Punctuation marks are symbols that clarify meaning and separate written parts of sentences. Writing represents spoken language and punctuation imitates non-verbal elements of speech to convey meaning. Punctuation establishes the structure and logic of written language. Without punctuation, written texts could be interpreted in multiple ways. In English, punctuation is crucial for the reader to understand the writer's meaning.

On the GRE we usually have the following in a sentence TC/SE alike.

• Colon
• Semi-colon
• Dash or specifically Em dash: —

#1 - Common uses of colons

A colon is a punctuation mark that is used to connect two clauses, where the second clause explains, expands, or illustrates the first one. The clause preceding the colon should be a complete and independent sentence that can stand alone. The colon can be used to introduce a list, a quotation, or an example that supports the first clause, or to signal a conclusion or a summary. Additionally, a colon can be used to draw attention to a particular word or phrase in the second clause for emphasis, or to introduce a question or a statement that follows logically from the first clause. It is important to note that a colon should not be used after a verb or a preposition, as it can cause confusion and make the sentence grammatically incorrect.


1. A colon is a punctuation mark used to highlight and draw attention to various elements in writing. Some common ways you can use a colon include announcing, introducing, or directing attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation.
Using a colon can help to make your writing clearer and more organized, especially when you want to emphasize certain information or ideas. For example, if you're going to provide a list of items, such as ingredients for a recipe or steps for completing a task, you can use a colon to introduce the list and make it stand out from the rest of the text.


2. A colon is a punctuation mark that can join two closely related sentences. It is commonly used when the second sentence provides additional clarification, summary, or explanation to the first sentence. For this to work, both sentences must be complete and their content closely related. By using a colon, you can create a strong connection between the two sentences and make it clear to the reader that they are closely related and complementary to each other. This is a valuable technique in writing, particularly in academic and technical writing, where precision and clarity are essential.

3. When writing, it is crucial to convey the time accurately and appropriately. This includes correctly indicating the time in titles and adhering to other writing conventions. It is essential to consider the context and purpose of the writing and any style guidelines that may be applicable to ensure that the time is conveyed clearly and effectively. Whether it is a matter of indicating the time of an event or simply incorporating time-related information, attention to detail and precision are essential to effective writing.


#2 - Common uses of semnicolons


The semicolon is a punctuation mark that is used to create a stronger separation between two independent clauses in a sentence than a comma does, but not as strong as a period. It is a versatile punctuation mark that can be used in a variety of ways.

The two most common uses of the semicolon are:

1. To connect two independent clauses in a sentence that are closely related in meaning and cannot be separated by a period. For example: "She loves to read books; he loves to write stories."

2. To separate items in a list that already contain commas. For example: "The team included John, the captain; Sarah, the coach's daughter; and Tom, the star player."

Using a semicolon can help to create a more complex sentence structure and add variety to your writing style. However, it is important to use it correctly to avoid confusion and grammatical errors.


#3 - Common uses of dashes


When it comes to using dashes in writing, it's important to understand their purpose and when they should be used. While dashes are not strictly required by the rules of grammar and punctuation, they can be a useful tool to convey emphasis, introduce or conclude a sentence, indicate bonus phrases, or break up dialogue.

1) One of the primary uses of dashes is to emphasize material. Dashes can be used to set off a word or phrase that is particularly important or impactful, drawing the reader's attention to it. In this way, dashes can be thought of as the opposite of parentheses, which are used to de-emphasize material.

2) Another common use of dashes is to introduce or conclude a sentence. Dashes can be used to indicate a break in thought or tone, signaling to the reader that what follows is a separate but related idea. Similarly, dashes can be used to conclude a sentence, adding a final emphasis or providing a sense of closure.

3) Dashes can also be used to mark bonus phrases, which are nonessential but add detail or information to a sentence. By using dashes to set off these phrases, the reader can more easily identify and understand their purpose.

4) Finally, dashes can be used to break up dialogue, making it easier for the reader to follow and understand who is speaking. By using dashes to indicate changes in speaker or to separate dialogue from action or description, the writer can create a more engaging and immersive experience for the reader.
The em dash (-) and en dash (-) are both horizontal lines used in English punctuation, but they serve different purposes. Here's a clear breakdown of their differences:

1. Em Dash (—)
- Length: Roughly the width of the letter " $M$ " (longer than the en dash).
- Uses:

Interruptions or emphasis: Adds drama or a strong break in a sentence.
- Example: "She was about to tell him the truth—until the phone rang."

Parenthetical statements (like commas or parentheses):
- Example: "The answer-though surprising—made perfect sense."

Replacing colons or semicolons:
" Example: "There's one thing I need-your honesty."

2. En Dash (–)
- Length: Roughly the width of the letter " $N$ " (shorter than em dash, longer than a hyphen).
- Uses:

Number/date ranges: Shows spans (like "from $X$ to $Y$ ").
- Example: "Read pages 10-20." or "The 1990-2000 decade."

Connections between equal things (scores, conflicts, directions):
- Example: "The London-Paris flight was delayed."
- Example: "The liberal-conservative debate intensified."


Key Differences Summary



Bonus: Hyphen (-) vs. Dashes
- Hyphen (-): Shortest; joins words (well-known, sister-in-law).
- En Dash (–): Mid-length; for ranges/connections.
- Em Dash (—): Longest; for interruptions or emphasis.

Usually, on the GR,E we deal with the Em Dash (the longest one among the three)


Sources used: Semicolons, colons, and dashes https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and- ... nd-dashes/
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Semicolons vs. Colons vs. Dashes https://www.grammarly.com/blog/semicolo ... n-vs-dash/






The worst-case scenario is to be rigid and inflexible approaching a TC complex like this.

Your focus should be on the question rather on the words. They are a natural consequence of your sentence understanding

Now, notice that this sentence is complex: it uses eh-dash, colon and a linking words BUT as contrast. So we should have the (i) in contrast with the other two blanks

There is no point in combing through the director’s work for hints of ideological significance.


MMMhhh this phrase (it is not a sentence) is here to introduce something about the director's work. Basically it syass that the job is meaningless


It is unnecessary: his ideology—Marxist, anti-imperialist, aligned with the perceived interests of the powerless and the marginal—is the (i) ________ of his films.

We do not need and then a colo, which means that the sentence after the colon is an explanation WHY the all things are unnecessary. The ideology - my thinking or what I firmly believe, related to the Marxism philosophy, is the main focus of the movie. But for now I leave it to see what is going on in the rest of the sentence.

One thing is sure: the first blank is in contrast with the other two blanks. I.e. IF the first one is white the other blanks must be black or the other way around


The clarity and force of that ideology are considerable, but its (ii) ________ sometimes bothers critics, who often scold the director for lacking (iii) ________.


The ideology is powerful BUT the way it is exposed in the movie or maybe how it is intended DO NOT like the critics

The same critics OFTEN reproach the director to have or to lack of something.

Now , doing reverse engineering of the sentence

1) the director lacks of something good and because we are talking about IDEOLOGY or ideas and BECAUSE the critics do not like the ideas are they are exposed or filmed in the movie the (iii) must be courage. We said that the ideology is powerful soooo the director lacks of courage or a strong way to expose his idea or ideology

2) going backward: the director lacks courage. That means THIS bothers the critics. And IF this is not good to the critics the arguments exposed in the movie are WEAK. BECAUSE the ideology per see is strong and powerful. The only words
is bluntness. During the sentence, we are talking about ideology, powerfulness, ideas and that those are weak or strong NOT unclear. So D and F are out

3) Now we are in the last blank to fill in which turns out is the first one. The (i) blank must be on the other side of the spectrum of the (ii) and (iii) blanks

we said that the movie shows what Marxism is indeed: it stand on the side or powerless people. the poor....and blah blah blah. The movie shows this. Notice also that A and C are basically to options similar: hidden and murky means basically NO clearness. Obscure. So they cannot be the answers for two reasons

- if they were then we would have TWO good words for the first blank. This is clearly NOT possible. The answer must be B
- moreover, we need a word that shows the director's ideas are good. Murky and hidden are NOT good. For example: murky waters are NOT clear waters and they are cloudy, dirty. This is completely out of scope for the first blank.

B must be the first blank



Alternative Approach



First Blank

Since it is not necessary to comb through the director's work to find his ideology, and since we are also told that the clarity and the force of his ideology are considerable, we can say that his ideology is the chief impetus of his films. The clarity and force of his ideology also insists that it is not the hidden focus of his films. There is nothing to justify it as a murky lesson of his films.


