Share this post

You’re preparing for the GRE and you’ve come across those mind-boggling Sentence Equivalence questions in the Verbal Reasoning section. Don’t worry, we’ve got your GRE prep covered. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the different types of GRE Sentence Equivalence questions, sample questions, and tips and tricks to help you ace these questions.

In this blog:

  1. Types of GRE Sentence Equivalence Questions
  2. Tips to Solve GRE Sentence Equivalence Questions
  3. In Conclusion

Types of GRE Sentence Equivalence Questions

There are two types of sentence equivalence questions on the GRE exam. Let’s take a look at each type in detail.

Type 1: Two-blank Sentence Equivalence Questions

In this type of sentence equivalence question, you’ll be presented with a sentence with two blanks, and six answer choices. You have to select two answer choices that, when filled in the blanks, create two sentences that are both equivalent in meaning. Here’s an example:

“Mary’s ____ smile and ____ tone of voice revealed her true feelings about the situation.”

  1.  fake, angry
  2.  genuine, sarcastic
  3.  cheerful, sympathetic
  4.  insincere, rude
  5.  forced, apathetic
  6.  half-hearted, impatient

To solve this question, you need to first read the sentence carefully and try to fill in the blanks with your own words. Then, compare your version with each of the answer choices to see which two choices create two sentences that are equivalent in meaning. In this example, the correct answer is B and C, as both “genuine smile and sympathetic tone of voice” and “Mary’s true feelings” are equivalent in meaning.

GRE Exam Dates 2023

Type 2: Three-blank Sentence Equivalence Questions

In this type of sentence equivalence question, you’ll be presented with a sentence with three blanks, and six answer choices. You have to select three answer choices that, when filled in the blanks, create three sentences that are all equivalent in meaning. Here’s an example:

“The teacher’s ____ of the students’ performance was ____ by the fact that the test was ____.”

  1.  evaluation, skewed, difficult
  2.  criticism, supported, subjective
  3.  approval, limited, lengthy
  4.  disapproval, biased, unfair
  5.  analysis, contradicted, easy
  6.  praise, influenced, complex

To solve this question, you need to follow the same process as the two-blank sentence equivalence question. First, try to fill in the blanks with your own words, and then compare your version with each of the answer choices to see which three choices create three sentences that are equivalent in meaning. In this example, the correct answer is A, as all three sentences are equivalent in meaning.

Free GRE prep resources

Tips to Solve GRE Sentence Equivalence Questions

Now that we’ve gone over the different types of sentence equivalence questions, let’s take a look at some tips and tricks to help you solve them correctly.

  • Read the sentence carefully: 

It’s important to read the sentence carefully to understand the context and meaning of the sentence. This will help you determine the correct answer.

  • Look for clues: 

Look for clues within the sentence, such as context clues, transition words, and tone, to help you determine the correct answer.

  • Use the process of elimination: 

If you’re unsure about the correct answer, use the process of elimination to eliminate any answer choices that are clearly incorrect.

  • Pay attention to word pairs: 

In two-blank sentence equivalence questions, pay attention to the relationship between the two words in each answer choice. If the relationship is the same as the relationship between the two blanks in the sentence, it’s likely to be the correct answer.

  • Think about synonyms and antonyms: 

Consider whether the two or three answer choices you select have similar or opposite meanings. If they are synonyms or have similar meanings, they are more likely to be correct. If they are antonyms, they are less likely to be correct.

  • Don’t be misled by words that sound similar: 

Be careful not to be misled by words that sound similar but have different meanings. Always check the meaning of each word before selecting an answer choice.

  • Practice, practice, practice: 

The more you practice sentence equivalence questions, the more familiar you’ll become with the types of questions and the strategies for solving them. You can find practice questions in GRE study guides or online.

In Conclusion

Sentence equivalence questions can be tricky, but with the right approach and practice, you can master them. Remember to read the sentence carefully, look for clues, use the process of elimination, pay attention to word pairs, think about synonyms and antonyms, and practice as much as possible. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to acing the sentence equivalence questions on the GRE exam. 

Checkout how GRE-ready you are with a free GRE sample test!

 

 

 

Share this post