A key part of performing well on GRE Verbal is learning to analyze answer choices with the same care you bring to analyzing the passages themselves. Many test takers spend plenty of time reading and rereading the text but give far less attention to understanding how the answer choices are constructed. This is a missed opportunity. GRE Verbal questions follow certain patterns, and the more time you spend studying how wrong answers are designed, the easier it becomes to eliminate them with confidence and speed.

The GRE relies on predictable traps across Sentence Equivalence, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension. These traps are not random. They are built to appeal to common cognitive habits and to take advantage of the ways people read under pressure. When you study answer choices carefully, these recurring themes start to become obvious.

For example, in Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions, it is common to see answer choices that are antonyms of the word you actually need. Once you are aware of this pattern, you can quickly spot pairs of opposites among the options. This does not mean that a correct answer will always be part of an antonym pair. The point is that if one choice makes sense and another moves in the opposite direction, you can often eliminate the latter and narrow the field. Even this small amount of efficiency can save valuable time.

Another frequent trap appears in Reading Comprehension. You will often encounter choices that state something true or reasonable in the real world but do not answer the question being asked or do not align with what the passage says. Because the information sounds correct, it can be tempting to choose it. Yet the GRE is not asking about real-world truth. It is asking about the passage. Recognizing this trap prevents you from selecting answers that feel comfortable but lack textual support.

A similar pattern appears in Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions. The GRE writers often include answer choices that pair naturally with the topic of the sentence but do not fit the logical structure or meaning required. For instance, if the sentence mentions research, you might see choices such as comprehensive or meticulous. These words sound appropriate, yet they may have nothing to do with what the sentence is actually conveying. Once you grow attuned to this pattern, you can check whether a choice fits the logic of the sentence rather than the surface-level topic.

Over time, as you review more practice questions, you will see these traps repeat themselves. It can be helpful to keep a short list of the common trap types you encounter. For each one, make a brief note about how it attempts to mislead you. For example, you might record partially correct as an RC trap type and note that it refers to an answer that addresses only part of the question or reflects only part of the passage. Your list does not need to be long or complicated. Its purpose is to help you process what you are seeing during untimed practice so you can quickly recognize similar traps in the future.

The goal is not to memorize every possible trap. Rather, it is to develop an awareness of how GRE Verbal questions are constructed. With continued exposure, you will start to spot these patterns almost automatically. This awareness allows you to eliminate wrong answers more confidently and answer questions more efficiently.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GRE prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep