GRE Verbal Reasoning Question Types
Greetings, future GRE scholars!
Today we begin yet another mesmerizing ride through some of the most critical aspects of the GRE exam that is Verbal Reasoning. This is one section that most students are fearful of, but it doesn’t have to be that way, knowing the different types of questions asked and how to approach them makes it easy to succeed.
At D Vivid Consultant, we take you through the journey without skipping any details!
Verbal Reasoning on the GRE cannot just be referred to as a vocabulary test, there is important written analysis and synthesis that one has to do. To be good, it means that one should appreciate the different classes of questions that one will meet, and in this blog, we will ook at all of them in detail to enable you to plan and prepare well.
Understanding the GRE Verbal Reasoning Section
Before delving into the different types of questions, we would like to briefly touch on the sections. The structure of the sample reasoning sections consists of 1 section with 18 minutes and 12 questions and another one with 23 minutes and 18 questions.
It assesses three broad areas, namely:
- Reading Comprehension: The ability to read and understand written material.
- Text Completion: The ability to provide appropriate words in a context where there are blanks.
- Sentence Equivalence: The ability to select a pair of words that complete a sentence with the same general meaning.
The GRE Verbal Reasoning section is not only centered at having extensive vocabulary but at the same time, expects a reader to think back, forward and across over detailed passages.
This is the most important criterion that defines the GRE Verbal Reasoning test. Approximately half of the questions will relate to reading comprehension.
What is being evaluated:
The questions evaluate your capacity to comprehend, assess, and make use of the information presented in short or long texts.
Format:
• A passage (which may be as brief as one sentence or as long as several paragraphs) will be presented to you.
• Following the passage, there will be 1-4 questions.
Types of Reading Comprehension Questions:
1. Main Idea Questions: This category of questions seeks to find out the main claim or the central concern of the passage. To locate the main idea, do check the 1st and last paragraph as well as overused phrases.
2. Detail Questions: They demand that the particular text is found in the passage. Whenever possible, go back to the passage instead of attempting to recall from the memory.
3. Inference Questions: These are pretty straightforward but the catch lies in their nature. They do not ask for anything that has been written verbatim in the paragraph but they do expect you to extrapolate from the given information.
4. Function Questions: These make you think of the purpose of inclusion of a particular sentence or a paragraph in the text. For example, does it serve as an example, an explanation, or does it counter a claim?
5. Tone and Attitude Questions: In these questions, you are expected to deduce the author’s feelings or perspectives concerning certain issues. Certain expressions like ‘appreciative’, ‘critical’ and ‘neutral’ may stand for the tone as well.
Reading Comprehension Techniques:
- Go through the Text: Do not read the whole passage, instead go through it to understand the main point and glance over it to see the details.
- Underlining: Color or highlight the key issues to facilitate going through them later with ease.
- Practice: Read articles that are on sociological and biological subjects so as to practice reading complicated materials. As they know how to perform, very few readers will focus on long – stretch compositions such as essays.
How to Tackle Question Type 2: Text Completion
In such types of questions, one will find small arms of text with one or more blanks dotted within. Your business is to fill in the neglected spaces with the right words out of given options. The complexity rises as more spaces are included.
What it tests:
Text Completion aims to assess contextual understanding in a sentence and predicting the words that are omitted.
Format:
- All the text provided will have one to three blank spaces.
- Every blank space will come with potential answer option lists.
For single-blank questions, only one word will be selected. For multi-blank questions, every blank should be filled with one word and no partial credit is allowed.
Text Completion Questions have Different Categories:
1. Single Blank: It consists of the simplest type, which is identified with filling up only one blank. But do not be fooled - these can also be tricky if the structure of the sentence is complex or if the word has a close meaning with another word.
2. Double and Triple Blank: Here the challenge is raised a notch. Multiple blanks will be given, and you will be required to fill them all, contextually coherent and logically relevant answers.
Text Completion Strategies:
• Know the Context: First, think about what the sentence is trying to imply before going through the options.
• Cross out the Incorrect Ones: At times, you might not be able to come up with the right word but crossing out obviously wrong ones may help you to raise your odds.
• Watch out for Clue Words: Such words as ‘however’, ‘even though’ or ‘this means that’, can help in knowing if the missing word is likely to be negative or positive.
In Sentence Equivalence questions you will be given one blank and asked to write two words that will divide the sentence into two perfect meanings. The twist is that both words have to work in a sentence, but at the same time, they may seem completely different from each other.
What it checks:
Such an inquiry measures the extent to which one identifies synonyms or words which can function in the same context and assesses grasp of the logic of sentences and correlation of words.
Format:
• There is one sentence with a blank.
• You are provided with six answer options and you have to choose two.
• The words should give sentences with the same meaning but not necessarily in the same words.
Guidelines for Sentence Equivalence:
• Have An Idea of A Word Prior To Looking At The Options: This helps you avoid the allure of the incorrect but tempting options.
• Identify Use of Synonyms: Two words that share the same meanings and fit the blank are most probably the correct answers.
• Look through All The Answers: Take your time on this type of question. Check that the two words give sentences that are similar in tone and meaning.
Challenges Related To Verbal Reasoning
1. Vocabulary:
When answering text completion and sentence equivalence questions a large vocabulary will be beneficial. Thus, begin enhancing vocabulary as early as possible by doing proper reading and writing then identifying the words that one does not understand.
2. Time Management:
This is very crucial because the first section lasts only eighteen minutes and twenty-three minutes for the second section. In the event that a question is challenging, do not dwell on it. Instead, bypass it and address it later on if time allows.
3. Contextual Understanding:
Occasionally, it is more than just the comprehension of words. It has more to do with knowing the relationship underlying the various words. Constant interaction with real GRE questions will help sharpen that edge.
How to Score High in GRE Sentence Completion
1. Practice Daily: The practice will enable you to encounter the different question types without fear, and it will also help you to get used to the question types within the shortest time.
2. Build Your Vocabulary: There are other means that can be utilized such as vocabulary-building applications programs or even the GRE word list.
3. Read Various Materials: There are other resources that you can avail yourself to that include; supplements, newspapers, periodicals and magazines which will assist in adaptation to the difficult texts.
4. Practice Under Timed Conditions: Understand that there is the time pressure that is invoked in the exam and reduce it by taking time bound tasks as a practice.
5. Analyze Reasons for Errors: Every error is a chance to advance. Looking objectively at situations when you lose a point on a test question, strategize how to prevent that from happening again in the future.
Conclusion
We have now reviewed in detail the GRE Verbal Reasoning section and all the question types in it. At first this section might appear to be challenging, but with the proper preparation, approach and attitude, one can do it quite well.
Do not forget that D Vivid Consultant is there to support you in realizing your aspirations. Therefore, keep on following us for more tips and resources as well as personal support in your GRE preparation.
We shall attend to you every step of the way!
All the best and enjoy your studies!
) :
