GRE General

Sub Topics

Reading Comprehension For The GRE GRE Reading Comprehension Question Types GRE Text Completion Question Format GRE Sentence Equivalence Format Sentence Equivalence And Text Completion Reading Comprehension Practice For The GRE Text Completion Practice For The GRE Sentence Equivalence Practice For The GRE

Main Topics

Lessons and MCQs

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GRE General: Verbal Reasoning Section of The GRE
GRE Sentence Equivalence Format

Sentence equivalence questions on the GRE revised General Test have a complex and confusing question style. But don't be panic from doing your best! Here's you can find to deal with such questions effectively.

GRE Sentence Equivalence Format

On the most basic level, sentence equivalence questions evaluate your reading comprehension with fill-in-the-blank vocabulary questions.

The Rules

Example Question

Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a(n) _____ campaign to dissolve their credibility.

A. Clandestine

B. Empirical

C. Improvident

D. Surreptitious

E. Censorious

F. Spurious

One blank and six possible words to go in the blank.

There are two that you could plug into the sentence to make the sentence as a whole mean the same thing.

Example Solution Methodology

Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a clandestine campaign to dissolve their credibility.
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched an empirical campaign to dissolve their credibility.
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched an improvident campaign to dissolve their credibility.
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a surreptitious campaign to dissolve their credibility.
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a censorious campaign to dissolve their credibility.
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a spurious campaign to dissolve their credibility.

That's a natural instinct, but it's not actually the most strategic way to go about answering sentence equivalence questions.

Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a clandestine campaign to dissolve their credibility
Rather than openly denouncing his opponents, the mayor launched a surreptitious campaign to dissolve their credibility.

These sentences both make sense, and they both mean the same thing, so these two are our answers - answers we found without going through all six words and plugging them in.