GRE Quick Tips- Verbal

GRE QuickTips—Analogies

1. Create a sentence that includes the two capitalized words. Ideally, the sentence should reveal the essence of the relationship between the two words, and should not be so specific that none of the answer choices will fit, or so general that several fit. Here are two examples of the types of sentences that might zero in on the correct choice:
   • One possible function of a [first word] is to [second word].
   • [First word] is a condition that is necessary in order for [second word] to occur.
2. Eliminate any answer choice in which the two words are unrelated to each other. Typically, at least one answer choice will fit this description. You can eliminate all such choices without even considering the original pair!
3. If you know only one of the two words in an answer choice, you can always take an educated guess, even with just one of the words. You can often eliminate an answer choice by knowing just one of the two words.
4. If one of the original words has either a negative or positive connotation, the corresponding word in the correct answer choice will be similarly "charged." But if the original word is neutral, the corresponding word in the correct answer choice must be neutral as well.
5. You can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. Any of the following might provide a clue about what a word means:
   • Another word that resembles the word in any way
   • The word's root or prefix
   • The meaning of the other word in the pair
6. Look out for the sucker-bait answer choice that involve the same subject as the original pair. More often than not, this sort of answer choice is wrong.

GRE QuickTips—Antonyms

1. In most Antonym questions, the best answer isn't a perfect antonym. The test-makers can't resist hiding the ball from you; so don't expect to find an exact opposite among the answer choices.
2. If you encounter an unfamiliar word, don't give up; ask yourself whether the word resembles a familiar one in any way. Perhaps the two words have the same root. If so, the two words are likely to have related meanings.
3. Try working backwards—from an answer choice to the capitalized word—to help gain insight if your stuck. Try to think of a single word (not a phrase) that expresses the opposite of the answer choice. Ask yourself whether your antonym for the answer choice is a good synonym for the headword? If not, you can eliminate the answer choice.
4. If an answer choice stumps you, resort to intuition by asking yourself two questions:

   1. Can you express the opposite idea using only one word (as opposed to a phrase)? If not, the answer is probably wrong.
   2. Can you imagine hearing the headword used in connection with the answer choice's antonyms? If not, go with your hunch an eliminate that answer choice.

5. If you're stuck, try converting a word to another part of speech. Many GRE words are difficult to deal with simply because their part of speech (noun, verb, or adjective) is not commonly used. Turning the word into a more familiar form can help.
6. Be sure to look for an antonym, not a synonym! This might seem like obvious advice, yet it's amazingly easy to get everything backwards during the pressure of the actual exam. The slightest lapse in concentration can result in your carelessly choosing a synonym instead of an antonym. Avoid "synonym syndrome" by always verifying your choice before you move on.
7. Resolve close judgment calls in favor of the more specific antonym. This is another one of the test-makers' common ploys, and it is sometimes the key to distinguishing a best response from a second-best one. Always be on the lookout for this ploy!

GRE QuickTips—Reading Comprehension

1. Read the first question before you begin reading the passage. By doing so, you can read more actively—with an eye out for the information you need.
2. Never confirm your answer to a question until you've read the entire passage. Information relevant to a question can appear anywhere in the passage.
3. Using your pencil and scratch paper, jot down a rough outline as you read. It will help you locate relevant details quickly as you answer the questions, and minimize vertical scrolling and re-reading.

4. Don't be overly concerned with details (dates, examples, and lists) as you read; instead, jot down in outline form where these details are located in the passage so you can locate them quickly as needed to respond to the questions.
5. After reading the entire passage, take about 15 seconds to sum it up in one sentence—in the form of a rough thesis statement. Doing so is well worth the effort, because you'll be able to answer some Reading Comprehension questions with nothing more than the thesis in mind.
6. No matter what type of question you're dealing with, eliminate any answer choice that runs contrary to the passage's overall thesis.
7. Be on the lookout for answer choices that provide information supported by the passage but not responsive to the question. This is one of the test-makers' favorite wrong-answer ploys.
8. If the author of the passage adopts a position, or stance, on an issue, but discusses other viewpoints as well in the passage, be on the lookout for answer choices that confuse the author's viewpoint with the viewpoints of others. This is another common wrong-answer ploy.
9. Be on the lookout for wrong answer choices that provide information not mentioned in the passage—yet another common wrong-answer ploy. These wrong answer choices can be tempting, because it's remarkably easy to assume that you overlooked the information as you read the passage.

GRE QuickTips—Sentence Completion

1. Look for key words and phrases in the sentence that tell you where the sentence is going. Is it continuing along one line of thought? If so, you're looking for a word that supports that thought. Is it changing direction in midstream? If so, you're looking for a word that sets up a contrast between the thoughts in the sentence.
   Words signal blanks that go with the flow:
   and, also, consequently, as a result, thus, hence, so

   Words signal blanks that shift gears:
   but, yet, although, on the other hand, in contrast, however, nevertheless

2. To get your mental wheels turning and help you to "get into" the question, first think of your own words that complete the sentence at hand. Although you shouldn't expect to find your words verbatim among the answer choices (most GRE Sentence Completion questions aren't that easy), determining up front what sort of words you're looking for will help you zero in on the best answer choice.
3. Don't choose an answer to a dual-blank question just because one of the words is a perfect fit. As often as not, one word that fits perfectly is paired with another word that doesn't fit well at all. This is the test-makers' most common Sentence Completion ploy; don't fall for it!
4. Check for usage and idiom problems if you're having trouble homing in on the best answer. Sentence Completion questions cover not just overall sentence sense but also word usage and idiom (how ideas are expressed as phrases). So eliminate any answer choice that makes any part of the sentence confusing, awkward, or sound wrong to your ear.
5. In dual-blank questions, if you can eliminate just one of the words, the whole choice won't work, so you can toss it out and go on.
6. Don't confirm your response until you've considered each and every one of the five answer choices. Remember: The qualitative difference between the best and second-best answer choice can be subtle.