Of course, this is partly due to the fact that we鈥檙e not just looking at a few hundred words here. Going by a rough estimate, the GRE vocabulary comprises as many as 3500 words, along with their synonyms & antonyms (especially useful when it comes to answering sentence equivalence and text completion questions). What makes it more challenging is the fact that a large portion of these words comprises those that are relegated to obscure corners of dictionaries and hardly find usage in day-to-day speech.

Now depending on your existing level of command over the English language, you might already be knowing some of them, but if you鈥檙e aiming at a really good score (say, a 320 and above) with a score above 160 on the Verbal section, knowing at least 1000 high priority GRE words is an absolutely non-negotiable requirement!

What are high priority words? Well, according to a detailed scrutiny of GRE verbal questions over the years, we found that certain words had a much higher propensity of appearing on the test than others.

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority GRE Word List“

Even a few years ago, vocabulary-building was a pretty long-drawn and tedious process. Students had to painstakingly look up words and their synonyms using a dictionary and thesaurus. Unsurprisingly, it was a process that took months, sometimes, even years!

Learning tools included making flash cards, and looking at the time and again you were sure of each word.

Quite a few of you who have used flash cards earlier might remember how one side had the word or topic you were trying to remember, with a series of clues on the back to help you remember better.

However, though it was arduous and time-taking, it ensured that students remembered what they learned.

Smartphones and the internet have changed all that. Ran into a word you never heard of? Not sure of a word you want to use on an essay? All it takes is a quick Google search! Of course, building your vocabulary for an exam like the GRE is likely to take more than just trawling search engines.

Enter – GRE vocabulary app!

Combining the versatility of a quick google search, with the mnemonic advantages of flash cards, a well-designed word learning app can really help you with vocabulary building, and in the least time possible.

Putting together our expertise of the GRE鈥檚 exhaustive vocabulary and learning tools proven effective through years of testing, we created GRE vocabulary app WordBot – a free tool designed especially to augment word-learning in a holistic, yet fast manner. Think of it as your very own online GRE tutor that not only helps you learn words but also simultaneously test your knowledge of the same through unlimited fun tests.

Check out our听GRE vocabulary app – Wordbot Now!

Thought flash cards were effective? You鈥檒l definitely have a blast with WordBot. Not only will it save you the time of having to go through innumerable websites and GRE study guides for the list of words to master, but you鈥檒l also get to develop an enviable vocabulary organically – something that you鈥檙e unlikely to forget in a lifetime.

Now, why is this?

Well, studies have shown that the human brain is 80% likely to remember images, as compared to a 20% likelihood of remembering textual content! Ever wondered why children鈥檚 books were so generous with their pictures and brightly illustrated? Now you know why!

The usage of GRE vocabulary app WordBot is highly relevant with pictorial guides alongside each GRE word takes a leaf out of the very same time-tested philosophy. Only here, you don’t just get to know the meaning of each word, you can also hear their pronunciation, take a quick look at their antonyms, synonyms, see how they鈥檙e used in sentences, and take fun tests to see how much you鈥檙e able to remember. Don鈥檛 be surprised if you find yourself learning even more than 50 new GRE words each day!

Not convinced yet? Take a look at these words and see for yourself!

GRE Words – Felicitous , Enigma

GRE Words – Effrontery

Want to see more? Head over to听GRE vocabulary app – WordBot, and click on 鈥楪et Started鈥� to create your free account today!

The post GRE Vocabulary App vs GRE Flashcards: Which is better? appeared first on 黄色短视频 Blog.

If so, then you have reached the correct blog. There鈥檚 no denying that most Indian test-takers do find the GRE verbal reasoning section pretty tough when compared to the quantitative section. Let鈥檚 look at some quick stats from the ETS鈥檚 July 2012- June 2017 report. The table below lists out the average scores of test takers across countries where the GRE is taken by a large number of students each year.

