Masterclass: SC – Rhetorical Construction • GMATCourse.mba

Core Philosophy: Clarity, Emphasis, and Effective Expression

Rhetorical construction questions test the highest level of GMAT sentence correction: beyond grammar and logic, the correct answer expresses the intended meaning most clearly, most effectively, and with the appropriate emphasis. These questions ask you to choose between constructions that are all grammatically correct — the deciding factor is which one communicates the idea most precisely and powerfully.

Common issues: subordination vs. coordination, misplaced emphasis, awkward sentence structure, and unclear reference to ideas or entities.

Core Insight: The primary idea should be in the main clause; supporting ideas belong in subordinate clauses. Emphasis follows structure — what the reader hears loudest is what comes in the main clause.

Rhetorical Elements on the GMAT

Rhetorical Construction Elements

Subordination

Use subordinate clauses for secondary ideas. Main clause = primary emphasis. "Although X, Y" emphasizes Y.

Coordination

"And," "but," "or" treat both clauses as equally important. Use only when ideas are genuinely parallel in significance.

Absolute Phrases

Noun + participial modifier, attached to main clause. E.g., "The report completed, she left." Concise and formal.

Apposition

A noun phrase that renames another noun. E.g., "Einstein, the physicist, ..." Should be adjacent to the noun it renames.

Rhetorical Strategy

Identify the primary idea

What is the sentence fundamentally about? That idea belongs in the main clause. Secondary information belongs in subordinate clauses, participial phrases, or appositives.

Check for appropriate subordination

If two equal-weight ideas are expressed as main clause + subordinate clause, the wrong idea may be emphasized. Ask: "Which idea is more important here?"

Prefer the most direct, unambiguous phrasing

Between two correct choices, prefer the one that expresses the idea with fewer words and less ambiguity. Avoid phrasing that forces re-reading.

Eliminate wordy, inverted, or awkward constructions

GMAT favors natural English word order. Sentences that require mental gymnastics to decode are wrong — even if grammatically defensible.

Worked Examples

Example 1 — Subordination Emphasis

Consider: "The merger failed, and the companies lost billions."

vs. "Although the merger failed, the companies eventually recovered."

The first sentence gives equal weight to both facts. The second emphasizes the recovery (main clause) while treating the failure as background (subordinate). The structure should match the emphasis the context requires.

Example 2 — Awkward Inversion

✗ It is the committee's recommendation that the policy be revised.

✓ The committee recommends that the policy be revised.

The expletive "it is...that" construction is wordy. Direct subject-verb order is cleaner and more forceful.

10 Rhetorical Construction Traps

1. Wrong idea in main clause

Secondary information expressed in the main clause while the primary idea is buried in a subordinate clause.

2. "It is...that" expletive constructions

Weak, wordy openings that delay the real subject. Replace with direct subject-verb order.

3. Overcoordination with "and"

Chaining multiple equally-weighted clauses with "and" creates weak, flat sentences.

4. Awkward nominalization

Turning verbs into abstract nouns: "the determination of the cause" → "determining the cause."

5. Buried subject

The real subject of a sentence is obscured by long prepositional phrases or introductory elements.

6. Misplaced emphasis via passive

Using passive voice when the agent is known and important — buries the actor.

7. Inverted word order without purpose

Unnecessary inversion of subject and verb creates artificiality without rhetorical effect.

8. "Being" as a connector

"Being that," "being as" — these archaic connectives are almost always wrong on GMAT.

9. Mixing formal and informal register

Inconsistent tone within a sentence is a marker of poor rhetorical construction.

10. Unclear "this" / "that" / "it" reference

Demonstrative pronouns without clear antecedents obscure meaning.

Construction Reference

Construction Type	When to Use	When to Avoid
Main clause	Primary or most important idea	Secondary or background information
Subordinate clause ("although," "because")	Background, concessive, or causal information	Primary ideas that deserve full emphasis
Participial phrase	Concurrent or prior action by same subject	Actions by a different subject
Passive voice	Agent unknown, unimportant, or better de-emphasized	Agent is known and relevant
"It is...that" (expletive)	Rarely — only for specific emphatic effect	Whenever direct order is possible

10 GMAT-Style Practice Questions

Select your answer, then reveal the step-by-step explanation. Each question reflects real GMAT difficulty and format.

Question 1 of 10 GMAT Verbal

It is the recommendation of the Board of Directors that a comprehensive restructuring plan be adopted by the management team. Which of the following most effectively expresses this idea?

Correct Answer: (B)

(B) is correct. Eliminates the expletive "It is...that" construction, removes unnecessary passive voice ("be adopted by the management team"), and uses direct subject-verb order. "The Board recommends that the management team adopt" is clean, direct, and active. (A) is verbose with expletive and passive. (C) uses "There is...which is that" — extremely verbose. (D) "A comprehensive restructuring plan's adoption" — awkward nominalization. (E) "Being that" is archaic and disfavored.

Question 2 of 10 GMAT Verbal

Although the clinical trial results were promising, the drug's side effects being severe caused regulatory agencies to delay its approval. Which revision is most effective?

Correct Answer: (B)

(B) is correct. Fixes two problems: (1) "the drug's side effects being severe" is an awkward absolute phrase — replace with direct "the severe side effects." (2) "caused regulatory agencies to delay its approval" → "caused regulatory agencies to delay the drug's approval" (clearer pronoun reference). (B) is clear, direct, and maintains the appropriate contrast structure with "although." (A) "being severe" is awkward. (C) is a fragment. (D) "Being that" is archaic. (E) is convoluted.

Question 3 of 10 GMAT Verbal

The company's sales growth, which has been declining for three consecutive quarters, and the board has responded by cutting expenditures. Which revision most effectively corrects this sentence?

