Click the links immediately below to view the other strategy sections.
FORMAT OF THE GRE VERBAL SECTION
The GRE verbal sections consist of four types of questions: Sentence Completions, Analogies, Reading Comprehension, and Antonyms. They are designed to test your ability to reason using the written word. The section is 30 minutes long and contains 30 questions. The questions can appear in any order.
- Format
About 6 Sentence Completions
About 7 Analogies
About 8 Reading Comprehension
About 9 Antonyms
GRE READING COMPREHENSION
The verbal section of the GRE contains two to four passages. Each passage is followed by three to five questions. The subject matter of a passage can be almost anything, but the most common themes are politics, history, culture, and science.
If you like this material, you’ll love the course!
This interactive, comprehensive self-study course presents the equivalent of over 600 pages of printed material, including hundreds of GRE examples and problems and feedback from GRE experts to your questions. In addition, the powerful learning engine StudyDesk increases your learning efficiency by monitoring your progress and directing you to areas where you need further study. All for only $49.95! Sign up now. Click the link above for a tour of the course.
Course Features:
- Ask Questions! Our instructors monitor StudyDesk to answer your questions. StudyDesk also records the step where you make a mistake or ask a question. This is just one of many powerful educational tools in StudyDesk.
- Highly Interactive: You can take notes, view solutions, and view reports, etc.
- Versatile: You can access the course from any computer at any time.
- Statistics: Your performance on the exercises is saved and you may review your performance and check solutions at any time. You can also check your ranking based on all students taking the course. How cool is that!
- Guarantee: If, at the end of the course, you do not feel sufficiently prepared for the test, you may repeat the course for free — with full access to our instructors.
GRE READING METHODS
Some books recommend speed-reading the passages. This is a mistake. Speed reading is designed for ordinary, nontechnical material. Because this material is filled with “fluff,” you can skim over the nonessential parts and still get the gist — and often more — of the passage. However, GRE passages are dense. Some are actual quoted articles. Most often, however, they are based on articles that have been condensed to about one-third their original length. During this process no essential information is lost, just the “fluff” is cut. This is why speed reading will not work here — the passages contain too much information. You should, however, read somewhat faster than you normally do, but not to the point that your comprehension suffers. You will have to experiment to find your optimum pace.
However, one technique that you may find helpful is to preview the passage by reading the first sentence of each paragraph. Generally, the topic of a paragraph is contained in the first sentence. Reading the first sentence of each paragraph will give an overview of the passage. The topic sentences act in essence as a summary of the passage. Furthermore, since each passage is only three or four paragraphs long, previewing the topic sentences will not use up an inordinate amount of time.
ANTONYMS
There are about 9 antonyms on verbal section of the GRE. The questions are mixed in with the analogies, sentence completions, and reading comprehension.
Put The Word In Context.
In our daily speech, we combine words into phrases and sentences; rarely do we use a word by itself. This can cause words that we have little trouble understanding in sentences to suddenly appear unfamiliar when we view them in isolation. For example, take the word “whet.” Most people don’t recognize it in isolation. Yet most people understand it in the following phrase:
To whet your appetite
“Whet” means to stimulate.
If you don’t recognize the meaning of a word, think of a phrase in which you have heard it used.
Change The Word Into A More Common Form.
Most words are built from other words. Although you may not know a given word, you may spot the root word from which it is derived and thereby deduce the meaning of the original word.
GRE Example: PERTURBATION: (A) impotence (B) obstruction (C) prediction (D) equanimity (E) chivalry
You may not know how to pronounce PERTURBATION let alone know what it means. However, changing its ending yields the more common form of the word “perturbed,” which means “upset, agitated.” The opposite of upset is calm, which is exactly what EQUANIMITY means. The answer is (D).
Test Words For Positive And Negative Connotations.
Testing words for positive and negative connotations is probably the most effective technique for antonyms. Surprisingly, you can often solve an antonym problem knowing only that the word has a negative connotation.
GRE Example: REPUDIATE: (A) denounce (B) deceive (C) embrace (D) fib (E) generalize
You may not know what REPUDIATE means, but you probably sense that it has a negative connotation. Since we are looking for a word whose meaning is opposite of REPUDIATE, we eliminate any answer-choices that are also negative. Now, “denounce,” “deceive,” and “fib” are all, to varying degrees, negative. So eliminate them. “Generalize” has a neutral connotation: it can be positive, negative, or neither. So eliminate it as well. Hence, by process of elimination, the answer is (C), EMBRACE.
For a self-starter on a tighter budget, we offer our GRE Desktop Software. With extensive reviews of all GRE content matter, hundreds of practice problems, and 3 scored GRE practice tests, the GRE software program offers a great alternative to the online course, and it’s only $29.95 — that’s less than you would pay for only a book through other prep companies! Purchase now or read more.ANALOGIES
In analogy questions, the relationship between the words is more important than the meanings of the words themselves. The analogy section of the GRE is one of the easiest parts of the test to improve on.
Before You Look at The Answer-Choices, Think of a Short Sentence That Expresses The Relationship Between The Two Words.
Example: FISH : SCHOOL ::
How are FISH and SCHOOL related? Well, a group of fish is called a school.
Example: JOURNALIST : TYPEWRITER ::
Paraphrase: A journalist uses a typewriter as a tool of his trade.
