Last Updated on March 11, 2024
For many grad school applicants, earning an impressive GRE Verbal score is essential for gaining acceptance to their target programs, but figuring out how to achieve that score can be an overwhelming task.
In this article, I’ll give you a framework for success as well as specific, highly effective strategies for mastering the GRE Verbal sections. Whether you’re just starting your Verbal study or you need to improve your score, this article will help.
First, let’s discuss one of the most important things about GRE Verbal that every test-taker needs to understand: it’s more than just a vocab test!
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- GRE Verbal: Not Just a Vocab Test
- Start Your Practice Untimed
- Read High-Quality Publications
- Strategies for Learning GRE Vocab
- Analyze Your Errors
- How to Ace GRE Verbal: Key Takeaways
- What’s Next?
GRE Verbal: Not Just a Vocab Test
One of the most common and damaging misconceptions that test-takers have about GRE Verbal is that it simply tests your knowledge of the definitions of words. While it is true that you will need to learn the definitions of a large number of vocabulary words in order to do well on the GRE Verbal sections — I’ll discuss some specific strategies for learning GRE vocab later on — relying on vocab memorization alone is a flawed strategy for earning a high Verbal score.
The fact is, GRE Verbal is so much more than just a vocab test. After all, if given enough time, most people could probably memorize and recite the definitions of many words. So, if that were all it took to earn a top-notch Verbal score, more people would be doing it, right?
Just as GRE Quant tests not only your knowledge of math concepts, but also your logical reasoning skills, GRE Verbal tests more than just your knowledge of vocabulary. In order to score high in Verbal, you need to understand how specific words relate to specific concepts in GRE questions, how words convey tone, how sentence structure affects meaning, how sentences and paragraphs relate to one another, and so much more.
Furthermore, in order to perform well on the Verbal sections, you must master the process of arriving at correct answers. Doing so requires structured and highly focused practice in which you deeply analyze sentences and passages, and consider not just the meaning of words but the logic of what is being said.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can simply memorize a couple thousand vocabulary words and ace GRE Verbal. If you’ve already started down that road, you’ve probably noticed that you’re struggling with many medium and hard-level Verbal questions. So, let’s talk about how to right the ship — or if you’re just getting started, set sail.
GRE Verbal is so much more than just a vocab test.
Start Your Practice Untimed
One of the biggest mistakes GRE students make is immediately jumping into trying to solve practice questions with a timer going. If you are going to master GRE Verbal, you have to give yourself the time to perform the type of deep analysis of questions that I mentioned earlier. In other words, you need to learn how to answer GRE Verbal questions before you can learn how to answer them quickly.
With that in mind, it’s essential that when you start solving GRE Verbal practice questions, you do so untimed. In fact, I recommend to my students that, in the beginning of their GRE Verbal preparation, they don’t worry about the clock at all and instead focus solely on analyzing questions and finding right answers. This is painstaking but essential work, without which you’re unlikely to gain the skills you need to answer GRE Verbal questions both quickly and correctly.
Think of it this way: If you get a job in a field in which you are inexperienced, you probably won’t perform your duties as quickly as your more experienced colleagues will. However, rushing through the job simply to get it done wouldn’t make sense. Moreover, as you gained experience and mastered the skills you needed to do the job, you would naturally do tasks that used to take you a long time more quickly.
The same concept applies to mastering GRE Verbal. You have to learn to see exactly what is going on in Verbal passages and answer choices, and you probably won’t learn to do so by spending a few minutes on each question. You may find that in the earlier stages of your Verbal training, you need to spend up to 15 minutes on a single question, learning to see all of the things you need to see to find a correct answer. Don’t be discouraged by the amount of time you need to answer Verbal questions when you’re just starting out. You are doing exactly what is necessary to drive up your score, and with every question, you’re strengthening your skills.
TTP PRO TIP:
In the earlier stages of your GRE Verbal preparation, solve practice questions untimed.
To get a better understanding of why untimed practice is so important, let’s discuss some of the things you should be looking for and doing during this practice.
Identify Key Aspects of Passages
Whether you’re reading a multi-paragraph Reading Comprehension passage or a Text Completion passage that is just a few sentences long, it’s always good practice to identify key aspects of what you’re reading.
For example, let’s say you’re faced with a Text Completion question composed of two sentences, with a blank in each sentence. How do the two sentences relate to each other? Do they convey a contrast? Agree with each other? Or let’s say you’re looking at a longer TC question, one composed of three or four rather lengthy sentences and containing three blanks. Is the author building a case? Does each successive sentence build on the previous one, adding supporting evidence or expressing an opinion? Does the author make an opinionated statement, and then back it up with an example? Or contradict a belief that others hold?
Noticing when these things occur and exactly where they occur in a GRE Verbal question is only going to help you find correct answers. This applies to Verbal questions that are just one sentence long as well. For instance, if you don’t notice that the first part of a Sentence Equivalence sentence contrasts with the second part of that sentence, you’re liable to fall for a trap and pick answers that are the exact opposite of what you need.
Of course, identifying key aspects of passages is also a significant aspect of the work you’ll need to do to master Reading Comprehension questions. RC questions will ask you to do things like assess the author’s tone, strengthen or weaken an argument, find assumptions, identify the main point of the passage and the supporting points, draw inferences and conclusions, resolve paradoxes, examine the structure of passages and the function of specific words, and more. So, in order to hone those skills, you need to spend time doing those things when you are answering practice questions. Obviously, performing that kind of detailed analysis won’t be possible if you’re trying to answer RC questions in just a few minutes each.
The same goes for Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions. If, when you’re just starting out, you try to answer those questions in 1.5 minutes, or a minute or less, etc., you’re not going to have time to practice pinpointing the key aspects of sentences that, once you’ve learned how to recognize them, act like neon signs alerting you to the correct answers. Remember, as you practice this skill, it will become like second nature to you, and you’ll be able to efficiently notice key pieces of information and answer questions more quickly.
Even if you’re already a ways into your GRE Verbal prep, but perhaps your progress has stalled or you’re finding it difficult to answer practice questions in the allotted time, ask yourself: Have I ever really taken the time to deconstruct passages and sentences, and notice exactly where important information appears? If the answer is no, you may need to backtrack a little and do this necessary work with some practice questions — no timer allowed!
TTP PRO TIP:
As you practice identifying key aspects of GRE Verbal passages, this skill will become like second nature to you, and your speed in answering questions will increase.
Identify Patterns in Wrong Answer Choices
Just as you must spend time analyzing passages for clues that will lead you to right answers, you should spend time analyzing answer choices if you want to become better (and faster) at eliminating wrong ones. This analysis is important because, as you will notice, there tend to be patterns in answer choices to GRE Verbal questions.
In other words, the GRE has certain traps and tricks it likes to employ in order to get test-takers to choose wrong answers, and the more you analyze answer choices, the more you’ll pick up on “recurring themes” in how the GRE is trying to trick you. This is true across all types of GRE Verbal questions.
For instance, you’ll often notice that,in Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions, the answer choices will present antonyms of the word(s) you need. So, when deciding between answer choices, it’s helpful to notice whether any choices have opposite meanings. Doing so will allow you to quickly eliminate any choices that go in the opposite direction of a plausible choice. Of course, the fact that two choices are opposites does not mean that you can assume that one of them will be the correct answer. The point is that, if a choice seems plausible and you identify other choices that are (or nearly are) its antonyms, you’ll be able to narrow down your remaining choices.
Another common trap that you may notice is that RC answer choices often will say something that is true in the real world (or sounds very likely to be true) but does not answer the question being asked or is not really related to what is said in the passage. It’s easy to fall for this kind of trap because the information is correct; it’s just not the information you need.
Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions employ a similar trick by evoking “real-world” scenarios in answer choices. For instance, a sentence describing some research that was performed may be followed by answer choices that include “comprehensive” and “meticulous,” both words that are frequently used in real life to describe “research.” Of course, those adjectives may have nothing to do with what is actually being depicted in the sentence. As with the “true but irrelevant” answer trap in RC questions, test-takers may be drawn to “real-world” answer choices in TC and SE questions because they pair words and concepts that people naturally associate. However, if you identify that GRE Verbal questions use this trap, you can stop yourself from falling into it.