GRE Country wise Test Takers Statistics – 黄色短视频 (…formerly GREedge)

As you can see, Indian test takers scored the least in the verbal section when compared to the rest. Even though we have a large percentage of the population exposed to English on a daily basis, there exists a gap in learning. While everyday conversations help us improve general fluency a good GRE score requires deeper learning and a strong command over the language. This is partly due to the fact that the GRE鈥檚 vocabulary comprises as many as 3500 words, many of which hardly find use in day-to-day speech.

Indian test takers are noted to be naturally good with quants, it鈥檚 preparing for the verbal section that鈥檚 likely to take up the better part of your efforts, as well as act as the determining factor behind your final score. Some of the best universities require a strong GRE Verbal reasoning score and hence the command you have in the universal language to consider your application. Here is the list of some famous universities and their average GRE Verbal reasoning score requirement.

Famous Universities With Average GRE Verbal Reasoning Score

Download our eBOOK on “GRE Verbal Reasoning scores for Top 35 US Universities“

听Structure of GRE Verbal Reasoning:

The intent of the GRE Verbal reasoning section is to test your ability to comprehend written text, form conclusions and figure out relationships between two or more parts of a sentence. There are two sets of 20 questions each and you get 30 minutes to answer each set.

The three types of questions that come on this section are:

• Reading Comprehension (RC) – 10 questions/set
• Text Completion (TC) – 5-6 questions/set
• Sentence Equivalence (SE) – 4-5 questions/set

The following graph shows the time spent by students on preparing for the 3 topics of the Verbal section. As you can see, students spent most of their time on Reading Comprehension (RC). This makes sense because 10 out of 20 questions, or 50% of this section, are from RC Passages, with Text Completion (TC) and Sentence Equivalence (SE) questions comprising the rest. Vocabulary building is also a very important part of your GRE Verbal reasoning preparation as you鈥檒l need to learn at least 1000 high-priority GRE words.

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority GRE Words“

Learning just 30 GRE words per day can improve your vocabulary in a span of 30 days. 听Check out WordBot now, a free vocabulary learning app that has the meanings of 3000+ GRE words along with picture guides, their synonyms, antonyms, and usage in sentences. Don鈥檛 be surprised even if find yourself learning even more than 50 words a day! 听

GRE Verbal Reasoning Section Graph

To improve your skills on the verbal section, practice Reading Comprehension; review your passages and your answers after each practice session. If you add one English newspaper (The New Yorker, Arts & Letters Daily, or The Atlantic) to your daily schedule, it helps you to learn words in their proper context, enhancing your vocabulary and as a bonus, brushing up your knowledge of current affairs for the AWA section.

Download our eBOOK on “Ultimate Guide to Crack tough RC’s“

The GRE Verbal Section comprises three sections out of which only two would be scored. However, test-takers have no way of determining which of the 3 sections is unscored. Each section has 20 questions and you will be given 30 minutes to answer each (Roughly 1.5 minutes for each question). Most of the questions are multiple-choice questions, where one of the five answers will be correct.

You can begin your preparation by understanding where you stand at the moment. Take a score predicting test here.

Tips and Tricks of the trade:

1. Sentence Equivalence (SE):

These questions could be challenging at moments as you might not be able to think of two words which when placed in a blank will produce sentences that have exactly the same meanings. There can be an approx. of 8 SE questions in the GRE Verbal section. The following are some handy tips to ace Sentence Equivalence questions:

• As you read the sentence, fill in the word which you feel is most suitable, based on the context.

• Notice the signal words like and, but, yet, since, thus, although and while. These words will help you to understand the context of the word, and hence, help you make a better choice.

• Make reasonable guesses of the meanings of unfamiliar words.

• Consider all the choices even if you are completely sure. You might come across an even more appropriate word.

• Also, be careful while choosing a word. Many times test takers choose a word which doesn鈥檛 have a synonym in the group. Avoid this mistake at all costs.

