👋 Hello, my friends at GRE Prep Club!

A widespread and costly misconception about the GRE Verbal section is that Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions are nothing more than vocabulary tests. Many students believe that memorizing a large list of word definitions is all the preparation they need.

In reality, this approach is incomplete. While a strong vocabulary is important, it is only one part of what these questions assess. Students who rely only on memorization often struggle with medium and high difficulty questions, where understanding definitions alone does not lead to the correct answer.

Success on Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions depends on more advanced skills. You must be able to analyze sentence structure, interpret context, and follow the logical flow of ideas. These skills develop gradually and require consistent, focused practice.

You also need to understand how sentence structure shapes meaning, how a word’s meaning can change based on context, and how different parts of a sentence connect to one another. In addition, GRE verbal questions often use recurring patterns and traps, along with subtle clues that help you eliminate incorrect choices and identify the correct answer.

Studying vocabulary alone is not an effective strategy. The strongest approach combines solid word knowledge with strong sentence analysis skills. Try working through some Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence practice questions, and you will quickly see how important it is to consider both vocabulary and overall sentence meaning when selecting answers.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions about your GRE preparation. Happy studying.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep