gre sentence equivalence

Expert Tips for Mastering GRE Verbal Reasoning: Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence

Dilip Oak's Academy

The GRE Verbal Reasoning section is often perceived as a challenging hurdle for many test-takers. Within this section, Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions can be particularly challenging but fear not- we’re here to guide you. Our expert faculty members have curated valuable tips and strategies to help test-takers like you conquer these question types. By honing your skills in Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence, you can confidently tackle the GRE Verbal Reasoning section and achieve your desired scores.

Understanding Text Completion:

Text Completion questions present a passage with one to three blank spaces, and candidates must select the correct words or phrases to fill these gaps. The challenge lies in choosing the most appropriate words that maintain the coherence and meaning of the passage. To tackle Text Completion effectively, follow these tips:

  • Focus on Context: Grasp the passage’s context and main idea to predict the type of words needed
    to fill the blanks.
  • Look for Clues: Analyze surrounding words and sentences for hints about the missing words’
    meanings, including transitional phrases and tone.
  • Eliminate Irrelevant Options: Rule out answer choices that do not fit the passage’s context or alter the intended meaning.
  • Consider Logical Flow: Ensure the selected words maintain a coherent and logical flow within the passage.

Mastering Sentence Equivalence:

Sentence Equivalence questions present a single sentence with one blank space. Candidates are tasked with selecting two words from the six given options that create sentences with similar meanings. While the core strategies remain the same for both questions types, here’s how to tackle Sentence Equivalence questions effectively:

  • Identify Keyword Clues: Pay attention to crucial keywords in the sentence, as they often provide clues about the missing word’s meaning.
  • Antonyms and Synonyms: Consider words with opposite or synonymous meanings that fit the sentence’s context.
  • Avoid Extreme Choices: Eliminate answer choices with extreme meanings that do not align with the sentence’s tone or context.
  • Utilize the Process of Elimination: Narrow down choices by eliminating unlikely options, increasing the chances of selecting the correct word pair.

Build a Strong Vocabulary

A robust vocabulary is vital for excelling in GRE Verbal Reasoning. Regularly practice learning new words, understanding their meanings, and exploring their usage in context. Dilip Oak Academy offers comprehensive GRE preparation resources, including word lists and mnemonic techniques to aid memorization. Read this blog for more tips to master your vocabulary:  5 Tips from Our Expert Faculty 

Read Diverse Texts

Expand your vocabulary and comprehension skills by engaging with a wide range of topics, including literature, academic articles, and news pieces. Read extensively to bolster your language proficiency. Here are some blogs to get you started: GREat Five Minute Reads 

Familiarize with GRE Question Styles

Practice with official GRE Verbal Reasoning questions to become familiar with the question styles, formats, and difficulty levels. Analyzing answer explanations for incorrect choices helps you understand common pitfalls and improves your critical thinking skills.

Time Management

Efficient time management is crucial during GRE Verbal Reasoning. Allocate appropriate time to each question, and if you encounter a challenging question, flag it and move on. Later, during the review phase, allocate time to revisit flagged questions. The well-designed study plan and guidance from the expert faculty during the classes will boost your GRE preparation and give you the confidence to ace the test.

Take Full-Length Practice Tests

Simulate the real GRE experience by taking full-length practice tests under timed  conditions. Full-length practice tests help build endurance, identify weak areas, and fine-tune your test-taking strategies. This will help you get accustomed to the pressure and time constraints.

By mastering Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence, you can confidently approach the GRE and achieve your dream of pursuing further studies, like MS in the USA.

As a premier study abroad institute in Pune, Dilip Oak Academy is committed to helping students excel in the GRE exam. Our comprehensive GRE preparation resources include coaching- classroom & online with our experienced faculty members, online prep resources with access to over 2000 questions and a self-prep module which includes video lessons. With a focus on excellence, Dilip Oak Academy is your partner in achieving GRE success.

We also offer TOEFL, and IELTS coaching, and guide students with university selection, application essays, and visa counseling under our Admission Counseling Services for USA, Germany and UK.  To enroll, call us on 91-020-67444222, 91-8007878495

GREat Five-Minute Reads: Episode 11

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Dear Reader,

As promised, from this week onwards, we will present some old and some new articles along with questions on Reading Comprehension, Sentence Equivalence, and Text Completion from the Verbal Reasoning section.

Tell us your guesses in the comments section and look for the answers in our next edition!

Dinosaurs weren’t the only ones!

Question 1

Select a sentence in the article that provides evidence that the comet struck while the village was under human habitation.

