry in which itcontinues to control 40%-70% of its market –depending on category. But has its phenomenalbranding success created a potential problem? Cana cool anti-establishment brand grow? And where?

The Basel III Accord, the largest and mostchallenging piece of regulation facing the financialservices industry, is demystified in this article,suggesting that it’s time to look at investmentportfolios.

This month we featured reviews of Guy FraserSampson’s book “No Fear Finance” and ProfessorVince Mitchell’s “Marketing: Real People, RealDecisions.”

This article takes a look at the organisationalstrategy and performance of Diageo, a businesswhose goal it is to be “at the center of everycelebration.” We see the measures that have beentaken by the company’s 2 CEO’s to ensure its successduring a time of recession.

In a rapidly changing world of marketing, are MBAstudents leaving business schools equipped withthe right tools to devise high level marketingstrategies? Resident marketing guru Markus Rachsuggests that the changing face of marketing isproviding new challenges to the MBA graduate. Thisarticle gives tips and advice from the top on how tokeep your marketing strategy fresh and current in anew media landscape, with a solid look at successfulexamples in the real world.

Since the recent fall of music giant HMV, many havespeculated as to how the company could haveprevented it from happening at all. Our group ofMBAs undertook a study into various routes thatHMV could have taken in the past to ensure theirsurvival a future favouring online businesses, andoffer an alternative solution to the current situationHMV find themselves in.

In another article focussed on China, top MBAstudent David Campbell considers the luxury vodkabrand Grey Goose and the design of a growthstrategy for the Chinese spirits market. With a far-reaching analysis, we discover the varied tacticsGrey Goose are employing to ensure that the brandbecomes the vodka of choice for the Chinesepopulation.

At a time of political turmoil, war an social upheavalin Libya, how are businesses impacted? How arebusiness owners leading their companies throughdifficult times? In what is a very timely researchproject, our top MBA student Beth Hepworth andspecialist researcher in Libya from The Libya Reportanswers these questions in an extensive study intosense making in a crisis, asking how are managersand decision makers responding to continuouschange in post-conflict Libya.

As one of the fastest growing economies in theworld, China is fast-becoming one of the largestconsumers of high end goods in the luxury sector.By examining Chinese norms and traditions, topMBA student Celine Xu uncovers the factorsmotivating the luxury trend in China and thenecessary tools for aspiring online retailers to exploitthis boom in luxury shopping.

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ISSUE 4In an era where the high street is visibly changing,do online businesses have the upper hand? Orshould they not rest on their laurels? MBA studentKaren van Zijl takes a look at top online fashionbrand ASOS‘ current marketing strategies and givesher recommendations for the company’s future.

In a technological era where having an onlinepresence is now essential, having a perfect LinkedInprofile is becoming increasingly more important forjob hunting, networking and doing business. In thisarticle, LinkedIn expert Dan Sherman gives us his toptips to refine your LinkedIn profile to help youbecome successful and find a great career. Anabsolute must read for all MBAs.

Focussed on helping you succeed at all stages ofyour MBA, career coach Meera Shah provides somevaluable words of wisdom on how to land yourdream job with positive thinking and actions.

With much being written about the true value of anMBA, many successful business people have askedthemselves whether their success has been down totheir time in business school or sheer luck. Thefounder of MBA & Co reflects on his time at IESE andponders on this very question. What will be theverdict?

After a field trip earlier this year, a group of CassBusiness School MBA students explore the lengthsto which resort operators and casinos will go to gaincompetitive advantage on the famous strip. Greatinsight into the research projects of MBA studentsand a clever look at Las Vegas through a businesslens.

ISSUE 5GMAT prep experts Manhattan Elite Prep give you acomprehensive look at understanding datasufficiency and critical reasoning with practice examquestions. Fully explaining the possible answers, thisarticle is part of the new section of MBA Intelligencededicated solely to the GMAT. Each month we’ll begiving you tips and advice from the experts in thefield, helping you to conquer the all important exam.

How does an online grocery business grow itsmarket share whilst competing with high streetsupermarkets? In an extremely well thought outresearch project, our group of MBA studentsinvestigate the ways that UK online grocers, Ocado,are trying to grow their market share in achallenging area. They examine how its warehousemodel gives it strategic advantage over competitorsand then at its marketing strategies. Finally, theygive great recommendations for the company’sbusiness model and marketing approach. A greatinsight into MBA research projects and into thechallenges of UK supermarket retailing.

This piece looks at the story of luxury brand AstonMartin, and unearths its marketing managementstrategies through analysing the way it connectswith customers, its brand building history anddelivery of value. A great example of high calibreMBA coursework, our MBA student providesrecommendations for Aston Martin’s business modeland marketing strategy. Tools that are helpful forany business wanting to create successful long-termgrowth.

Make sure you conquer that almighty GMAT withtips from the top. In this article, Kaplan Test Prepgive you the ultimate advice to make sure you passyour GMAT first time round. With so muchinformation out there for GMAT candidates, it can bea little overwhelming and there are a lot ofmisconceptions. Kaplan looks at thesemisconceptions and busts them to ensure that yousucceed on the day of your test.

How does a relatively small company increase itswebsite traffic by 2800%? This article finds out howPopcorn, Indiana created a unique product thatwould show off their existing products (popcorn!) togenerate more interest in their brand. Exploringcompany branding, buzz and viral marketing, ourMBA student gives his own uniquerecommendations to the company to latch on to thisbuzz and ensure staying power in the salty snacksindustry.

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ISSUE 6Here we have a popular post from Accepted‘sadmissions expert, Linda Abraham. As most MBAapplicants will be soon thinking about choosingwhich b-schools to go to (at the time of going topress) this is a timely article, outlining the 7 mainpoints of consideration.

This article is an advice piece from BT Consulting onhow to fast-track your business career and how tobuild yourself up as a “personal brand.” Having anMBA tells a potential employer very little about yourunique skill sets, so this article advises you to keep abrand message about yourself at all times.

In the first of a 6 part series, GMAT prep expertsGrockit will be giving you top tips to make sure yousucceed in your GMAT exam. Using practicequestions as examples, Grockit shows you how tonavigate the tricky pitfalls of the sentence correctionpart of the GMAT’s difficult verbal exam.

“Soft skills” can often be overlooked when jobsearching, but according to recruitment trends theseare the critical skills that recruiters and headhuntersare looking for. Jenny Portalska, Cass BusinessSchool‘s Head of Professional Development, explainsthat if MBAs want to kickstart their careers post-MBAthen they need to be more effective in how theycommunicate their career story. Great for anyonewho is about to receive their MBA and is looking forthe next stepping stone into a fantastic job.

Hailing from China, our MBA student gives us an in-depth and detailed report as part of her thesis,building on her findings in an article featured inFebruary’s edition of MBA Intelligence. Providing usamazing insight into the effects of China’sburgeoning economy on the luxury market, thisarticle puts a special focus on looking at whybusinesses in online luxury are failing in such a goodeconomic climate.

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Education

Grockit sentence correction part 2