GRE

VERBAL QUESTION FORMATS

2021
SHAYESTEH.IR
GRE COURSE SECTIONS
1. Introduction 4. Analytical Writing
2. Quantitative Reasoning 1. General Writing
1. Quantitative Questions Formats 2. Argument Writing
2. Arithmetic & Algebra 3. Issue Writing
3. Geometry 5. General Writing
4. Data Interpretation 1. Writing Ideas
3. Verbal Reasoning 2. Cohesion & Coherence
1. Verbal Questions Formats (Sentence Equivalence & 3. Writing Sentence Variety
Text Completion)
4. Grammar
2. Reading Comprehension
5. Punctuation
6. The magic of 3

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GRE VERBAL REASONING QUESTION TYPES

• Sentence Equivalence
• Text Completion
• Reading Comprehension

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SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE
Example: Select two answer choices that (1) complete the sentence in a way that makes sense and (2)
produce sentences that are similar in meaning.
• Given her usual need for attention, we were __________________ when Carole celebrated her birthday
quietly and alone.

A pertubed

B optimistic

C unconcerned
D Taken aback
E enlightened
F dumbfounded Answer: D & F

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TEXT COMPLETION

Example: Dramatic literature often _____ the history of a culture in that it takes as its subject matter the
important events that have shaped and guided the culture.

Blank (i)

A confounds
Blank (ii) Blank (iii)
B repudiates
C recapitulates
D anticipates
E polarizes

Answer:
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TEXT COMPLETION
Example: Complete the text by picking the best entry for each blank from the corresponding column of
choices.
• The very first Russian Matryoshka, or nesting doll, was created in a workshop in Moscow in 1890. Russia
was going through a period of artistic (i) _____________. Artisans were searching for a new, (ii)
_____________ Russian craft.

Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)

A doldrums D distictively G
B revitalization E politically H
C prudence F comprehensively I

Answer: B & D
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TEXT COMPLETION
Example: It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to
be (i)__________ by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on
climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to (ii)__________ his comprehensive description
of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness
of our observations, and the (iii)__________, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that
must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet.
Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)

A overshadowed D enhance G plausibility of our hypotheses

B invalidated E obscure H certainty of our entitlement
C illuminated F underscore I superficiality of our theories

Answer: A & E & I

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READING COMPREHENSION
Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.
Most people know that Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Many of those people know it was written during the Battle for
Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. However, this is where popular knowledge typically ends.
One unusual fact about the American national anthem’s history is that the tune to which it is set was not an original composition for the
song. In fact, the music originated as a festive British folk song. Another is that while the song was composed and became popular in the first
part of the nineteenth century, it was not treated as a song representing the United States for some time thereafter. At the first “modern”
Olympics in 1896, it was played for American athletes, but it was not adopted as the country’s official song until 1931.

• Which of the following best states the author’s main point?

A The national anthem evolved from a song that celebrated war.

B “the Star-Spangled banner” was first sung at the Olympics.
C There are facts about our national anthem that we may not know.
D Our national anthem is really an old British folk song.
E Many popular songs have along and interesting history. Answer: C
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VERBAL REASONING
Time Question Type Answer Format Verbal Reasoning
You will • Multiple choice: Select one answer
have 30-35 choice
Reading
minutes to • Multiple Choice: Select one or
Comprehension
complete more answer choices Sentence
Equivalence
the entire • Highlight a selection of text 25%
section, • Multiple choice: Fill in one or more Reading
which will Text Completion Comprehension
blanks to complete the text 50%
include a
mixture of • Multiple choice: Select the two Text
different options that produce two Completion
Sentence Equivalence sentences with the most similar 25%
question
types meanings

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QUESTION FORMAT SECTIONS
Sentence Equivalence
1 Blank 20
Verbal t0
40 questions Text Completion 2 Blank 26
(3 min)
3 Blank
Ave = 1.5
(min) Multiple choice (select one answer choice from 5 choices)
10
Reading Comprehension Multiple choice (select one or more answer choices from 3 choices) to
Select-in-passage 14

Multi Choice Questions (1 Answer)

Quantitative
Multi Choice Questions (More Than 1 Answer) 19
40 questions
35 (min) Numerical Data Entry
Ave = 1.75 Quantitative Comparison 15
(min)
Data Interpretation 6

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SKILLS TESTED IN VERBAL REASONING

• About half the questions will test your vocab skills, and the other half will test your reading
comprehension skills.

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TOP 4 VERBAL REASONING TIPS

1: Memorize High-Frequency Vocab Words

2: Practice Reading Scholarly Texts
3: Use The Process of Elimination
4: watch TOEFL Reading clip in www.shayesteh.ir

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SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE FORMAT
Example: Select two answer choices that (1) complete the sentence in a way that makes sense and (2)
produce sentences that are similar in meaning.
• Given her usual need for attention, we were __________________ when Carole celebrated her birthday
quietly and alone.

A pertubed

B optimistic

C unconcerned
D Taken aback
E enlightened
F dumbfounded Answer: D & F

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SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE QUESTION STRUCTURE

• Consists of:
• a single sentence
• one blank
• six answer choices
• Requires you to select two of the answer choices; no credit for partially correct answers.

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SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE STRATEGY FOR ANSWERING

• you’ll be presented with a sentence with a blanked-out word, and have to choose two words from a list of
six that could both complete the sentence—and give it a similar meaning.
• You can expect to see about 4 sentence equivalence questions on each 20-question subsection of the
Verbal section. That adds up to about eight total.
• Identify synonym pairs
• Eliminate “outlier” words
• Be aware of signal words like transitions and conjunctions, which can give you clues as to where the
sentence is going.
• Learn vocab, both by memorizing words and encountering them in context
• watch TOEFL Reading clip in www.shayesteh.ir
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TEXT COMPLETION FORMAT
Example: It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to
be (i)__________ by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on
climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to (ii)__________ his comprehensive description
of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness
of our observations, and the (iii)__________, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that
must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet.
Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)

A overshadowed D enhance G plausibility of our hypotheses

B invalidated E obscure H certainty of our entitlement
C illuminated F underscore I superficiality of our theories

Answer: A & E & I

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TEXT COMPLETION QUESTION STRUCTURE

• Passage composed of one to five sentences

• One to three blanks
• Three answer choices per blank (five answer choices in the case of a single blank)
• The answer choices for different blanks function independently; i.e., selecting one answer choice for one
blank does not affect what answer choices you can select for another blank
• Single correct answer, consisting of one choice for each blank; no credit for partially correct answers

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READING COMPREHENSION FORMAT
Read the passage and choose the best answer for each question.
Most people know that Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Many of those people know it was written during the Battle for
Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. However, this is where popular knowledge typically ends.
One unusual fact about the American national anthem’s history is that the tune to which it is set was not an original composition for the
song. In fact, the music originated as a festive British folk song. Another is that while the song was composed and became popular in the first
part of the nineteenth century, it was not treated as a song representing the United States for some time thereafter. At the first “modern”
Olympics in 1896, it was played for American athletes, but it was not adopted as the country’s official song until 1931.

• Which of the following best states the author’s main point?

A The national anthem evolved from a song that celebrated war.

B “the Star-Spangled banner” was first sung at the Olympics.
C There are facts about our national anthem that we may not know.
D Our national anthem is really an old British folk song.
E Many popular songs have along and interesting history. Answer: C
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READING COMPREHENSION REQUIRED RANGE OF
ABILITIES
• understanding the meaning of individual words and sentences
• understanding the meaning of paragraphs and larger bodies of text
• distinguishing between minor and major points
• summarizing a passage
• drawing conclusions from the information provided
• reasoning from incomplete data to infer missing information
• understanding the structure of a text in terms of how the parts relate to one another
• identifying the author's assumptions and perspective
• analyzing a text and reaching conclusions about it
• identifying strengths and weaknesses of a position
• developing and considering alternative explanations

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READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

• The questions on this part of the Verbal Reasoning section are based on passages anywhere from one to
several paragraphs in length. These passages come from any number of disciplines: the sciences, business,
the arts, or the humanities. Although they aren’t written in academic prose, you have to be ready to
handle the elevated language of formal writing.
• The good news, however, is that you don’t need to know anything about the passage’s subject matter
because the questions focus not on content but on structure. You have to demonstrate a good
understanding of how paragraphs are constructed, how to extract meaning from what you are
reading, how to paraphrase the key ideas of a passage, how to draw conclusions from the passage, and
how to make inferences about things that aren’t directly spelled out in the passage