Let鈥檚 understand with an example:

While serving in a place marred by bitter conflict, the high degree of alertness that they develop often gets so ingrained in the psyche of some of the serving soldiers that they continue to display the same sense of _________ in civilian life, often to the discomfort of those close to them.

1. aggression
2. distrust
3. discipline
4. assault
5. suspicion
6. restlessness

Correct answers: 听B & E

Scoring conditions:

• If you select any option other than B & E, you will not get any marks.
• If you select either B or E and not both, you will not get any marks.
• If you select both B & E, you will be awarded full marks for the question.

2. Text Completion (TC):

Text completion type questions are a step up from the SE type. You will have to fill two or more blanks in a 5-6 sentence long paragraph. Choices are to be made from the list of words given and marks would be provided only if you choose all the correct options. Like the SE section, no partial marking system is applied.

Following are the tips for TC type questions:

• Since the questions are lengthy and monotonous, break the text into smaller parts to digest quickly.

• Understand the tone and context that is being aimed by the sentence. Read it 2-3 times until you grasp the context of the question.

• Add your own word to fill up the sentence and then select the closest answer to that word.

Let鈥檚 try out an example and apply the tips:

Climate change has already led to the ________ of some bird species in parts of England, where intensively farmed land gives them no room to ______ to warming temperatures. Birds are facing a double-edged sword from climate change and declines in habitat quality as land management is making it harder for cold-associated birds to find cool corners of sites. As biodiversity across England _______________, stopping the destruction of habitat such as hedgerows and old orchards and creating new nature reserves can give opportunities for wildlife to adapt to global warming.

1. A) disappearance 听听听听听听听听听听听D) migrate G) is fostered
2. B) evolution 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听E) retaliate H) continues to fall
3. C) conservation 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听F) adapt I) continues to spread

Correct Answer: 听A, F & H

Scoring conditions:

• If you select any option other than the correct ones, you will not get any marks.
• If you select the correct option for blank (1) and the wrong option for blanks (2 or 3) or any other combination, you will not get any marks.
• If you select the correct option for all the blanks, you will be awarded full marks for the question.

3. RC Passages:

One can expect around 5 RC Passages in each section which might vary in their length from 1 to 5 passages. These passages are picked up randomly from Scholarly journals, magazines, works of literature, politics, art, culture, textbooks, biographies, lifestyles, etc. These passages are composed well with complicated structure and advanced vocabulary. These passages make even a good reader break a sweat.

The three types of questions you will be answering are:

• Multiple Choice questions with one correct option: You will be required to choose from a set of five answers.
• Multiple Choice questions with more than one correct option: The twist with these types of questions is there is no partial credit provided for the answer. You will have to choose from a set of 3 answers out of which, one/ two/ even all three answers could be true.
• Select in Passage: The answer to this question lies in the passage. You need to select a sentence in the passage that answers the question.

With 30 minutes dedicated for each section, whilst solving these passages, time is of ultimate value.

Download our eBOOK on “Ultimate Guide to Crack tough RC’s“

听Following are a few tips if kept in mind can help you through GRE Verbal Reasoning section:

• Introduction and Conclusion of long comprehensions: To develop an understanding of long passages, read the introduction and conclusion first. Often these are enough to give you sufficient hints to answer the questions.
• Keywords and Context: If you find the keyword from the question in the text, read the preceding and succeeding sentences before forming a complete understanding. Then you can understand the intent and context of the author.
• Save the most complex passage for the last: Know your strengths and weaknesses beforehand. If it takes you a longer duration of time to solve certain passages that talk about say: history. Then skip it and then come back to it after you are done with other ones. This rule is pretty much the same as what applied to your school board exams.
• Stick to the information provided: Do not get carried away by your own opinions on the matter while answering a critical reasoning question based on the passage. Assuming information can be a self-destructive step while solving RC Passages.
• Take notes as you read: While going through the text, take notes simultaneously and notice the keywords.
• Misinterpreting the linking words: Every paragraph of the RC could be a turning point in the reading or it might simply support the preceding paragraph. Develop the understanding of linking words or phrases, like however, in contrast with, but, on the other hand, in addition, yet, in conclusion, and others.
• Wasting time in comprehending useless information: 听This often happens with long RC passages. If you try to unravel the complexity, you are caught in the trap. Skim through the comprehension once focusing your attention on the first and the last paragraph of the comprehension to understand the intent of the RC. Then, read all the questions and look for the keywords in the body paragraphs. Extracting only the meaningful information from a long passage is a skill that you鈥檒l keep getting better at with practice.
• Not taking notes: Test takers often don鈥檛 take notes and have to read the passage again. It wastes precious time. Take notes of significant points in the text as you go through RC the very first time.
• Adding details of your own: Strictly remember that the answers if the questions asked would be available in the RC passage. Do not make assumptions and find the answer.

Let鈥檚 try to apply these tips in the example below:

Through her works, Abril Bolivar aimed to take the average middle-class reader from a state of ennui and indifference to a state of enlightenment. Long before terms such as socialist, feminist, and progressive intellectuals got their modern definitions, Abril championed the cause of the marginalized section of the late 19th-century Bolivian society such as peasants and laborers in her writing.

Since Abril’s rather premature death at 45, her work has acquired greater significance. Her novels have achieved cult status, some are even made into movies, and her short stories were lapped up by schools and colleges as an essential part of their curriculum. Even those with a cursory interest in literature find her novels and short stories appealing. What perhaps has not found as much appreciation is her disquisitions, especially those where she explains her art, her view of the world, and philosophy of life.

Abril, in one of her speeches at a literary conference of Latin American writers, said that she did not subscribe to the “art for art’s sake” school of thought. In light of the themes she chose to write, this would give the facile impression of Abril being a pamphleteer for a cause. However, her language is more of an aesthete than an ideologue. Her writings express the restlessness of an artist and not the certitude of a propagandist.

Based on the information provided in the passage, the author most likely believes Abril’s work to be:

1. A fine blend of art as well as a social discourse
2. More biased toward social causes rather than aesthetics
3. More of cult literature following among movie-makers, students, and those with a cursory interest in literature
4. A propagandist that would leave the reader in a state of restlessness of an artist
5. Less interesting as compared to her disquisitions on her art, her view of the world and philosophy of life.

Correct Answer: Option A

Scoring conditions:

• If you select the incorrect option(s) / sentence, you will not get any marks
• If you select all correct choices, you will be awarded full marks.

4. Vocabulary

There are more than 3000 GRE words that you will have to learn. Though you won鈥檛 ever be directly tested on these words separately, GRE verbal reasoning comprises questions which can be solved only if you are familiar with their meanings. Without a vocabulary of GRE words, the chances of making a mistake grow several times. Let鈥檚 take a look at the graph of actual GRE verbal reasoning scores obtained by test takers who prepared with 黄色短视频 (…formerly GREedge) vs. the number of words learned by them.

GRE Vocabulary – GRE words

Words Seen: Words that they have only seen, but not mastered.

Words Mastered: Seen the word & mastered using WordBot, by taking a test in GRE Style.

The graphs make it pretty clear to get a 160 above on the verbal section; you need to master the words with practice tests.

Download our eBOOK on “How to learn GRE Words to score 160+ in Verbal“

听3 pointers that can lead you to improve your GRE Vocabulary:

Following are some most effective ways to keep in mind during this tenacious process of learning:

1. Choosing the right word-list: English is a vast language and mastering it all with a limited amount of time available might not be feasible. However, there鈥檚 still a lot you can achieve through smart work. Hence, right at the beginning, you need to select the correct list of GRE words. Basing on the frequency of their appearance on the GRE, apps like WordBot have a compiled list of words along with their meanings accompanied by picture-guides that can assist your learning.

