GMAT Sentence Correction: Where to Use “where”

February 17, 2012

Master this devilish distinction on GMAT Sentence Correction

“GMAT Sentence Correction is a question type where even one’s everyday sense of language might lead one astray.”

The sentence above is self-referential, insofar as it contains a very natural sounding grammatical mistake. The word “where” is used incorrectly. Here’s the scoop.

Relative Pronoun

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a dependent (or subordinate) clause. The following are examples of correct uses of relative pronouns: in each sentence, the relative pronoun is in underlined.

1) Any man who hates dogs and children can’t be all bad.

2) That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

3) Do not ask for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

4) The play’s the thing wherein to catch the conscious of the king.

(Kudos for recognizing the quotes!) Notice that some relative pronouns moonlight in other grammatical roles; for example, “who” and “which” also function as interrogative pronoun. Also, unless you happen to be the Melancholy Dane, you need not integrate the word “wherein” into your everyday vocabulary.

“Where” as a Relative Pronoun

One role of the word “where” is as a relative pronoun.

4) Where troubles melt like lemon drops . . . that’s where you’ll find me.

5) Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

As in these example, “where” always denotes a physical place, a physical location in the spacetime continuum.

The PROBLEM with Where

People very naturally use words that literally denote space & spatial relationships to talk metaphorically about all sorts of abstract relationships (“the landscape of memory”, “the distance between thought and action,” “There’s a single thread that runs through all my teachings.”) That’s fine, but on the GMAT, particular with the word “where”, we have to be more literal.

For the purposes of GMAT Sentence Correction, when “where” is used as a relative pronoun, its antecedent must be a tangible physical location.

Correct:

. . . the [town/house/planet/river/backyard/opera house] where such-and-such happens . . . .

Incorrect:

. . . the [situation/illness/life stage/philosophical movement/novel] where such-and-such happens . . . .

Almost always in sentences of the latter cases, the word “where” can be replaced by the words “in which” to correct the sentence.

Here’s a related GMAT SC practice question: https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/1121

Author

Mike MᶜGarry

Mike served as a GMAT Expert at Magoosh, helping create hundreds of lesson videos and practice questions to help guide GMAT students to success. He was also featured as “member of the month” for over two years at GMAT Club. Mike holds an A.B. in Physics (graduating magna cum laude) and an M.T.S. in Religions of the World, both from Harvard. Beyond standardized testing, Mike has over 20 years of both private and public high school teaching experience specializing in math and physics. In his free time, Mike likes smashing foosballs into orbit, and despite having no obvious cranial deficiency, he insists on rooting for the NY Mets. Learn more about the GMAT through Mike’s Youtube video explanations and resources like What is a Good GMAT Score? and the GMAT Diagnostic Test.

View all posts

Comments

6 responses to “GMAT Sentence Correction: Where to Use “where””

mohammad

November 6, 2016

hI
As far as i am aware, the relative pronoun “which” can refer to the preceding clause. example:
Her possessive father and unloving partner destroy her dreams and hopes in life, which ultimately causes her to die of loneliness and sorrow.
I know this this sentence is grammatically correct, but is it possible to omit “which” and use a participial instead? Example:
Her possessive father and unloving partner destroy her dreams and hopes in life, ultimately causing her to die of loneliness and sorrow.

Reply
1. Magoosh Test Prep Expert
  
  November 13, 2016
  
  Yes, you can construct the sentence in either way. The only difference is that the “which” construction places slightly greater emphasis on the idea that follows it. (In this case, the idea that the woman was caused to die of loneliness and sorrow.)
  
  Reply
luq

February 15, 2014

when should we use ‘where’s’?
In this sentence, should i use ‘where’ or “where’s” to begin a question??
example : ________ (where/where’s) the next destination?..
thanks.

Reply
1. Mike
  
  February 15, 2014
  
  Dear Luq,
  The contraction “where’s” is short for “where is”. This is extremely casual, and would NEVER appear on the GMAT SC. Obviously, every sentence needs a verb, so the fragment, “Where the next destination?” is incomplete. This is complicated by the fact that, in very sophisticated writing, especially in a series of sentences, the verb is dropped and implied: “Where, the man of virtue? Where, the person who can deliver us from this situation?” That’s highly rhetorical, and you don’t have to worry about such structures appearing on the GMAT SC.
  Does all this make sense?
  Mike 🙂
  
  Reply
Rajat

April 26, 2013

Hi Mike,

Is wherein always wrong on the GMAT?

Also in the sentence- ‘the man who hates dogs cannot be called bad’ the subordinate clause is ‘who hates dog’ right?

Reply
1. Mike
  
  April 26, 2013
  
  Rajat —
  The words “wherein” and “whereupon” are particularly fancy, and many folks neither use them frequently nor understand them well. This makes them ripe for GMAT error patterns on SC, but they also could appear in a correct answer.
  In the famous W.C Fields quote, “Any man who hates dogs and children can’t be all bad”, the word “who” is a relative pronoun, and thus, the phrase “who hates dogs and children” is a relative clause, a kind of subordinate clause.
  Does all this make sense?
  Mike 🙂
  
  Reply