Second Blank

The "but" in the second sentence after the comma implies that we need something that counters the clarity and force of his ideology. It cannot be feebleness, because it is the exact opposite of force, and it makes no sense to say the ideology has both force and feebleness. We are not looking for exact opposite, but something similar to counterparts. Since it is unnecessary to search for the ideology, obscurity can be rejected. Bluntness is a good choice for the same reason. And also because the ideology has clarity and force. And we already know that it is the chief impetus of his films.

Third Blank

And if the director was blunt, then the critics will scold him for lacking subtlety.

Hence the correct choices are chief impetus, bluntness and subtlety.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





The sentence states that something has been presumed not to exist. And instead, the notion that "everybody has an angle is considered wisdom." is current.

In other words, each person's subjective view is given importance, and this subjective view can be the by-product of self-interest.

Therefore the word for the blank should be something that goes against this subjective view, and establishes objectivity.

disinterestedness - which means unbiased by self-interests or considerations, not influenced by selfish motives - is the best counterpoint to subjectivity (each persons point-of-view is equally valid)

A disinterested view does not take anybody's angle into account. It simply see things objectively.

So disinterestedness is the best answer.






Ignore the first blank for now and focus on the rest of the sentence.

I have no idea what the professor asserted so no care for now - 10 seconds to think this. No matter what.

the second part



In this sentence, I do not know what is the meaning of trope ( by the way it means a figurative way to use words or expressions) but this is not important. Try always to grasp the overall meaning of the sentence.

Actually, this portion of the entire sentence says: the professor in the lecture mentioned before is challenging the journalists' view that an article should be always impartial, representing all sides of the story. The professor is saying: this is not true or is not always the case.



In this third part the professor is going to say why this is not always true. And most important, following this, is that in a more general way the tendency to (ii) present - notice the word clue of the previous part has to represent - even obviously (iii) fringe views in order to furnish opposing perspectives is harmful to basic accuracy.

• controversial: this word does not fit because in order to furnish opposing perspectives has little sense - controversial and opposing? I do not think so. Moreover, the professor is not going to point out something that is controversial.
• straightforward: this word has no sense because if you use something that is straightforward you do have a clear view NOT to furnish an opposing perspective
• fringe: this must be the right word even if you do not know the exact meaning of it (it means unconventional). You do need fringe because of you should have something of "nuance" that change the overall meaning of a thing. Think about your favorite dish: it tastes really good but if you add - would say - a spicy the taste completely change. Yes, you need that small nuance changes the overall meaning or taste of your favorite dish

At this point, having a clear view of the overall sentence you back to the first blank: the professor challenges the journalists' view that an article offers an equally view of something but indeed this envission is not always true. I.E: not always an article is objective. As such, B is the right answer for the first blank (i) objectivity.

Always:

• grasp the overall meaning
• dissect the sentence
• do not think in a linear way: start from where you find the gap. the weak link of the sentence and then do a sort of reverse engineering process

.





It is easier to attack the second blank first as we have plenty of information in the neighborhood of that blank.

because if there is no (ii) _________ to interest the public—no stage or screen triumphs, no interesting books, no heroic exploits—people quickly become bored.

The things that will interest the public is given in between the hyphens - stage or screen triumphs, interesting books, heroic exploits. It is worthwhile to note that two of the three items talk about victory (screen triumphs and heroic exploits). Hence I will complete the sentence in the following way -

because if there is no (ii) victory to interest the public—no stage or screen triumphs, no interesting books, no heroic exploits—people quickly become bored.

The word from the choice list closest to victory is real achievement.

Now let us get to the first blank.

Since we know that the people quickly become bored, we can say that instant celebrity is often a fleeting asset.

(fleeting = transient = lasting for a very short period of time)

Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence: Using contrast, the sentences probably represent a significant percentage of the cases.

In English, a contrast within a sentence highlights a difference or opposition between two ideas, things, or situations. It helps emphasize distinctions and makes writing more engaging.

Common Ways to Show Contrast in a Sentence:
1. Conjunctions \& Transition Words:
- but, yet, however, although, though, even though, while, whereas
- Example:
- She loves coffee, but he prefers tea.
- He is rich; however, he lives simply.

2. Prepositions:

- despite, in spite of
- Example:
- Despite the rain, we went for a walk.

3. Paired Conjunctions (Correlative Contrast):
- not...but, rather than
- Example:
- He is not angry but just tired.

4. Implicit Contrast (Without Explicit Connectors):
- Example:
- Some people work hard; others take shortcuts.

Why Use Contrast?
- To show differences clearly.
- To make arguments stronger.