2. The technique of mastering words: Let鈥檚 discuss exactly how big this list that could get you through GRE verbal reasoning is. There are around 3000 GRE words that you need to learn while preparing for the verbal. Mugging is not the solution for a list this large, at least not for the majority of them.

1. 1. Redefine Definitions: The dictionary definition of the word might not be that interesting and you might find it hard to keep those words in mind. So, reinterpret the definition given by the dictionary in your own words, you will realize that learning a definition written by you is comparatively easy to learn.
   2. Use the words in your daily life: Once you have learned a few words, try to add them to your daily conversations. As you carry your flashcards, think of the scenarios where you can use those words. Make sentences with them; say them out loud so that you familiarize yourself with the tone of that word.
   3. Keep a list:听Type out the unfamiliar words several times a day. Scribble it on the back of your notebook, text that word to someone; or write an essay containing that word.
   4. Revise and Repeat: Remembering 1000s of words can be challenging and you will start forgetting the words you learned first as time passes by, so remember to revisit the words from time to time to keep them in your memory.

3. Use apps: There are several apps that are designed to make this boring process into some type of game. They help you keep track of your overall development.

Apps like Wordbot from 黄色短视频 (formerly GREedge) are premeditated to provide you with assistance throughout the process of your learning. They not only operate with a list but also test you from time to time keeping your memory intact throughout the months of your preparation.

Some other tips for prepping for GRE Verbal Reasoning:

• Knowing where you stand: Take a practice test and know where you stand at the moment. It will help you find your strengths and weaknesses and the degree of improvement that you actually require. It can be helpful in deciding how rigorously you need to address your existing vocabulary. Since GRE vocabulary comprises words that aren鈥檛 used in your day to day life, even if you realize you have a great deal of learning to do, don鈥檛 lose hope and start today.
• Start a habit of reading editorials: Newspapers like the Hindustan Times, The Economist has great articles in their editorials which can help you improve your vocabulary as well as keep you updated with the current events. It will help you with the other sections of your GRE Test as well. If you can, develop a habit of reading good books. 听There is no better way of learning words than seeing them in their very own context.
• Don鈥檛 focus only on Vocabulary: It will amount to at max 50% of your score but the rest would come from your comprehending ability, your capability of understanding the context, and of course, reading speed. So prepare and practice RCs well.
• Assess yourself: Before going for the actual test, take practice tests and mock tests to get a better understanding of your state of preparation as well as the GRE time structure. These texts are important as the way you will be giving your exams would be entirely different from how you speak or write English in your daily life.

Download our eBOOK on “Ultimate guide to crack GRE Verbal Reasoning“

Now that you have got what you need to begin your battle against GRE Verbal reasoning, how about you give it a try? Remember, practice is the key and no matter what, don鈥檛 give up! You are already a step closer to your dream GRE score.

So select a good application to supplement your learning and start today! Keep this guide handy if you feel it can be of help.听

All the best!

The post GRE Verbal Reasoning – Tips to Master With Examples appeared first on 黄色短视频 Blog.

Anything that creeps into the unknown arena scares us. Thoughts like, 鈥淲hat do they look like?鈥�, 鈥淚f we ever meet them, are they going to kill us?鈥�, 鈥淗ow would we fight them?鈥� are common amongst scientists and civilians alike.

This is precisely how non-native speakers of English perceive the GRE Verbal section!

An incomplete understanding of the conceptual depths of the language is what makes students doubt their abilities to conquer this section.

The majority of GRE test takers come from an engineering or science background and naturally find the Quant section very easy to handle.

However, it鈥檚 the verbal reasoning section that has gained a notorious repute among test takers owing to its complicated RC passages, confusing text completion questions and difficult vocabulary.

Fear not, though. Going through this comprehensive guide will help take students from Ground 0 of GRE Verbal Preparation to being fully equipped to target a score of 160 and above!

