Some words have an ineffably quality to them, a certain beauty that, through the mere connection of their respective syllables, evokes a world of associations. To me diaphanous conjures up a fairy-tale kingdom; lugubrious something pitifully comical; gossamer could be a spell Harry Potter casts to vanquish the vile Voldemort. Indeed all the words below [...]
Archive | Verbal RSS feed for this section
Different Types of Wrong Answers for GRE Critical Reading Questions
Before launching into the six different types of Critical Reasoning questions mentioned in this series, you should familiarize yourself with how best to approach them. Let’s take the following sample. The part in italics is called the argument. The question below the argument is called the question (that part’s easy!). The Malbec grape, originally grown [...]
GRE Vocab Wednesday: Similar, Confusing Words
Gregarious vs. Garrulous These two words are commonly confused because they not only begin with a ‘g’ but they have very similar meanings. However, they are not quite the same. To be gregarious is to sociable. The word comes from Latin for flock, and retains some of its avian roots (think of geese, which are [...]
GRE Vocabulary Wednesday: In Theory
Text Completions on the Revised GRE love to discuss theories. A physicist has refuted longstanding beliefs; fossil remains found in Kenya undermine prevailing wisdom; an ascendant theory in plate tectonics is not without its detractors. Whatever the spin on the verbiage may be, you can bet at least one of the questionstest day will discuss [...]
GRE Vocabulary eBook
Ask and you shall receive! Based on the many requests from our students (thank you, as always, for your suggestions!), we’ve compiled the best of our word lists into a one-stop vocabulary resource for the revised GRE in eBook form. It includes: Instructions on how to use word lists How to not use word lists! [...]
Types of Critical Reasoning Questions on the Revised GRE
A subset of the Reading Comprehension on the GRE is called Critical Reasoning. At least that is what I refer to it as, and anybody who has prepped for the GMAT or LSAT is familiar with the description. ETS, in revising the GRE, has been far more mum about it, slipping the question type in [...]
GRE Word List: The Dreaded “Imp” Vocabulary Words
An imp is a vile little creature, a small devil known for his fiendish ways. It is very apt then, that some of the trickiest, most easily confuse-able words on the GRE begin with the letters I-M-P. “Imp” is the theme for this week’s Vocab Wednesday. When learning words such as these, words that blur [...]
GRE Reading Comprehension Passage Patterns
Do you really understand the passage? Many GRE students often find themselves at sea on the Reading Comp passage. It is not that they do not practice, but they always feel they are floundering about the passage, trying to get to the questions. Once they get to the questions, things tend to get worse. At [...]
GRE Critical Reasoning Question: The Logic of “Except”
EXCEPT questions can be very time consuming. The key is not to get too hung up on one answer choice. Instead, eliminate the ones that are obviously wrong. On the ones in which you are unsure on, come back to them later. Sometimes, there will only be a couple of answer choices left. Then you [...]
GRE Reading Comprehension Question Type: Definitions in Context
On the GRE a special type of question asks you to determine the meaning of the word based on how the word is used in the context of the Reading Comprehension passage. These questions are called vocabulary-in-context questions and usually comprise a few questions per test. The best way to solve a vocab-in-context is question [...]