A thorough list of words used on the GRE are showed below







On the GRE, we could have multiple shifts and contrasts inside the same sentence. Making it even more complex, as in the example explained below





Let's dive into this tough question, applying different strategies at the same time for an easy solution. I will try also to show you how vocabulary knowledge is not an essential requisite to solve the question correctly

Strategies: contrast strategy, chunk strategy, prephrase strategy.

The serious study of popular culture by intellectuals is regularly credited with having rendered obsolete a once-dominant view that popular culture is inherently inferior to high art.

The sentence is pretty straight. It tells us that the intellectuals have had the merit to elevate the popular art (pop-art) to the level of high art such as Michelangelo' works. However, before we had a different view of the pop-culture: a form of art that was inferior to high -art by nature

Yet this alteration of attitudes may be somewhat (i) _________.

here we go. The first thing to notice, right there, is the contrast word yet. This is a warning sign for you: as soon as you see such words in a sentence you must stop there and think: why do we have this ?? what does that mean? what this word is trying to say to me ?? WHY is there ??

It denotes a shift in the argument. A changing idea stated in the first sentence. In the first sentence, we had an idea positive. The intellectuals helped to elevate the pop-culture to a big audience, bring it to success, more cover magazine, and all the rest of it. BUT something is not perfect. This change is not 100% completed. Something is wrong. Theis attitude is not fully established. Our prediction could be : misleading, not convincing. A concept like this.
Looking at the answer choices :

counterproductive - this does not convince me. Why the attitude of the intellectuals should be counterproductive if they worked constantly and regularly (see the clue in the first sentence) for being then counterproductive, and obtaining the exact opposite result?? Not sure.

underappreciated - we do not have a clue that someone underappreciated their job. We elevated the pop culture to the finest art. Who should not appreciate fully this amazing job ?' After all, they worked seriously and regularly to obtain this result. Cross-off. This choice is clearly wrong

overstated - this looks good. They are doing an amazing thing BUT this alteration is somehow not convincing in full. The meaning is the following: "hey the intellectuals are doing something unique but maybe we are giving too many credits to what they are doing. Maybe they do not deserve such attention. Keep it for now

Although it is now academically respectable to analyze popular culture, the fact that many intellectuals feel compelled to rationalize their own (ii) _________ action movies or mass-market fiction reveals, perhaps unwittingly, their continued (iii) _________ the old hierarchy of high and low culture.


Dividing the question into chunks, especially when the sentence is long and convoluted, the first part is

Although it is now academically respectable to analyze popular culture,

Another U-turn word: although. Notice how we do have another shift, it is not a shift in net contrast with the sentence before it. Rather it reinforces the shift we have had with yet in the second sentence.
The sentence tells us: is ok from the academic standing point to support and elevate the pop-culture to the high-art but......the sentence is suggesting to us that something is going different from what we indeed think about.

the fact that many intellectuals feel compelled to rationalize their own (ii) _________ action movies or mass-market fiction reveals

This piece of the sentence means that the intellectuals feel obligated to think about what they really feel about the art. What mean: rationalize their own action movies ??? It means, maybe that they think about them in a way but because they are intellectuals that elevated the pop-art to the high art, probably, is not that what they feel in their mind and soul. They assert good things, apparently, but they feel otherwise. Weird. However, the picture is now more clear than before

Looking at the answer choices

penchant for: I do not know what that means or maybe yes. However, this word puts me out of balance. For now, I keep it

distate for: another word that I do not know. It reminds me about distraction or similar. real estate.....I am lost

indifference of: clearly out. They rationalize their own indifference to the movies ?? makes no sense. Cross off

the last chunk

perhaps unwittingly, their continued (iii) _________ the old hierarchy of high and low culture.

maybe unintentionally, they continued to believe in the old scheme: high art is superior to pop culture or art. Bingo

NOW the big picture is in my mind

The intellectuals talk about that pop art is good, on the same level as high art but in the end, they DO NO feel it is so. They still believe in the old segregation and moreover, they are a bit face: because when they talk about a movie or else they think good but in their heart, they believe the movies itself or else pop-art related are NOT as good as the high-art pieces are


Now do the rewind of the whole story


1) The intellectuals elevated the pop-art to the high-art

2) The answers can be neither B nor A. It must be C because we are underestimating their reason. I.E we think they elevated pop-art but indeed they are a bit fake.

3) We said that they are obligated to rationalize their feeling: F is clearly out. Between D and E, E does not convince me at all. It seems a distraction. D must be the answer even though I do not know what that word means

4) They can not have an aversion, they are NOT against that the two worlds of art are on the same level because we do know that the intellectuals are academics and they teach or say also that pop-art = high art. They cannot have an aversion. G OFF

Moreover, they know perfectly the matter at stake. As such, they cannot have an equivocation. They must well interpret the issue. I is OFF

They still insist and invest to say that pop-art \(\neq\) high-art

They continue to invest and believe in the old hierarchy or scheme

The answers are C,D, and H


Source used: Unisalento.it

The parallel-balance configuration in a GRE sentence is not so common as for the other structures we analyzed earlier. However, it is interesting to notice because in this scenario we could have pretty tough questions to tackle. We do not have so many of them in the official material, though. Typically in this kind of structure we do have a central idea where two opinions are given. Like two faces of the same coin.

One example is a question we provide explanation as follow

The usual behavior of the students is kinda like this: reading the sentence, looking at the blanks to see if he/she spots some clues to relate the words to fill in, back to the question and at this stage, we have, basically, 3 options as result:

• the student getting lost
• the student picks the wrong blanks or one correct and one no, it depends.
• he/she nails the question without any apparent logic or full reasoning of the same.

As it turns out, all this boils down to up-front problems, even before to start to read the question itself,: the student is poor or on average in standard English and/or has a vocabulary issue.

Actually, make piece by piece the sentence and grasp as much as you can from the meaning conveyed.

Given how (i)_____ the shortcomings of the standard economic model are in its portrayal of human behavior, the failure of many economists to respond to them is astonishing.

What we do know here: the flaw of the economic model in its standard form to depict the human behavior and the fact the economists are not able to give clear and definitive answers to this is surpising. Even though we do have supercomputers, immense ways of the calculus of almost infinite variable, We are still not able to set up definitive rules as we could do in physic. The relative theory casts rules unchangeable for another thousand years. And they are true and tested on th field (litlle digression).


They continue to fill the journals with yet more proofs of yet more (ii)_____ theorems.

Another fact following the first statement. We do have tons of research papers to explain which is which without a definitive conclusion on a definitive argument.


Others, by contrast, accept the criticisms as a challenge, seeking to expand the basic model to embrace a wider range of things people do.


Other economists on the other hand, take the challenge and they try to move further improving our knowledge of a phenomenon, expanding the partial theories we already do set up, til now.

Now that we do have a better understanding of what is going on look at the first 3 blanks.

- overlooked. we said that the actual economic models are inadequate. As such, overlooked something has no meaning. It is completed out of context. Overlooked means that our models ignore something. This is wrong. They do not miss anything. They are incomplete and their incompleteness is surprising.

- occasional means infrequent. No so often. This word bears us something in the overall structure ?' at all. Zero. it has no sense.

- patent. our word. At this point you have two possible choices: pick it fast and move one or wait a second, be sure it fits the first part of the sentnce and move on, as well. Either way, it is our choice without think too much about.

Going to the second blank series:

- comprehensive. The second sentence is related to the first one. The first one says: we lack a good model. Nonetheless, a lot of researchers or scientists fill the knowledge arena with papers after papers without hit the nail on the head. So how the second blank can be comprehensive. They are not comprehensive because they do not provide sufficient and exaustive explanation of a phenomenon. The third sentence instead, on the other hand, says that other scientists are trying to make the comprehension wider than we actually have.

- pervasive. Pervasive is something that widely spread across an area. Completely out of scope.

- Improbable. The papers we do have NOW is improbable, is difficult, is hard they give the answers we are looking for. They still have improbable theorems that in the end give us almost nothing new or shed little light on what we wanna fully understand. Pick it and move on.

What is a Conditional Sentence?

Conditional sentences have two parts or clauses that give a condition in the dependent clause and a result in the independent clause. The condition clause usually contains an if statement. There are several different forms of conditional sentences that allow the writer to express various meanings using different tenses.

- Condition (if) clause + result clause

1. Zero Conditional (General Truths)

Structure:
- If + present simple, present simple

Use: For facts, scientific truths, or always-true situations.
Examples:
- If you heat ice, it melts.
- If people don't eat, they get hungry.