What exactly is the GRE Verbal Section?

The Verbal Reasoning measure assesses your ability to logically understand and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, analyzing relationships among parts of sentences, words, and concepts.

About half of the Verbal section comprises questions from Reading Comprehension, requiring you to read passages and answer questions based on those. The other half requires you to read, interpret and complete existing sentences, groups of sentences or paragraphs. [source: ETS]

What is a good GRE Verbal score?

The truth is, the universities don鈥檛 look at your total GRE score, but your individual scores obtained in the GRE sections, Verbal, Quant, and even the AWA section – though it鈥檚 marked separately. Hence, how good your score is, depends on these factors:

• Your GRE Verbal score & Quants percentile scores
• The GRE score required for that program/university.

Let鈥檚 talk percentiles. Percentiles are a measure of what percentage of other GRE takers have a score lower than you. Hence, the higher your percentile, the better your chances!

ETS, the organization that conducts the GRE calculates percentiles separately for Verbal, Quant, and AWA.

Take a look at the individual score percentiles below (source: ETS)

Individual Score Percentiles – Subjectwise

Decoding the Data – What matters more for you?

Broadly speaking you need a higher score on the section more closely related to your field. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Courses like Computer Science, in your case, place more emphasis on a higher Quants percentile whereas Ph.D. courses in thesis-based subjects often require a higher verbal score!

Noticed how the Verbal percentiles are higher than Quant percentiles throughout?

The difference between verbal and quants scores is especially more pronounced in countries such as India where more students score better in the Quants section owing to a higher priority given to developing mathematical skills coupled with the engineering background that most test-takers share! Thus, to get a higher Quants percentile, you鈥檇 need a higher Quants score than Verbal!

What is Good Percentile?

Roughly speaking, any score above the 75% mark is considered good, with a percentile above 85% considered excellent!

This means that a score of 157 or more in the Verbal Reasoning section is generally considered good.

You can get a pretty clear idea regarding the kind of score you must aim for by looking at the average score of the admitted applicants in some top universities in the US like:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Cambridge, MA (Subjectwise Score)

• Stanford University – Stanford, CA

Stanford University – Stanford, CA (Subjectwise Score)

• University of California – Berkeley, CA

University of California – Berkeley, CA (Subjectwise Ideal Score )

• Georgia Institute of Technology – Atlanta, GA

Georgia Institute of Technology – Atlanta, GA (Subjectwise Score)

• California Institute of Technology – Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology – Pasadena, CA (Subjectwise Score)

• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Subjectwise cutoff score)

• Cornell University

Cornell University (Subjectwise Cutoff score)

• Purdue University, West Lafayette

Purdue University, West Lafayette (Subjectwise cutoff Score)

Download our eBOOK on “GRE Cutoff scores of Top 35 US Universities”

听What is the sectional breakdown?

You have 1 min 30 seconds to attempt each question, on an average.

GRE sectional breakdown

What is the question format?

GRE Question Format

There is no set pattern or sequence. Questions in different formats are intermingled rather than grouped separately. The number of questions in each format also varies.

For a rough idea, take a look at the question distribution pattern above – a reasonably accurate breakdown of GRE verbal reasoning questions as seen in previous exams.

Approximately 50%, or 10 out of 20 questions in each of the 2 sections are from Reading Comprehension passages, with Sentence 听Equivalence and Text Completion questions comprising the rest.

Note that some questions have only one correct answer, whereas others have multiple correct answers. In case of questions that have multiple correct answers, students are only awarded marks if they attempt all the correct options as the GRE does not have any part-marking system.