 Question 2

Why did the scientists rule out earthly causes such as volcanic activity or thunderstorms for the fires? Select all that apply.

A] They found evidence that natural sources of fire can also reach such high temperatures.

B] No magnetic marks, characteristic of lightning strikes, were found.

C] Molten metal was not found at the site.

Question 3

None of the following were reasons for the Abu Hureyra culture becoming agrarian EXCEPT

A] Climatic changes

B] Technological modifications

C] Survival of a few people

D] Animal husbandry

E] Ground-breaking invention of systematic agriculture

 

Alterations to Art

Question 1

The presence of halos as identifying appurtenances of holy figures in early Netherlandish paintings is as ________ an occurrence as it is commonplace in Italian paintings of the same period.

Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole, and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.

A] trite

B] exceptional

C] recognizable

D] atypical

E] perceptible

F] sacral

The representation of mortals as saints, reflecting a desire to (i) ________ the lives of the saints and to follow their sacrifices and devotion to Christ, becomes increasingly (ii) _______ in the early sixteenth century. The practice reflects an extension of the beliefs of and widespread adherence to the Modern Devotion, a popular reform movement begun by Geert Grote in the late fourteenth century and initially practiced by the Brothers of the Common Life.

 Question 2

For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

Blank (i) Blank (ii)
A] imitate D] prevalent
B] animate E] predictable
C] stipple F] pretentious

Cracking the GRE®: Verbal Reasoning 1 – the GRE exam’s Toughest Nut to Crack

Dilip Oak's Academy

Vocabulary tough nuts

First, here’s some basic orientation for GRE® rookies. The GRE exam incorporates 3 types of section:

  • Analytical Writing (the essay writing section which is scored on a scale of 0-6 with half point increments)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (which tests Maths skills)
  • Verbal Reasoning (which tests English skills – both Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning are scored on a scale of 130-170 in 1-point increments)

Typically, cracking the GRE requires 4-12 weeks of preparation. A major chunk of this time will inevitably be invested in preparing for the Verbal section. Why is this so? Firstly, a lot of Indian students taking the GRE are engineers or others for whom the Quantitative Reasoning section is not a major problem. But Verbal reasoning includes questions on Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence which require good reading skills and an extensive vocabulary. However, most Indian students don’t tend to read much and, as a result, these are precisely the skills and knowledge that they lack. So, the Verbal Reasoning section is a tough nut to crack. What difficulties does it throw up?

Doing well in reading comprehension entails, among other things, an ability to read challenging unseen passages on unfamiliar topics, locate relevant information within the mass of details given in the passage, understand assumptions and implications and, get the main point. Choosing the right options from among several close alternatives requires insight, and discrimination, and the ability to recognize correct restatements and inferences.

 

In Sentence Equivalence or Text Completion questions, a proper understanding of the logic and reasoning of the sentences plays an important role: without it you won’t find the correct approach. Then, there are the vocabulary challenges. We all know that word meanings in the English language can be quite tricky. The GRE exam makes this problem even trickier by offering you close choices in Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions – ones which require you to understand the nuances of meaning and usage of words. Understanding usage and context therefore play a very important role in eliminating the wrong answers. Further, the wide variety of sub-question types and the high difficulty level of the questions is a challenge to most students.

Given the difficulties verbal questions pose, preparation for the Verbal section means developing a thorough mastery of vocabulary, reading skills and the strategies for tackle them successfully. Naturally, doing well in the Verbal section takes intensive preparation and practice for all students. You have to start well in advance, have the right resources and a good study plan. Our next blog will give you a few tips on how to move closer to attaining prowess in this difficult section.

 

GRE Test Prep: Reading Comprehension and Discrete Questions: Challenges & Tips

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So, you are preparing for the GRE test. You know that the Verbal section is going to be demanding. What are the big challenges in the Verbal section of the Revised General GRE?

Challenge #1: Reading Comprehension Passages

Screenshot of a Reading Comprehension question in the Revised General GRE
Reading Comprehension Question

First, a bit of good bit of news: the Reading Comprehension passages on the Revised GRE test are short. A Verbal section generally contains 5 Reading Comprehension passages, most which are 20-25 lines long; and one of them may be as short as 3-5 lines. The longest passages are of about 40 lines or so. (See ETS’s introduction to reading comprehension, sample questions and tips)

But Reading Comprehension is never very easy. Firstly, the passages cover a wide variety of topics, most of which are very unfamiliar. Here are some topics that have appeared in the past:

Continue reading →