Vocabulary
Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence hinge on the precise meaning, connotation, and register of sophisticated words.
Approach
- Find the sentence's 'clue' — the word or phrase that tells you what the blank must mean — before looking at the choices.
- Predict your own word for the blank first, then match it to the closest choice.
- Use roots, prefixes, and connotation (positive/negative) to narrow unfamiliar words.
- For Sentence Equivalence, the two answers must be near-synonyms AND both fit — pick the meaning first, then the pair.
Common traps
- A word whose common meaning fits but whose precise sense contradicts the sentence's logic.
- A tempting second synonym pair that doesn't actually match the sentence's meaning.
Sentence Structure
Reading the logic of complex sentences — how clauses, pivots, and qualifiers determine what a blank or answer must be.
Approach
- Spot the pivot words (however, thus, despite, because) — they set contrast, cause, or agreement.
- Strip the sentence to its core subject–verb to see what it's really claiming.
- Decide whether the blank must agree with or oppose the clue, then choose accordingly.
Common traps
- Multiple clauses or double negatives that hide the real logical direction.
- Choosing a word that fits one clause but breaks the sentence as a whole.
Logic & Inference
Drawing conclusions that must follow from the passage — inference, assumption, and 'what the author implies'.
Approach
- The answer must be forced by the text, not merely consistent with it.
- Separate what is stated from what is implied; the question tells you which it wants.
- Watch the logical connectors that link evidence to conclusion.
Common traps
- Choices that are true in the real world but not supported by this passage.
- Over-reaching inferences that go one step further than the text allows.
Main Idea
Identifying the central point or primary purpose of a passage.
Approach
- Read the first and last sentences closely — the thesis usually lives there.
- Ask 'why did the author write this?' rather than 'what does it say?'.
- The main idea covers the whole passage, not one paragraph.
Common traps
- Choices that are too narrow (a supporting detail) or too broad (beyond the passage).
- A true statement about a sub-point mistaken for the overall point.
Supporting Detail
Locating and correctly interpreting specific facts stated in the passage.
Approach
- Go back to the exact text — never answer detail questions from memory.
- Paraphrase the relevant sentence, then match it to a choice.
Common traps
- Choices that subtly distort the stated detail (change a number, scope, or actor).
- Plausible statements that simply aren't in the passage.
Tone & Attitude
Judging the author's stance, tone, or attitude toward the subject.
Approach
- Hunt for evaluative or emotional words that reveal a stance.
- GRE tones are usually moderate (measured, skeptical, appreciative) — extremes are rare.
- Separate the author's view from views the author merely reports.
Common traps
- Extreme-tone choices (contemptuous, euphoric) that overshoot a measured author.
- Attributing a cited critic's opinion to the author.