A fair idea of every question format:

Reading Comprehension

These questions are designed to test a wide range of abilities that are required in order to read and understand the kinds of prose commonly encountered in graduate school. Those abilities include:

• 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 text and reaching conclusions about it
• Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a position
• Developing and considering alternative explanations [source: ETS]

Download our eBOOK on “The Ultimate READING COMPREHENSION Hand Book“

Text Completion

Skilled readers do not simply absorb the information presented on the page; instead, they maintain a constant attitude of interpretation and evaluation, reasoning from what they have read so far to create a picture of the whole and revising that picture as they go.

Text Completion questions test this ability by omitting crucial words from short passages and asking the test taker to use the remaining information in the passage as a basis for selecting words or short phrases to fill the blanks and create a coherent, meaningful whole. [source: ETS]

Sentence Equivalence

Like Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence questions test the ability to reach a conclusion about how a passage should be completed on the basis of partial information, but to a greater extent, they focus on the meaning of the completed whole sentence.

Sentence Equivalence questions consist of a single sentence with just one blank, and they ask you to find two choices that lead to a complete, coherent sentence while producing sentences that mean the same thing. [source: ETS]

Common GRE Verbal Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

GRE RC

• Reading the passage completely before reading the questions

Reading an entire GRE passage before you even look at the questions is a mistake because the questions that follow a passage will not cover every aspect of the passage.
To focus on the correct parts of the passage, it鈥檚 better to treat the questions as a study guide for the passage. The subjects of the question set are a map of the essential things you should be looking for in the reading.

The MUST remember rules to ace this format-

• If the passage is long, the best strategy would be to skim it to get a hold of its core ideas. And then read the questions so you鈥檇 know which part of a particular para delivers the answer to it.
• If the passage is short enough, you can skip reading/skimming it altogether, jump straight to the questions and find answers to the same.
  
• Not actively engaging with the text

Reading and understanding a piece of text requires far more than a passive understanding of the words and sentences it contains; it requires active engagement with the text, asking questions, formulating and evaluating hypotheses and reflecting on the relationship of the particular passage to other passages and information. [source: ETS]

1. Think critically & analyze the text.

2. Look at the questions & try to understand the context in which they need to be answered.

3. Immerse yourself in the text. Become one with it.

GRE Text Completion

Do not merely try to consider each possible combination of answers; doing so will take too long and is open to error.

Instead, try to analyze the passage in the following way:

• Read through the passage to get an overall sense of it.
• Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant, either because they emphasize the structure of the passage (words like although or moreover) or because they are central to understanding what the passage is about.
• Try to fill in the blanks with words or phrases that seem to complete the sentence, then see if similar words are offered among the answer choices.
• Do not assume that the first blank is the one that should be filled first; perhaps one of the other blanks is easier to fill first. Select your choice for that blank, and then see whether you can complete another blank. If none of the choices for the other blank seem to make sense, go back and reconsider your first selection.
• When you have made your selection for each blank, check to make sure the passage is logically, grammatically and stylistically coherent. [source: ETS]

GRE Sentence Equivalence

Do not simply look among the answer choices for two words that mean the same thing!
This can be misleading for two reasons:

1. The answer choices may contain pairs of words that mean the same thing but do not fit coherently into the sentence.

2. 听The pair of words that do constitute the correct answer may not mean exactly the same thing, since all that matters is that the resultant sentences mean the same thing.

• Read the sentence to get an overall sense of it.
• Identify words or phrases that seem particularly significant, either because they emphasize the structure of the sentence (words like although or moreover) or because they are central to understanding what the sentence is about.
• Try to fill in the blank with a word that seems appropriate to you and then see if two similar words are offered among the answer choices.
  
  If you find some word that is similar to what you are expecting but cannot find a second one, do not become fixated on your interpretation; instead, see whether there are other words among the answer choices that can be used to fill the blank coherently.
• When you have selected your pair of answer choices, check to make sure that each one produces a sentence that is logically, grammatically and stylistically coherent, and that the two sentences mean the same thing. [source: ETS]

How to prepare for GRE Verbal

Before you start preparing, you must be in the know of your exact strengths and weaknesses. This will give you a mental map of conquering GRE Verbal section in a way that is customized to best suit your needs.

