GMAT – Verbal - Grammar

March 14th
Comparisons
Used → adjectives & adverbs
Comparative form
Superlative form
More, better, older
(usually used with “than”)
Most, best, oldest
2 Items
3 items and more
Before will always be “the” or a possessive adjective (my, his, her, your)
+ nothing, a
Adjective / adverb of 1 syllable
Fast
+ er
+ est
Faster
Fastest
Adjective / adverb of 2 syllables + “y” in the end
Happy
y → i + er
y → i + est
Happier
Happiest
Adjective of 2 syllables / adjective with 3 syllables & more /
adverb with 2 syllables & more
Famous
Beautiful
Quietly
More (word)
Most (word)
Adjective with 2 syllables with “er”, “ow” in the end
Tender
Narrow
Simpler
er or more
Tenderer / more tender
Narrower / more narrow
Simplerer / more simple
est or most
Tenderest / most tender
Narrowest / most narrow
Simplerest / most simple
Exceptions
Many
Much
More
Most
Little
Less
Least
Good
Well
Better
Best
Bad
Badly
Worse
Worst
Old
Elder
Older
Eldest (The age of a member of a group)
Oldest
For
Farther
Further
Farthest (For distances)
Furthest (For everything else)
Equality
As (adjective / adverb) as
(-) so (adjective / adverb) as → the sentence must be negative
Double comparisons
Is when you use two different adjectives and / or adverbs.
The more you will practice; the better will be your test results
Rule: - The second part of the sentence has to have an inversion
Always use “the”
Do not use in any form of comparisons
Superior to, inferior to, equal to, similar to, different from
Logical comparisons
Example of illogical comparison:
John’s drawings are as good a his teacher
You cannot compare an object (drawing) to people (teacher)
To correct it, add “’s” to the word teacher (teacher’s)
The salary of a teacher is not as high as a lawyer
The salary of a teacher is not as high as that of a lawyer
March 21st
Tenses
Simple (Groups)
Progressive (Group)
Present
Present progressive
I am living in New-York
Rules
At the time of speaking (now, at the moment, still, while)
Around the time of speaking (now, at the moment, still, this/morning, summer, etc)
Actions in progress (changing, developing action) – [The prices are changing]
Planned actions
Present simple
I live in New-York
Rules
General information (without time reference)
Repeated actions (every, always, constantly, often, frequently, usually, sometimes)
Scheduled future actions (Train time table)
Stative verbs (want / love, lack, suggest, propose, include, consists)
OG9 – page 437 / 160
Present perfect simple
I have lived in New York	- Using past sentence or word
3rd form (done, etc.)
Rules
If the action started in the past and continues in the present (for, since; lately recently; never, ever)
The action started in the past and has been completed in the present (just, already, yet, this 	, it is the first / second, time 	)
Present perfect progressive
I have been living in New York
The same rules as j + k in present perfect simple but with a stronger bound to the present or in manner to emphasize something.
To j, add the word “all”.
Logical differences between present perfect simple and present perfect progressive
Present perfect simple
Present perfect progressive
I have painted my house; now it looks beautiful
Reason and result
The reason I painted my house is for it to be beautiful
The result is that my house is beautiful
I have painted my house; my hands are dirty
Only the result
I have painted my house so The Result is that my hands are dirty (it is not the reason why I have painted my house)
Past
Past simple
I lived in New York
You can use with time indicator or without time indicator.
Rules
Use it for the action while started and was accomplished in the past
General information (last 	, 	 ago, in 1974; for, since)
Past progressive
I was living in New York
Use it for actions limited by hours (from 	, till, at 	)
Actions in progress (like present progressive) – [They were developing the project]
A relative long action in the past interrupted by a shorter action in the past (while, when) – [When I was watching TV, the telephone rang]
Two long actions in the past connected by while / when – [While I was watching TV, my wife was cooking dinner]
Past perfect simple
I had lived in New York, before I moved to Tel Aviv
Past perfect simple	 Past simple
There must be at least two actions in the past – one action in the past preceded by another action in the past (before, after, earlier)
Past perfect simple
I had been living in New York for two years before my parents came to visit
Future
Future simple
I will live in New York
General Information
Used for not planned actions (I hope, believe, think, guess, etc.)
