Preparing for the GRE Verbal Section October 2008

Geography of the Verbal Section 30 minutes 30 questions (in no particular order) –6-8 analogies –5-7 sentence completions –8-10 antonyms –2-4 reading comprehension passages (6-8 questions) –0-1 text completion questions (starting Nov 2007) Typically starts with a few antonyms

Analogies What is an analogy? –light : dark :: pleasure : pain Looking for a clear and necessary relationship between the word pairs Create a sentence to describe the relationship Examples: –stone : sculptor –aviary : birds

Analogy Tips Clear and necessary relationship Form a simple sentence between the stem words Plug in all of the choices Eliminate answers with: –Triangular relationships –Words that don’t have C & N relationship Work backward

Analogies – common relationships Type of –elation : emotion (i.e. elation is a “type of” emotion) Used to –ultimatum : coerce Degree –abhorrence : dislike (i.e. abhorrence is a strong degree of dislike) Characterized by –bigot : intolerance Without / Lacking –courageous : fear

Analogy question Tile : mosaic Form a basic sentence with the two words

Analogy question (with the 5 choices) tile : mosaic :: “A tile is a basic unit of a mosaic.” wood : totem stitch : sampler ink : scroll pedestal : column tapestry : rug

Reading Comprehension Tips Read quickly; main ideas, topic sentence Locate trigger words (although, but, however, yet) Use general knowledge & common sense Avoid answers that have: –Disputable choices –Direct quotes and repetitions

Antonyms – “opposites” When you can define the stem word: –Make your own opposite –Use POE –Down to two? Make opposites and work backward –Read all choices to avoid careless errors

Antonyms When you “sort of” know the word –Use positive/negative –Work backward on choices –Guess? Choose the most extreme choice remaining Don’t know the stem word –Make opposites for all choices – eliminate those that don’t have an opposite –Avoid words that “sound like” the stem word –Guess? Choose the most extreme choice remaining

Antonyms – no clear opposites Exhume –Breathe –Inter –Approve –Assess –Facilitate

Antonyms – when you “sort of” know the stem word Positive/Negative connotation What is the “stem”? Debilitate –discharge –strengthen –undermine –squelch –Delete Example ( de – away, off, down, reversal )

Sentence completions (“fill in the blanks”) Anticipate the word(s) in the blank(s) Find the clue that restricts the meaning Look for trigger words (although, but) –A fair AND ______ judge –A fair BUT ______ judge Positive or negative? Two blanks: solve one and eliminate

Text Completions with 2 or 3 Blanks New Verbal Question (added in Nov 07) Passage of 1 to 5 sentences Questions have 2 or 3 blanks Three answer choices per blank

Text Completion example Of course anyone who has ever perused an unmodernized text of Captain Clark’s journals knows that the Captain was one of the most _____(i)___ spellers ever to write in English, but despite this ____(ii)____ orthographical rules, Clark is never unclear. Blank (i)Blank (ii) fastidiousdisregard for indefatigablepartiality for defiantunpretentiousness about