👋 Hello, my friends at GRE Prep Club!

When working through Sentence Equivalence questions, many test-takers fall into the same predictable trap. They fix their attention on the few words positioned directly around the blank. It feels intuitive to do so. After all, the blank is the portion of the sentence you are trying to complete, so it seems logical to treat the surrounding text as the most important area.

The challenge is that the fragment containing the blank is, by definition, incomplete. If you focus only on that fragment, you are attempting to solve the sentence using the least informative part of it. This narrow approach often leads students to misinterpret the intent of the sentence, overlook essential context, and select words that fit locally but fail when applied to the broader meaning.

In most Sentence Equivalence questions, the information that truly guides you is found in the fully stated portion of the sentence. The complete idea usually reveals the tone, direction, or contrast that the correct pair of words must capture. It can signal whether the sentence is shifting, reinforcing, or contradicting an idea. When you anchor your understanding in what is fully expressed, you gain a clearer sense of what the blank must convey.

This is not to say that the text around the blank is irrelevant. Sometimes a key transition word or subtle modifier appears near the blank and must be considered. However, the most reliable evidence generally resides in the part of the sentence that does not require interpretation. That is where the author has given you firm ground to stand on.

So, as you work through Sentence Equivalence questions, avoid the instinct to hover around the blank. Instead, begin by analyzing the complete portion of the sentence. Understand the idea that is already fully formed, and then use that understanding to determine what meaning the blank must supply. When you approach these questions this way, your choices become clearer, your reasoning becomes more consistent, and your accuracy improves.

Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep