Relative clauses on GMAT

Relative clauses on GMAT

A relative clause gives more information about someone or something referred to in a main clause.

On the GMAT, a common way of confusing students with Fragments is by using relative clauses in a sentence. Consider the following example:

Sentence 1: The fruit is lying in the basket.

Sentence 2: The fruit that is lying in the basket.

Sentence 3: The fruit that is lying in the basket is ripe.

Here Sentence 1 is complete, Sentence 2 in incomplete and Sentence 3 in complete.

Sentence 2 : Incomplete

Let us examine Sentence 2:

(Reference: A clause is a group of words that contains both a Subject and a Predicate, but may not be able to stand on its own. So, usually a relative clause requires an anchoring of a complete sentence).

In Sentence 2 that 'is lying in the basket' is a dependent clause and requires anchoring of a complete sentence, which is missing in this case.

Sentence 3: Complete

So to complete the sentence we move to sentence 3.

Consider this:

The fruit is ripe. (This is a complete sentence)

now add the relative clause <that is lying on the table>

Sentence 3: The fruit <that is lying in the basket> is ripe.

Note:  Simple rule for use of Relative clause

• ·         We prefer to put a relative clause immediately after or as close as possible to the noun it adds information to.

•       When we use a defining relative clause, the relative pronoun can be the subject or the object of the clause.

More on relative clause on the coming blogs.

Main Point:

On, the real GMAT, you will see very long sentences which are incomplete and they miss the most important part of the sentence that is VERB.The test makers always try to confuse you with a relative clause, which has a verb.

How do identify the missing verb - eliminate the relative clause and you will easily find the missing verb.