Future progressive
I will be living in New York
For actions in progress
For actions limited by hours
Future perfect simple
I will have lived in New York for ten years by the end of March
3rd form
The period of time will be completed in the future.
Future perfect simple
I will have been living in New York for ten years by the end of March
Conditionals
There are 2 types of conditional
Real conditional sentences
Unreal conditional sentences
The word If
If I am rich, I will buy a castle
Present simple
Future simple
It is real because it may come true
Rule: there is never future tense after the word If.
You can turn it around like:
I will buy a castle if I am rich
NO COMMA
Inversion – The question word order in a statement
I am rich
Is he rich?
Except in the specific following real conditional sentence (there are other exceptions in the unreal conditional sentences):
Should I be rich, I will buy a castle	ª The exception only affects the 1st clause
Habitual action
If I can have enough time, I always walk to work
Present simple
Future simple
The habit – in present simple tense
Command
 If you go out, please post my letter
Present simple (even if it is a future tense)
Imperative
Unreal conditional sentences
There are 2 types of classified actions:
Future or present actions
Past actions
If I were rich, I would buy a castle
Past simple + plural
Would + basic form
The meaning of the sentence is that I am not rich or I won’t be rich, therefore I won’t buy a castle.
IMPOSSIBLE FUTURE
Instead of would, you can use might or could.
Like in the real conditional sentences, you can switch the sentences (with the same basic rule regarding the comma).
Were I rich I would buy a castle?
If I had been rich, I would have bought a castle
Past perfect
Would + 3rd form
The meaning of the sentence is that I wasn’t rich; therefore I didn’t buy a castle.
Instead of would, you can use might or could.
Like in the real conditional sentences, you can switch the sentences (with the same basic rule regarding the comma).
Had I been rich I would have bought a castle
The word Wish
The word is always used in the unreal conditional sentences
Note: The difference between If and Wish is that there are three forms instead of two:
Future actions
Present actions
Past actions
I wish you would be here – (means that you will not be there)
Would + basic form
I wish you were here – (means that you are not there)
Past simple + plural
I wish you had been here – (means that you were not there)
Past perfect
Rules
There should not be the word Will or Would after the word If
There should not be the word Was after the word If or Wish
Always match the two parts of a sentence – real; real / unreal; unreal
unreal future / unreal future
unreal present / unreal present
unreal past / unreal past
In inversion of sentence (question form), never use punctuation between the two parts of the sentence.
Note: sometimes the both parts of a real / unreal conditional sentence are not both underlined, so pay attention.
Idiotic expressions + rules
Redundancy
Two twins (for one pair of twins)
With re	 - cannot use: again, over.
With co	 - cannot use: together
Progress forward (cannot progress backwards)
Raise up
Grow up (except for using grow as a noun (grown up) and for children evolution)
Climb / Ascend up
Descend / decrease / digress down
After 	(something)	 is over – cannot use both – same meaning
Annual 	 a year – cannot use both – same meaning
Consensus of opinions (consensus means agreement of opinions)
Irregardless – means “not” and “less” as well – use regardless
The reason 	 because that
Basic rules:
2 Items
3 items and more
Comparative
Superlative
Between
Among
Each other
One another
Confusing words
Affect (verb)
To impact, influence
Most popular form
Effect (noun)
Result
Effect (verb)
Bring about
Affect (noun)
Specific term in psy. (Emotions)
Allude
Refer to (always use the word to after
Elude
Escape (from something / someone + never use the word from after
Principal
Main, essential
Principle
Moral value
Principal
School principal
In the case that you are left with two possible answers and the two sentences are almost identical, with the only difference that is:
.	 can 	 ª better (used for any case, including physical capabilities)
.	 is able to 	 ª worse (used only for physical condition)
(are)
d