Correct Answer: (D)

(D) is correct. The original sentence has a structural error — "the company's sales growth, which has been declining" uses a relative clause but then the main clause is "and the board has responded," creating a run-on without a main clause for the first part. (D) restructures the entire sentence with the board's action as the main clause and the declining sales growth as the context — the most rhetorically effective construction. (B) is also grammatically correct but less informative. (C) is acceptable but slightly wordy. (E) has a dangling modifier (growth didn't have the board respond).

Question 4 of 10 GMAT Verbal

The new policy requires that employees' time-off requests be submitted no less than two weeks in advance of their desired vacation date. Which revision most effectively simplifies this sentence?

Correct Answer: (B)

(B) is correct. Simplifications: (1) "employees' time-off requests be submitted" (passive with possessive) → "employees submit time-off requests" (direct active); (2) "no less than two weeks in advance of their desired vacation date" → "at least two weeks before their desired vacation date" ("at least" is more natural than "no less than"; "before" more natural than "in advance of"). (B) is cleaner and more direct. (A) is the verbose original. (C) "is requiring" is progressive. (D) "the submission of employee time-off requests...dates desired for vacation" is awkward. (E) is awkwardly inverted.

Question 5 of 10 GMAT Verbal

Being that the company had exceeded all financial targets, a bonus was issued to all employees by the board. Which is the most effective revision?

Correct Answer: (B)

(B) is correct. Fixes three issues: (1) "Being that" → "Because" (archaic connector eliminated); (2) passive "was issued...by the board" → active "the board issued" (direct and clear); (3) "a bonus" → "bonuses" (logical plural for all employees). (B) is active, direct, and grammatically clean. (A) "Being that" is archaic; passive is unnecessarily wordy. (C) "The company having exceeded" is an absolute phrase — grammatically correct but awkward. (D) reverses the natural order. (E) keeps passive "was issued by the board."

Question 6 of 10 GMAT Verbal

The researcher's analysis of the phenomenon is such that it demonstrates a clear causal relationship between the two variables. Which revision is most effective?

Correct Answer: (C)

(C) is correct. "Is such that it demonstrates" is an expletive-like construction: wordy and indirect. Direct subject-verb order — "The researcher's analysis demonstrates" — is cleaner and more forceful. The pronoun "it" in the original is also unnecessary. (C) eliminates all redundancy and uses direct predication. (A) is the verbose original. (B) changes the subject from "analysis" to "researcher" — shifts meaning. (D) inverts word order unnecessarily. (E) "is demonstrating" progressive is wrong for a general claim.

Question 7 of 10 GMAT Verbal

There are some economists who argue that the global trading system, as it currently exists, is in need of fundamental restructuring. Which is the most effective revision?

Correct Answer: (B)

(B) is correct. Eliminates: (1) "There are...who" → "Some economists" (expletive removed); (2) "is in need of" → "needs" (nominalization converted to direct verb). "As it currently exists" is slightly verbose but acceptable — in the context of GMAT answer choices, (B) is the clearest available. (A) has "There are...who" expletive and "is in need of" nominalization. (C) passive + expletive + "existing as it currently does" — verbose. (D) "as it exists now" is repetitive with "currently." (E) "arguing this" is vague.

Question 8 of 10 GMAT Verbal

The situation, which is unprecedented in the company's 80-year history and which has created significant uncertainty among investors, requires immediate action. Which revision is most effective?

Correct Answer: (D)

(D) is correct. The original uses two "which" relative clauses — grammatically correct but rhetorically weak. (D) restructures by converting "which is unprecedented" to an appositive "unprecedented in the company's 80-year history," and then uses parallel main verbs: "has created...and requires." This is more direct and creates appropriate emphasis. (A) double "which" is weak but grammatically acceptable. (B) "having created...in the company's 80-year history" misplaces the modifier. (C) also acceptable but makes "unprecedented" the opening modifier, de-emphasizing the situation itself. (E) three parallel "-ing" phrases — awkward.

Question 9 of 10 GMAT Verbal

The development of the new engine technology has the potential to reduce fuel consumption significantly and at the same time it offers improvements to performance metrics. Which is most effective?

Correct Answer: (C)

(C) is correct. Eliminates: (1) "has the potential to" → "can" (concise); (2) "at the same time it offers" → "while improving" (parallel participle); (3) "improvements to performance metrics" → "improving performance metrics" (direct). The result is clean and parallel. (A) "at the same time it offers" breaks parallel structure. (B) "has the potential for...offering" is slightly awkward. (D) "has the potential to...at the same time to improve" is better but still verbose. (E) "is potentially able to both...and at the same time" is multiply redundant.

Question 10 of 10 GMAT Verbal

One of the most important considerations for any executive is the fact that they must balance short-term profitability with long-term sustainability. Which revision is most effective?

Correct Answer: (D)

(D) is correct. Converts the awkward "is the fact that they must" construction to "involves balancing" — clean, direct, and active. Also fixes the agreement issue: "any executive...they" uses plural "they" for singular "executive" (a contested but generally acceptable usage on GMAT, but (D) avoids it). (A) "is the fact that they must" is verbose. (B) "is the need to balance" is better but still uses an abstract nominalization. (C) "and this is one of the most important considerations" is a weak coordinate clause. (E) "of all considerations" is verbose.

Key Takeaways

1. Primary idea → main clause

The most important idea belongs in the main clause, not buried in a subordinate clause.

2. Eliminate expletive constructions

"It is...that," "There are...who," "Being that" — always replaceable by direct phrasing.

3. Active voice over passive

When the agent is known and relevant, active voice creates clearer, more direct sentences.

4. Concision as tiebreaker

Between two correct, clear choices, the more concise one is right.