Example: ORCHESTRA : MUSICIAN ::
(A) story : comedian
(B) band : singer
(C) garden : leaf
(D) troupe : actor
(E) government : lawyer
Paraphrase: “An ORCHESTRA is comprised of MUSICIANS.” Now, a STORY is not comprised of COMEDIANS. Eliminate (A). A BAND may have a SINGER, but a BAND is not comprised of SINGERS: there may be a drummer, guitarist, etc. Eliminate (B). Similarly, a GARDEN is comprised of more than just LEAVES. Eliminate (C). But a TROUPE is comprised of ACTORS. The answer, therefore, is (D).
If More Than One Answer-Choice Fits Your Paraphrase, Make Your Paraphrase More Specific.
Example: CLUB : GOLF ::
(A) type : book
(B) ball : soccer
(C) glove : baseball
(D) racket : tennis
(E) board : chess
Paraphrase: “A CLUB is used to play GOLF.” However, this paraphrase eliminates only answer-choice (A). A more specific paraphrase is: A CLUB is used to strike a ball in the game of GOLF. Similarly, a RACKET is used to strike a ball in the game of TENNIS. The answer is (D).
Note: The parts of speech are consistent throughout an analogy problem. Hence, if the given pair is an adjective and a noun, then each answer-pair will be an adjective and a noun, in that order. This helps you determine the intended meaning when one (or both) of the given words has more than one part of speech.
Eliminate Answer-Choices That Do Not Have A Clear And Reasonably Necessary Relationship.
Educated guessing is a very useful technique on the GRE. If you can eliminate one or more answer-choices, you will probably increase your score by guessing.
Example: CORROSION : IRON ::
(A) sloth : energy
(B) disease : vision
(C) atrophy : muscle
In choices (A) and (C) there are clear and reasonably necessary relationships between the words of each pair: a SLOTHFUL person lacks ENERGY, and ATROPHY means “the wasting away of MUSCLE.” But in choice (B) there is no necessary relationship between the words: most DISEASES have no effect on VISION. Hence, eliminate choice (B). The correct answer is (C) since CORROSION is the wasting away of IRON, just as ATROPHY is the wasting away of MUSCLE.
Note: Be careful when eliminating answer-choices to hard analogy problems because the relationship may not be strong, or it may actually be between esoteric (rare) meanings of the words. This is often what makes a hard analogy problem hard.
SENTENCE COMPLETIONS
The sentence completions form the most straightforward part of the GRE, and most students do well on them.
Before You Look At The Answer-Choices, Think Of A Word That “Fits” The Sentence.
Example:
Crestfallen by having done poorly on the GRE, Susan began to question her abilities. Her self-confidence was ……….
(A) appeased
(B) destroyed
(C) placated
(D) elevated
(E) sustained
If somebody is crestfallen (despairing) and has begun to question herself, then her self-confidence would be destroyed. Hence, the answer is (B).
Be Alert To Transitional Words.
Transitional words tell you what is coming up. They indicate that the author is now going to draw a contrast with something stated previously, or support something stated previously.
A. Contrast Indicators
To contrast two things is to point out how they differ. In this type of sentence completion problem, we look for a word that has the opposite meaning (an antonym) of some key word or phrase in the sentence. Following are some of the most common contrast indicators:
| But | Yet |
| Despite | Although |
| However | Nevertheless |
Example:
Although the warring parties had settled a number of disputes, past experience made them ………. to express optimism that the talks would be a success.
(A) rash
(B) ambivalent
(C) scornful
(D) overjoyed
(E) reticent
“Although” sets up a contrast between what has occurred — success on some issues — and what can be expected to occur — success for the whole talks. Hence, the parties are reluctant to express optimism. The common word “reluctant” is not offered as an answer-choice, but a synonym — reticent — is. The answer is (E).
B. Support Indicators
Supporting words support or further explain what has already been said. These words often introduce synonyms for words elsewhere in the sentence. Following are some common supporting words:
| And | Also |
| Furthermore | Likewise |
| In Addition | For |
Example:
Davis is an opprobrious and ………. speaker, equally caustic toward friend or foe — a true curmudgeon.
(A) lofty
(B) vituperative
(C) unstinting
(D) retiring
(E) laudatory
“And” in the sentence indicates that the missing adjective is similar in meaning to “opprobrious,” which is very negative. Now, vituperative — the only negative word — means “abusive.” Hence, the answer is (B).
C. Cause And Effect Indicators
These words indicate that one thing causes another to occur. Some of the most common cause-and-effect indicators are
| Because | For |
| Thus | Hence |
| Therefore | If …, Then …. |
Example:
Because the House has the votes to override a presidential veto, the President has no choice but to ……….
(A) object
(B) abdicate
(C) abstain
(D) capitulate
(E) compromise
Since the House has the votes to pass the bill or motion, the President would be wise to compromise and make the best of the situation. The answer is (E).
Are you ready for the GRE?
With our comprehensive books, you can be sure!
GRE Prep Course Book
Every year students pay upwards of $1,000 to test prep companies to prepare for the GRE. Now, you can get the same preparation in a book. GRE Prep Course’s 624 pages of prep material provide the equivalent of a 2-month, 50-hour course for a small fraction of the price.
Purchase GRE Prep Course for only $27.95 or the eBook for only $19.95.
GRE Math Prep Course Book
For students aiming to ace the math section of the GRE, this is the book for you. As a companion to the GRE Prep Course book, GRE Math Prep Course includes an additional 524 pages of in-depth review of the most difficult math concepts that can appear on the GRE as well as challenging questions with detailed explanations. If you are aiming to get in the 700-800 range on your math section, you can’t afford not to get this book.
Purchase GRE Math Prep Course book for only $29.95 or the GRE Math Prep Course eBook for $19.95 or read more.
