1、Chapter 11 GMC, SV, Parallelism AdvancedConcision: Specific Patterns of WordinessAlways keep in mind that Concision is the third issue to consider in Sentence Correction. Look for specific examples of these patterns in action in the Idiom List in Chapter 9.Here is how to rank parts of speech by “con
2、cision power”:Drive the V-A-N: Verb Adjective (Adverb) NounAn active verb is usually stronger and more concise than an Adjective or an action Noun.VAN Pattern1: Prefer a Verb to an Action NounWordy: The townpeoples revolution was against the king.Better: The townpeople revolved against the king.Gene
3、rally, a short, simple verb is stronger than a phrase with the relevant action noun and a generic verb, such as be or make.However, note that, like all other patterns of wordiness and conclusion, this pattern does NOT provide hard-and-fast rule. As you start to notice these patterns, do not fall in
4、love with them! Always use Concision last. Moreover, in many cases, a difference among answer choices involving Concision also hinges on other issues.VAN Pattern2: Prefer a That-Clause (with verbs) to a Series of Phrases (with Nouns)Wordy: The hypothesis about the composition of the universe as larg
5、ely dark energy seems strange.Better: The hypothesis that the universe is largely composed of dark energy seems strange.By choosing the That-Clause, you are choosing the verb form of the action. This pattern is really a special case of Pattern1: Prefer a verb to an Action Noun.VAN Pattern3: Prefer a
6、 Verb to an AdjectiveWordy: The artist was influential to the movement.Better: The artist influenced the movement.VAN Pattern4: Prefer a Adjective to a NounWordy: There is an abundance of funds for school construction.Better: Funds for school construction are abundant.Since adjectives are designed t
7、o modify nouns, they often do so more concisely than longer phrases.“Idea” nouns, such as hypothesis, idea or suggestion, lead themselves particularly well to this pattern. Other examples include belief, discovery, evidence, indication, and report. These sorts of nouns are often modified by That-Cla
8、uses that contain full sentence.VAN Pattern5: Prefer a Adverb to a Prepositional PhraseWordy: Oil prices have fallen, but prices at the gasoline pump have not fallen to a comparable extent.Better: Oil prices have fallen, but prices at the gasoline pump have not fallen comparably.Two other concision
9、patterns do not fit the V-A-N framework but are worth noting. Both of these patterns involve overuse of the generic verb to be. As we have already seen, the verb to be can appear in many instance of wordiness. When you search for the most concise answer, runs an “Eliminate Be”: Get rid of any unnece
10、ssary use of be.Concision Pattern6: Prefer an Adjective to an Adjective Clause with BeWordy: Marcos is professor who is admirable.Better: Marcos is an admirable professor.Wordy: Joan, who is a fighter, works in Yosemite Park.Better: Joan, a fighter, works in Yosemite Park.Concision Pattern7: Remove
11、It is thatWordy: It is without fear that children should play.Better: Children should play without fear.Again, none of these Concision patterns express a rule but rather a preference.Concision: Dont make it too shortAs you cut out unnecessary words, be careful not to cut too much out of the sentence
12、!Avoid creating awkward phrasing or introducing new errors.The GMAT sometimes tries to trick you with false concision: tempting expressions that are too short for their own good. Some patterns are listed below.“Too Short” Pattern1: Keep the prepositional Phrase if you need to.Too short: I talked to
13、the Boston Soldiers.Better: I talked to the soldiers from Boston.In many cases, when we have a noun modified by a prepositional phrase, we can turn the phrase into a Noun-Adjective and put it in front of the first noun, thus shortening the whole expression.A Noun-Adjective is a noun that is placed i
14、n front of another noun and that functions as an adjective.E.g. A wall of stone A stone wallThis process works the best when the preposition is of, the simplest and most common preposition in English. However, if the preposition is not of, then you should avoid collapsing the prepositional phrase.No
15、tice that places in fact, it is often preceded by articles (a, an, or the) or adjectives. The object is put into an of- prepositional phrase (the running of marathons) or placed in front of the -ing form (marathon running). Complex gerund phrases may sometimes sound less natural than simple gerund p
16、hrases.E.g. The accurate tracking of satellites is important for the space agency.On the GMAT, simple gerund phrases are never parallel to complex gerund phrases.Of the two types of gerund phrases, only complex ones can be parallel to action nouns.In any list of action nouns, always choose the compl
17、ex gerund phrase (often with articles and the word of) over the simple gerund phrase.Also, if an appropriate noun for a particular verb already exists in English, then avoid creating a complex gerund phrase. Instead, use the pre-existing action noun.Wrong: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of gover
18、nment forces from disputed regions and the releasing of certain political prisoners.Right: The rebels demanded the withdrawal of government forces from disputed regions and the release of certain political prisoners.In brief, there are 3 categories of nouns:1. Concrete Nouns 2. Action Nouns & Comple
19、x Gerunds 3. Simple GerundsDo not mix these categories.What Else Is Considered Parallel1. Working Verbs: Only working verbs are parallel to other working verbs.E.g.: The plant both exceeded outputs targets and ran more smoothly than ever.2. Infinitives: In general, only make infinitives parallel to
20、other infinitives. The to can be omitted in the second infinite (and all the rest), unless there is a parallel marker before the first infinitive.E.g.:Wrong: It is critical to suspend activities, to notify investors, and say nothing.Right: It is critical to suspend activities, notify investors, and
21、say nothing.Right: It is critical to suspend activities, to notify investors, and to say nothing.Right: It is critical either to suspend activities or to notify investors.3. Adjectives, Past Participles, and Present Participles (used as adjectives)E.g.1 A mastodon carcass, thawed only once and still
22、 fresh, is on display.E.g.2 Only a few feet wide but spanning a continent, the railroad changed history.4. ClausesOnly clauses starting with the same word should be made parallel. In general, clauses should not be made parallel to anything besides another clause.Keep these categories straight, together with the noun categories.Common Parallelism CategoriesNoun Other1. Concrete Nouns 1. Working verb2. Action Nouns & Complex Gerunds 2. Infinitives3. Simple Gerunds 3. Adjectives & Participles4. Clauses
