After you’ve gone through the three parts of the Verbal Section…
I found that practicing what I’ve learned on material directly from ETS (GRE official administration) is most helpful.
Magoosh has some practice (Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence) questions on Youtube. However, I don’t find those helpful unless you’re only trying to expand and practice your vocabulary. They seem to rely too heavily on vocabulary comprehension, something that the GRE doesn’t do. From what I’ve gathered, the GRE is set up in the following way:
Ex. Patty was a brave girl; when she jumped over the tall fence her friends called her “______.”
- girly
- plucky
- spirited
- fearful
I made this sentence up (as you can tell from the elementary vocabulary and incorrect organization) but it follows the GRE’s structure:
- Presents clues (brave & jumped over a tall fence)
- Indicates direction (;)
- Tests vocabulary comprehension
The answer here would be plucky: “having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties.” Now here’s a breakdown of the type of answers you will see on the GRE:
- An answer choice that will recycle language
- The first choice is incorrect because although we are told she is a girl, there is no clue about “girly” behavior.
- An answer choice that is close to the correct answer
- The third choice is wrong because spirited means “full of energy, enthusiasm, and determination” or “having a specified character, outlook on life, or mood.” Close, but not as analogous with “brave” as plucky.
- An answer choice that is the opposite
- Fearful is incorrect because it is the opposite of brave.
Now, after you’ve revised the three sections of the GRE, go to the links above and try the ETS Sample Questions. Just from these, you will see which areas need more work. I, personally, need more practice on Reading Comprehension. I’ve set up a study schedule for the GRE (which I will post after I get my class’ syllabi and organize everything) and for the following two weeks I’ll be working on the Verbal Section – Reading Comprehension, so I will be posting more on that. The last few days of January and all of February I’ve designated for the Quantitative Section, so watch out for that. Additionally, I recommend getting Quizlet (a website and app) and learning new words (I’ve made organized flashcards) throughout the the entire period before the GRE. You can go over them while you’re waiting for a prof before class, on the bus, or while you wait in line. You need to revisit words daily in order for them to stick. Just from a week of studying, they’ve helped me out tremendously. Remember to try to use the words in a sentence when studying so you get a full understanding of the use of the word. Additionally, expanding your vocabulary will be extremely helpful for not only the Analytical Writing section of the GRE, but graduate school and your professional pursuits. I also have some websites you can visit to get used to high-quality vocabulary content and writing on my first post.
Talk to you soon!
GRE Prep Web 