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IDENTIFY SIGNAL WORDS AND PHRASES
• Use Signal Words
Certain words, especially transitions, can function as “signal words” in sentence equivalence
questions. They’ll tell you something about what purpose different parts of the sentence serve. This can
help you infer what can best go in the blank. For example, if you see a word like “although,” you know that
you’re about to see a caveat or clarification. Words like “furthermore” and “indeed” mean that part of the
sentence will offer further support or emphasis. “Instead” and “but” mean you’re about to see a counterpoint
or different perspective. If you can notice what transitions (and conjunctions like “and” and “but”) signal in
sentences, you’ll have a much easier time telling what words could belong in the blank for sentence
completion.
There are certain words/phrases in the short passages for text completion that function as “signal words.”
Signal words, commonly transitions, indicate the overall structure of ideas in a sentence and thus can help
point you towards the correct answer. For example, “however” or “although” means you are about to hear a
caveat or mitigation, while “furthermore” and “indeed” mean you’re about to see further support or
elaboration on a point. This information is very helpful in filling in the blanks.
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SIGNAL WORDS
• Signal words are usually transitions and indicate whether some previously presented piece of information is
going to be supported, contradicted, clarified, and so on.
• Here are a few common groups of GRE signal words, what they signal, and a brief, simple example sentence:
• However/although – offering a caveat or mitigation
• Although the author was social by nature, he did not particularly enjoy book tours.
• Indeed/furthermore – offering further support or emphasis
• The author was social by nature; indeed, he loved meeting hundreds of new people on book tours.
• By contrast/rather/instead – offering a different perspective, counterpoint, or purpose
• The author was not social by nature; rather, he was forced into sociability by the necessities of book tours and signing.

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CONSIDER WORD POSITIVITY/NEGATIVITY

• Context will often indicate if a generally positive or negative word belongs in a particular blank. If you can
figure out if a positive or negative word belongs in a given blank, you’ll be able to narrow down possible
answers as you can eliminate incompatible choices. So if you know you need a positive word, and your
answer choices are “dutifully” “deviously,” and “dedicatedly,” you can strike “deviously” out.

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USE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

• If you need to guess, always use process of elimination first. You can combine this with the strategies
above (like word positivity/negativity and considering what you would put in the blank) to help you
eliminate wrong answers. Even if you can’t confidently pinpoint the correct answer, the more wrong
choices you can strike out, the better your chances of guessing correctly!

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TIPS

• Look for prefixes, suffixes, and vocab games to figure out potential meanings of unfamiliar vocab.
• Use the process of elimination on Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions to strike out vocab
words you know for sure don’t work and to get rid of words whose connotations don’t match the overall
tone of the sentence or passage.
• Try to identify the overall tone of a Reading Comprehension passage.
• Only rely on the information written in the passage — avoid making any assumptions that aren’t explicitly
stated in the text itself.
• Pace yourself at around one and a half minutes per question.

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REMEMBER ALL QUESTIONS ARE WORTH THE SAME
POINT AMOUNT!

• Remember that all questions—whether they have one, two, or three blanks—are worth the same amount
of points. So in terms of test strategy, it’s not worth it to spend tons of time agonizing over a three-blank
question when you still have simpler questions left.

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ANKI AND MEMORISE VOCABULARY

• drill GRE flash cards with the waterfall method.

• Customise word lists
• Magoosh
• Barron’s
• Kaplan
• Vibrant

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GRE VOCAB GAMES

Some of our top picks for GRE vocab games are:

• GRE Vocab Challenge: an iPhone app created by The Princeton Review and offering four unique word-
based challenges.
• Quizlet: a free gaming website containing numerous GRE flashcards and a simplistic matching game.
• Cram: a free study website offering a colorful and interactive matching vocab game.
• Memrise: a free learning website with hundreds of vocab flashcards and elaborate timed practice sessions.

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GRE ROOT WORDS: THE STRATEGY

• https://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html
• https://www.etymonline.com/word/manna

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GRE VERBAL QUIZZES

• GRE Verbal Practice : https://freegretest.net/Gre-Verbal-Practice

• Major Tests : https://www.majortests.com/gre/
• GRE Guide : http://www.greguide.com/
• Quiz Tree : https://gre.magoosh.com/builder/vocabulary/app#/sections
• Tyrannosaurus Prep : http://gre.tyrannosaurusprep.com/
• Many Things : http://www.manythings.org/fq/m/2991.html
• Quizlet : https://quizlet.com/subject/gre-vocab/

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OTHER SOURCES

• RC 260, RC 300, RC 320 : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1056

• TC 1400 : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1048
• TC 1450 : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1049
• TC 1800 : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1050
• 1000 Plus (Math 1451) : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1055
• GRE Chinese 2500 Anki word list : https://shayesteh.ir/Book/1054
• ….

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THANK YOU
SHAYESTEH.IR
2021