So, being able to recognize the types of trap answer choices that repeatedly appear in GRE Verbal questions is a very useful skill. As you analyze more and more practice questions and answer choices, you’ll notice more of these traps. It may make sense for you to keep a list of the common trap choices you notice in Verbal questions, and briefly note how they try to trick you. For instance, your list might include “partially correct” as one type of RC trap, and then the description “answers only part of the question or is only partially true.” This list shouldn’t be too long, but it’s a good way for you to process what you’re seeing in GRE Verbal questions as you’re doing your untimed practice, so you can be aware of what to look out for going forward. Again, as you continue to identify recurring trap answers, quickly noticing them will become second nature.
TTP PRO TIP:
Briefly note in a list the patterns you identify in wrong answer choices, so you can be aware of what to look out for going forward.
Consider the Context
An important thing to keep in mind when evaluating answer choices, and a theme you’ll notice running throughout this article, is that context really matters. For instance, if you rely on the definitions of words alone when answering Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, you will undoubtedly end up with multiple answer choices that could make sense in the blanks. Take the “real-world” trap I just discussed: is the research “comprehensive,” “meticulous,” or some other descriptor? You’ll need to examine the sentence or sentences as a whole in order to determine what word is appropriate for the given context.
Likewise, in RC, if you only skim a passage looking for words related to the question stem, never bothering to read the entire passage, you run the risk of missing key pieces of information and falling for a trap answer. Furthermore, if an RC question asks you about the purpose of a specific word within a passage, you need to consider not just what that particular word means but how the word is being used in that particular context, because words have multiple meanings and can be used in multiple ways.
This brings us back to my initial point that GRE Verbal is more than just a test of your vocabulary knowledge. In fact, if you have a good understanding of the context that surrounds a word that must be defined or a blank requiring a word, you sometimes can find the correct answer to a GRE Verbal question without knowing the precise definitions of all of the words in question. Even if you know the definitions of only some of the words, or you have only vague notions of the definitions of the words, the context will provide you with clues that will help you narrow down your choices.
Keep in mind that one way that the GRE makes Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions more difficult is by putting tricky vocab words in the sentences themselves, as opposed to just in the answer choices. However, you can probably get a pretty good grasp of what a sentence is saying without knowing the exact definition of every single word in the sentence.
The same holds true for RC passages. You may frequently come across RC passages that cover subjects in which you’re not well-versed and use terminology that is unfamiliar to you. Nevertheless, if you can basically understand what is presented and pick up on those key aspects I discussed earlier — the tone of what is being said, the basic scenario described or argument laid out, what the main point and conclusion are, any contrasts or evidence presented — then you don’t really need to know the exact definition of every single word in the passage, and depending on the subject matter, you probably can’t expect to.
TTP PRO TIP:
The context of a sentence or passage can help you eliminate wrong answer choices even if you don’t know the precise definitions of all of the words being highlighted.
Don’t Neglect Details
Just as you should always consider the context of what you’re reading in GRE Verbal, you should also be on the lookout for certain clues that will alert you to the meaning of what you’re reading. Let’s look at a couple of important types of clues that frequently appear in GRE Verbal, clues that you’ll need to practice identifying while you’re answering Verbal questions untimed, so that you’ll be able to quickly notice them when you start doing timed practice.
Seek Out Structural Keywords
RC passages and TC and SE sentences are all chock full of structural keywords and phrases, and identifying those words and how they function in context is an integral part of mastering GRE Verbal.
Structural keywords perform a variety of functions, such as conveying contrast or conflict, introducing examples or evidence, adding support to an argument, expressing an opinion, and showing cause and effect, to name a few.
For example, here are just a few contrast keywords that frequently appear in GRE Verbal:
but
yet
however
though
whereas
on the contrary
despite
even as
anything but
You might see “unfortunately” or “it is surprising” used to express the author’s opinion, or “as a result” or “thus” used to show cause and effect, or “likewise” used to convey similarity. If you think about it, you probably noticed many structural keywords and phrases in this very article and use many of them in your own writing.
Numerous different types of keywords and key phrases appear in GRE Verbal, and they are incredibly important for grasping the meaning of what you’re reading. So, as you do untimed practice, notice all of the different forms these structural clues take in GRE sentences and passages and the different meanings they impart.
