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Watch this short video to understand the concept of "between" versus "among", particularly useful for the GMAT sentence correction questions.
Legacy GMAT Notice: This page is from the Legacy GMAT (Classic Edition, pre-2024). Sentence Correction was retired and is no longer tested. We have preserved it for archival value and general interest. If you are preparing now, begin with our Comprehensive GMAT Prep Course and practice using 15 Full-Length GMAT Practice Tests.
While attempting GMAT sentence correction questions, there are certain words that you must pay especially close attention to. The correct idiomatic use of such words can shift subtly but significantly, depending on the exact context. These words are often used to set up highly complex questions that require a keen eye and a firm understanding of these words and phrases to navigate. In this brief article, we will cover the use of the words “between” and “among” on the GMAT.
In the context of the GMAT, the word “between” is used when two elements are involved, and the word “among” is used when more than two elements are involved. Let us illustrate through the following examples:
Example 1 – Given a choice between butter and cheese, Jack prefers cheese.
Example 1 distinguishes between two things, “butter” and “cheese”. Therefore the correct word to use here is “between”.
Example 2 – Given a choice between all milk products, Jack prefers cheese.
By contrast, in example 2, ” all milk products” are mentioned, a category that likely includes a multitude of elements. Thus, the appropriate word to use here is “among”.
While attempting the GMAT sentence correction, be sure to keep this distinction in mind. In doing so, you will be able to eliminate incorrect answer choices more efficiently and avoid traps.
This article has deliberately been kept brief; for a more elaborate explanation, please refer to Experts’ Global’s Stage One Sentence Correction videos.