To see what GRE Verbal score you鈥檇 achieve if you took it today, try the 黄色短视频 Score Predictor听 Now!

Now that you know what you need to work on, let鈥檚 take a look at just what you need to do to win over this section!

Remember that you won鈥檛 become a pro at this section overnight. Achieving a high score in this section requires continuous efforts.

Follow this plan to ensure you leave no stone unturned in prepping for this section:

Use a dictionary intelligently

Dictionary is just a directory of words if the context isn鈥檛 learned and remembered.

Don鈥檛 just find some new words every day and learn their meanings, only to forget the very next day.

Look at their sentence examples to learn the context in which those words are used. You won鈥檛 just remember

the word but also the various ways in which it can be spoken & written.

E.g., How to learn the word 鈥榩hilanthropist鈥�-

1. Look for its meaning in the dictionary.
2. Read its example right below the given definition, out loud.

Dictionary Facilities – Philanthropist

3. Read more sentence-examples.
4. Have an inner monologue of its possible use-cases.

Set a goal of learning 20 new words.

Download our eBOOK on “High Priority GRE Word List”

Read. Read A LOT!

Read everything you can possibly get your hands on – journals, magazines, newspapers, books, novels, comics & blogs.

The more you read:

1. The more you鈥檒l get to know the difference between good writing & bad writing
2. The better your vocabulary suit will get without you having to cram words separately
3. You鈥檒l automatically become knowledgeable in the context in which words are used & that will become a part of your subconscious thought process.

Don鈥檛 just read, read ACTIVELY!

Get immersed in the text you read. Actively participate in an internal discussion with your own self about what the author might really be wanting to convey. Rectify it, think about it, make it better in your head.

Perceive the text. Weigh it. Consider it. Improve it. Make it your own!

This will better your critical thinking ability.

Have a constant dialogue with yourself in English. Attack and defend yourself on your arguments from an unbiased perspective. This will bring a smooth flow to your thoughts, and you鈥檒l learn how to think and express in English exactly how you do in your native language.

Learn by doing what you love

Yes, learn English by watching documentaries, interviews, presentations, movies, TV series.

听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 (Don鈥檛 look at me like that. Wait鈥�.)

These are the perfect resources to become fluent in the language, know the correct pronunciations of words and understand finer nuances like the use of metaphors, idioms, and interjections – all of which are important constituents of assessing the tone and context of a passage,

Knowing these will help immensely with making you comfortable with the language!

Use Twitter

As opposed to keeping a journal or starting a blog, the beauty of Twitter is that it provides you an ability to express yourself, but with a character limit.

Thus, you have no option but to come up with words that express more. This will heighten your vocabulary both in terms of quantity as well as its quality.

Use it to comment on the news, blogs you read, share your preparation journey or just some creative thoughts of your own.

Befriend time:

We have already seen that the GRE is a test of your time-management skills requiring you to solve each question in 90 seconds or even less. Learn how to solve more of the easy questions as quickly as possible (without compromising on accuracy, of course) so that you have more time to devote to the ones you find difficult and time-taking.

Now this is a skill you can only gain by practicing more GRE style test papers. The more you practice, the better your time-management will get. Don鈥檛 spend too much time pondering over a single question – flag it and move on to the next! If you have time, you can always come back to it later!

Check out our eBOOK on “Crack GRE Verbal – Best Tips“

Just don鈥檛 rush the process of learning how to score your potential highest. It鈥檚 a journey where you鈥檒l find yourself improving consistently over time and with practice, but it will not happen overnight.

It takes quite some time to learn a language, then to be able to think and speak fluently in it.

Just remember it鈥檚 only a language. How hard could it possibly be? Harder than the language you already speak? I bet not!

You鈥檒l only succeed when a failure is no longer a contending option for you. Go full throttle with your GRE preparation. All the best!

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