KEY FACT:
Structural keywords perform a variety of functions, such as conveying contrast, adding support, introducing examples, expressing opinions, and showing cause and effect.
Pay Attention to Punctuation
The GRE likes to use punctuation in sometimes tricky or sly ways, and particularly in Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, punctuation can be a major clue as to sentence meaning. Let’s look at an example of how a GRE Text Completion question might use punctuation as both a clue and a little bit of a misdirection.
Its eschewal of the metric system and the Celsius scale – established systems of measurement throughout the rest of the world – is a common reason why the United States is criticized as overly __________.
A. capricious
B. indolent
C. ambitious
D. insular
E. chauvinistic
Now, out there in the real world, the United States could conceivably be criticized using any of the words in the answer choices. But, we need to find the answer for this particular “GRE world.” And perhaps you aren’t sure of the exact definition of the word “eschewal” (its basic meaning is “avoidance” or “rejection”). Even if you do know the meaning of “eschewal,” you may still find yourself deciding between two or three answer choices — that is, if you’re not paying close attention to what appears within the dashes.
Dashes are often used in writing to denote an aside or add on secondary information, so it’s easy to gloss over or place less weight on what they introduce. However, in the case of the question above, the information contained within the dashes provides an important clue. The author makes a point of including in the sentence the fact that the metric system and the Celsius scale are “established” systems “throughout the rest of the world.” The author includes that detail as opposed to any other detail. So, what does the fact that the United States has rejected something established throughout the rest of the world tell us about what the United States would be criticized as? The answer choice that best fits that context is D, insular.
In GRE Verbal, important information can be punctuated in ways that make it seem less important (such as in parentheses) or that provide a clue as to how one part of a sentence relates to another. Colons and semicolons, for example, are frequently employed in both TC and SE sentences and RC passages, and depending on which punctuation mark you see, can give a slightly different meaning to the same sentence. So, as you do untimed practice, you must train yourself to notice these subtle markers when they appear, and take note of the function they’re performing within the sentence.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you gloss over punctuation such as colons or semicolons, or give less weight to information that appears within parentheses or is introduced by a dash, you may miss important clues about the meaning of the sentence.
So, we’ve discussed the importance of untimed practice for training yourself to learn to notice and understand all of the nuances of GRE Verbal passages, sentences, and answer choices. And of course, as you build those skills, you will eventually move on to answering GRE practice questions under time constraints. However, not all of your GRE Verbal preparation should revolve around solving practice questions. You’ll also need to do some things to build a strong foundation for being able to tackle those questions. Let’s discuss those now.
Read High-Quality Publications
A great — and often overlooked — way to get accustomed to the style and subject matter of GRE Reading Comprehension passages as well as Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions is to regularly read high-quality newspapers and magazines such as The Economist, The Atlantic, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. In those publications, you will encounter sophisticated writing from a variety of perspectives and in different tones, much like in GRE Verbal. Those publications (and others like them) also cover a broad range of topics in the biological, physical, and social sciences, politics, the arts, and the humanities, and of general interest, just as GRE Verbal does.
The more exposure you have to GRE-type written material, the more comfortable you’ll feel when you see the real thing. Perhaps you already read some GRE-type articles every so often. Make reading them a daily habit. Maybe you read one of the newspapers I mentioned on a regular basis; why not add a couple of magazines into the mix?
In addition to getting you more comfortable with the style and content of GRE Verbal passages, reading high-quality publications is a fantastic way to broaden your vocabulary. As I’ll discuss next, learning a large volume of vocabulary words is an unavoidable part of preparing for GRE Verbal. When you read high-quality publications, you give yourself more opportunities to see the vocab words you’re learning used in different contexts, and thus gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of their meanings. Moreover, you may encounter additional words you don’t know, including words that might not be on your vocab study list but could appear on the GRE. If you look up those unfamiliar words as you encounter them, you likely will add substantially to your vocabulary knowledge base.
You can also practice identifying the key elements I discussed earlier in newspaper and magazine articles, just as you will in GRE passages. What is the tone of the article you’re reading? Is the author advancing an argument or offering an opposing view to an existing one? What conclusion does the author reach? Does the author make any assumptions, provide evidence to support claims, explain a cause-and-effect scenario, or describe a process or historical event?