2. First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)

Structure:
- If + present simple, will + base verb

Use: For likely or possible future events.
Examples:
- If it rains, we will cancel the picnic.
- If you study hard, you'll pass the exam.

Variations:
- "May/might/can" instead of "will" for uncertainty/permission:
- If you finish early, you can leave.


3. Second Conditional (Unreal or Hypothetical Present/Future)

Structure:
- If + past simple, would + base verb

Use: For imaginary, unlikely, or impossible present/future situations.
Examples:
- If I won the lottery, I would travel the world. (But I probably won't win.)
- If she were taller, she'd be a model. (She isn't tall.)

Note: Use "were" (not "was") for all subjects in formal English ("If I were you...").


4. Third Conditional (Unreal Past)

Structure:
- If + past perfect, would have + past participle

Use: For regrets or hypothetical past situations (impossible to change).
Examples:
- If you had studied, you would have passed the test. (But you didn't study.)
- If they had left earlier, they wouldn't have missed the flight.

Mixed Conditionals (Combining Time Frames)
Structure:
- Mixes past condition with present result, or vice versa.

Examples:
- If you hadn't forgotten your keys (past), you wouldn't be locked out now (present).
- If I were smarter (hypothetical present), I would have chosen a better career (past).


For the GRE purpose we do not have many example of this structure and if it is the case, we have the SECOND CONDITIONAL

However, there is a text completion from the power prep, which is - frankly speaking - a tiny piece of art. Not only is a tough sentence but also it incorporates at the same time different structures.

the conditional sentence mainly
the use of Em Dash
the parallel/balance structure
the contrast scenario

Clearly, before the widespread abuse of oceans, fish were much more abundant. Therefore, we can deduce that it is not the case now. This difference is so huge that it can be easily recognized. The fact that many species have depleted further strengthens this observation. If it can be easily recognized, then even the most casual observer would notice it. Since we are looking back in time, we can rule out prescient and the gap is so huge you do not need a clearheaded observer, a causal observer would to.

The word "likewise" at the beginning of the next sentence tell us that the same relationship between past and present oceans is maintained. So the now depleted species of marine mammals would appear plentiful, which is the right word for the second blank from the choice list.

But without that special glasses which make the murky depths of the ocean transparent, the differences between the past and present oceans are indeed hard to discern. To discern something is to distinguish with difficulty by sight or other senses.



Source also used : Madonna Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Subordinating conjunctions are words or phrases that connect two clauses by making one clause dependent on (or subordinate to) the other. They introduce dependent (subordinate) clauses and show the relationship between the dependent clause and the independent (main) clause.

Functions of Subordinating Conjunctions:

1. Show Cause/Reason

- Because, since, as
- Example: She stayed home because she was sick.

2. Indicate Time

- When, while, before, after, until, since, as soon as
- Example: He called me when he arrived.

3. Express Condition

- If, unless, even if, provided that
- Example: We'll go hiking if the weather is good.

4. Show Contrast/Concession

- Although, though, even though, whereas, while
- Example: Although it rained, we had fun.

5. Indicate Purpose

- So that, in order that
- Example: She studied hard so that she could pass the exam.

6. Show Comparison
- Than, as if, as though
- Example: He runs faster than I do.

7. Express Place
- Where, wherever
- Example: She went where the road led.

Key Points:
- A subordinating conjunction always introduces a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
- The dependent clause must be attached to an independent clause to form a complete thought.
- Subordinating conjunctions help clarify the relationship between ideas (e.g., cause-effect, time, condition).

Subordinating conjunctions are important on the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) because they play a crucial role in sentence structure, logical reasoning, and reading comprehension.

\(\begin{aligned}
&\text { Common Subordinating Conjunctions to Know for the GRE: }\\
&\begin{array}{ll}
\hline \text { Function } & \text { Examples } \\
\hline \text { Cause/Reason } & \text { because, since, as } \\
\hline \text { Contrast } & \text { although, though, whereas, while } \\
\hline \text { Condition } & \text { if, unless, provided that, even if } \\
\hline \text { Time } & \text { when, after, before, until, since } \\
\hline \text { Purpose/Result } & \text { so that, in order that } \\
\hline \text { Comparison } & \text { than, as if, as though } \\
\hline
\end{array}
\end{aligned}\)








Source used
www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter
https://poorvucenter.yale.edu