Don’t underestimate the power of reading widely from high-quality sources in helping you prepare to tackle GRE Verbal questions. Not all of this reading has to be structured or goal-oriented in the ways I mentioned above (although I do recommend always looking up a word if you don’t know its meaning). The point is to make a habit of reading reputable publications in order to better prepare yourself for the rigorous written material you’ll see on the GRE. After a while, you may be surprised at how much more confident you feel when faced with the long, thorny GRE passages that test-takers tend to dread.
TTP PRO TIP:
Make a habit of reading and analyzing articles in reputable publications in order to better prepare yourself for the rigorous written material you’ll see on the GRE.
So, we know it’s important to read both GRE passages and GRE-like passages, and to build your skills in analyzing written material without immediately adding the pressure of a clock. Of course, the other major component of any well-prepared GRE test-taker’s Verbal preparation is learning GRE vocabulary words. Let’s discuss some strategies for doing so next.
Strategies for Learning GRE Vocab
There is no denying it: vocabulary on the GRE is a beast. You need to develop a solid base of vocabulary knowledge, and doing so requires learning a vast number of GRE vocab words — possibly 2,000 words or more. Of course, your starting base of vocab knowledge will affect how much vocab-specific study you need to do, but even if you already have an impressive lexicon, you should err on the side of caution and expect to devote a significant amount of study time to GRE vocabulary.
Memorizing vocabulary words can be a tedious process, but fortunately there are some ways to make your GRE vocab study more efficient and more fun. Let’s take a look at some simple, effective strategies you can start using right away.
Look Up Words You Don’t Recognize
I mentioned this strategy in reference to reading newspapers and magazines, but you should also definitely do this any time you encounter a word you don’t know in an RC question, passage, or answer choice (at least in the beginning of your prep). Additionally, if in a report or presentation at work, or a book for one of your college classes, or even an email you receive, you come across a word whose meaning you don’t know, look it up! You may find that you end up coming across many of these words on GRE vocab lists, so imagine how great it will feel to already be able to check those off the list?
Create Flashcards to Study Words
Speaking of lists, you’re going to need to find a large, reputable GRE vocab list and study the heck out of it. BUT, studying vocabulary from a giant list of thousands of words can be monotonous and draining after a while. The definitions may start to wash over you without really sinking in. Furthermore, you’ll want to have an efficient method for tracking which vocabulary words you know well, which you know somewhat, and which you don’t know at all. Tracking this on a single list can be cumbersome, so your vocab study may get somewhat disorganized.
Flashcards solve these problems. In fact, the real reason to find a large vocab list is so you can make flashcards based on it. Your flashcards can be digital or handwritten, paper cards. Either way, writing down (or typing) words and their definitions will help make them stick more than simply reading them off a list will.
Additionally, flashcards make it easy to keep track of words you’ve mastered and words you don’t know yet, so your vocab study is much more organized and efficient. Create separate piles for “mastered” and “not mastered” words, so you can be sure you’re studying the “not mastered” words more often. Make sure to dip back into the “mastered” pile every so often for review. If any words have slipped through the cracks, you can easily add them back to the “not mastered” pile. Be sure to shuffle each pile from time to time to give your brain an additional challenge.
You can also “gamify” your flashcard study. Create challenges for yourself — how many definitions can you remember in a row? How many can you remember in a minute? In five minutes? What if you turn the cards around and read the definitions first? Can you think of the word that goes with each definition? How many new words can you learn in a half hour?
These challenges are especially fun when you’re studying on the go. Another great thing about flashcards is that they’re portable, so you can get in short bursts of vocab study anytime, anywhere. Waiting in line at the supermarket? Quiz yourself on words you’ve recently learned or get in a couple of minutes of review. Study some new words during your morning commute, and then quiz yourself on them during your commute back home that evening.
Many GRE students find memorizing vocabulary using flashcards highly effective, convenient, and a lot more engaging than poring over a seemingly endless list. So, I recommend incorporating them into your vocab study from beginning to end.
TTP PRO TIP:
Create flashcards for vocabulary words to keep your GRE vocab study organized, efficient, and engaging.
Create Original Sentences with Vocab Words
Another thing you can add to your flashcards, or just to your study notes, is an original sentence using the vocabulary word you’re studying. GRE vocab lists will sometimes include example sentences, and those certainly can be useful, but if you find that you’re having trouble making the definition of a word stick, writing your own sentence can help.
The simple fact is, when you force yourself to create a sentence using a new word, you have an easier time remembering the word’s meaning. And since these sentences are just “memorization devices,” they don’t have to be complex or particularly sophisticated in any way. You may find that a word sticks even better when you create a sentence that has some personal meaning to you or somehow relates to your life. You may find that sentences that are funny in some way or sentences that rhyme words help the meaning stick more readily.
You don’t have to create an original sentence for every vocab word you study — doing so would be quite time-consuming. But for words that you tend to confuse or that are more challenging for you to remember, writing your own sentence, and adding it to a flashcard as necessary, is a smart strategy.
TTP PRO TIP:
To more easily remember the definitions of words you tend to confuse or feel challenged by, create an original sentence using the vocab word, and add the sentence to the corresponding flashcard if needed.
Use New Words in Your Own Writing
Somewhat related to the strategy of creating original sentences is trying to incorporate GRE vocab words into your own writing whenever possible. Whether you’re writing an email to a colleague, a paper for school, or a letter to a friend, why not put your expanded vocabulary to use? (Just make sure that you’re using newly learned words correctly before you hit send on something important for school or work.)
Also, if you’re someone who keeps a journal or diary, you can incorporate new vocabulary there as well. The more you use a word, and the more ways you use it, the easier remembering it on test day will be.
TTP PRO TIP:
Incorporate GRE vocab words into your own writing whenever possible.
So, we know how to build a strong foundation of vocab knowledge and reading skills for GRE Verbal, and how to tackle practice questions when learning those skills. But there is one final aspect of mastering GRE Verbal that is just as important as those two: analyzing your mistakes.
Analyze Your Errors
GRE students sometimes make the mistake of thinking that learning the material and completing a ton of GRE Verbal Reasoning practice questions is enough to ace the GRE Verbal sections. What they don’t realize is that one-third of the puzzle that is their GRE preparation is missing.
If you are not analyzing every question you answer incorrectly to figure out where you went wrong, you are not getting the full benefit of your GRE Verbal practice. This is true when doing either practice sets or practice tests. You must return to the questions you got wrong, pinpoint the specific mistake you made, and either do the necessary content review or behavior correction to ensure that you don’t make that same mistake in the future.
If you don’t perform this necessary work, you’re likely to commit the same errors over and over again, or you may overlook gaps in your knowledge and skills that will come back to bite you on test day.
So, don’t just note how many questions you got wrong in a practice set or on a practice test, or what types of GRE Verbal questions you got wrong. Revisit each missed question and try to identify whatever errors you made. Did you misread the passage? Were you rushing and reading too quickly? Did you make a careless mistake or forget the definition of a word? Did you misidentify the conclusion or assumption in a passage? Did you gloss over an important detail in a sentence? The more precise you can be when analyzing your mistakes, the better you’ll be able to find your exact weaknesses and strengthen them.
TTP PRO TIP:
Always return to questions you answered incorrectly, pinpoint the specific mistakes you made, and either do the necessary content review or behavior correction to ensure that you don’t make that same mistake in the future.
How to Ace GRE Verbal: Key Takeaways
We’ve seen that there are four key strategies for achieving a high score in GRE Verbal:
- Practice untimed to learn how to analyze questions, passages, and answer choices.
- Read high-quality publications to improve reading and vocabulary skills.
- Learn new vocabulary words using methods conducive to GRE Verbal performance.
- Analyze errors to pinpoint exact weaknesses.
Remember, earning a high score on the GRE Verbal sections takes hard work and dedication, but if you incorporate these GRE Verbal tips into your preparation, I know that you can do it!
What’s Next?
Now that you know what it takes to ace GRE Verbal, you can learn more from how to achieve it in these posts about the Verbal question types you’ll face, how to study vocabulary, and how to track and analyze your errors.
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