- [Voiceover] Each GRE verbal section will contain about four sentence equivalence questions. So like text completions, these are fill-in-the-blank-style questions. And they always just have one sentence and you have to pick two choices that create similar meanings for that sentence. So in this video, I'll go over some of the basics of sentence equivalence questions. So here we have a sentence equivalence question. You can see that it is just one sentence. And the big thing we have to do that's different is you notice now there are six choices, pick two of them to get the question correct.
So, we're going to actually kind of follow the same steps that we would for a text completion and we'll just have to do one final difference at the end. So first, get the main idea. So if we look at this thing, I would say that the main idea that the author has this cosmopolitan flair. So we have an understanding of what's going on now. Then step two is we want to try to predict. So just to remind about prediction, it's just an idea, you don't have to worry much about the wording. So for this prediction I am going to just draw a little arrow from the word cosmopolitan and say that that's my prediction.
Just kind of keep it simple with the word in the sentence, which actually is a good idea, it keeps it from the deviating from the meaning of the text too much. So now that we have an idea it's time to go onto step three, which is to look at the choices. Okay, we need to pick two things. So, if something means sort of cosmopolitan flair, urbanity is a great fit for that. Blandness - no, banality - no, liveliness is positive, but it doesn't mean the same thing as sort of sophisticated and urbane.
So sophistication is great, and then dullness doesn't work. So I'm picking A and E, because they fit the clue. The author has a cosmopolitan flair would make sense that he is writing with urbanity or sophistication. And we have even more confirmation that that thing should contrast with provincial, which kind of means sort of unsophisticated and rural, since it belies or contradicts that provinciality. So, kind of the same technique that you should be familiar with to some degree from text completion.
But one major difference is you want to make sure that the words you pick really make the sentence mean the same thing or as close to it as possible. So just to review, like text completions, you can use the same basic steps. Read the question and summarize it. Predict an idea for the blank based on the text. And then verify support for your choices. So the key difference really is, in sentence equivalence, that multiple possibilities can sometimes make choosing or predicting an answer difficult.
You really have to look at the choices and make sure that those two choices are creating similar meanings for the sentence. Now what that means is almost always, I'd say 98% of the time, those choices you're picking are synonyms of each other. Once in a while you'll see two choices create similar meanings for sentences are not really great synonyms, but most of the time that's going to be true. So just a tip for this course. Most of my advice in Chapter 12, which is text completion, is also going to apply to sentence equivalence.
So this is going to be stuff like transition words, how to deal with complex sentences, how to deal with tough vocab. So most of these concepts are going to apply to text completions and sentence equivalence in the exact same way. Please make sure that you review Chapter 12 when you're thinking about sentence equivalence as well. So in this chapter, I really only focus on the differences between the two question types. So remember the big difference between text completion and sentence equivalence is that for sentence equivalence you need to make sure at the end of the day the two answer choices you're picking are not only supported by the sentence, but that the two sentences they create have very similar meanings.
Author
Released
3/11/2016- Setting your GRE goals
- Preparing a study timeline and choosing materials
- Analyzing sample GRE essay prompts
- Learning easier ways to solve GRE math problems
- Studying arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
- Improving vocabulary and reading comprehension skills
- Using technique for sentence equivalence and text completion questions
- Reading difficult passages
- Learning methods to solve different kinds of comprehension questions
- Developing effective test-taking strategies
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Related Courses
-
Learning Everyday Math
with Vince Kotchian2h 6m Intermediate -
Test Prep: SAT
with Vince Kotchian1h 39m Intermediate -
Learning Algebra: Pre-Algebra
with Karin Hutchinson2h 39m Intermediate -
Learning Study Skills
with Paul Nowak1h 36m Beginner
-
Introduction
-
Welcome1m 3s
-
What you should know1m 30s
-
-
1. Welcome to the GRE
-
Structure of the GRE2m 21s
-
GRE scoring1m 35s
-
-
2. Preparation and Test-Taking Strategies
-
Prepare a study timeline2m 2s
-
Build your study sequence1m 44s
-
3. The GRE Analytical Writing Assessment
-
Overview of the GRE essays1m 52s
-
Issue essay examples1m 57s
-
Argument essay flaws2m 44s
-
Analyze an issue essay2m 55s
-
Analyze an argument essay2m 42s
-
-
4. GRE Quantitative Introduction
-
Build math concepts2m 2s
-
Test-taking math skills2m 15s
-
Build mental math skills3m 30s
-
5. GRE Quantitative Techniques
-
Using the calculator2m 19s
-
Estimation technique3m 8s
-
Backsolving technique3m 21s
-
Translation technique2m 25s
-
Adding numbers technique2m 41s
-
Find patterns technique3m 43s
-
Trial-and-error technique3m 27s
-
-
6. GRE Arithmetic
-
Number properties3m 46s
-
Decimals3m 9s
-
Mental percents2m 55s
-
Percent change3m 36s
-
Ratios and proportions4m 20s
-
Exponents2m 7s
-
More exponents2m 7s
-
Fake exponent rules2m 10s
-
Scientific notation3m 32s
-
Square roots3m 45s
-
Cube and fourth roots2m 34s
-
7. GRE Algebra
-
Operations with expressions3m 46s
-
Multiplying expressions1m 42s
-
Algebraic identities3m 5s
-
Linear equations2m 1s
-
Quadratic equations4m 5s
-
Linear inequalities1m 37s
-
Functions4m 6s
-
Symbol functions58s
-
Coordinate geometry4m 26s
-
Function graphs1m 5s
-
Distance between points2m 56s
-
Equation of a line3m 16s
-
Finding intercepts2m 15s
-
Special slopes3m 2s
-
Circle equations2m 47s
-
-
8. GRE Word Problems
-
Averages3m 29s
-
Mixtures2m 24s
-
Rate3m 21s
-
Work3m 53s
-
System of equations2m 53s
-
Interest4m 46s
-
Number lines1m 39s
-
Sequence word problems3m 18s
-
-
9. GRE Geometry
-
Angles2m 4s
-
Parallel lines2m 19s
-
Polygons2m 37s
-
Triangles4m 2s
-
Pythagorean theorem3m 11s
-
Special right triangles3m 51s
-
Area of a triangle2m 30s
-
Congruent triangles2m 17s
-
Similar triangles2m 40s
-
Quadrilaterals4m 30s
-
Circles3m 6s
-
Boxes5m 1s
-
Cylinders3m 26s
-
10. GRE Data Analysis and Statistics
-
Frequency1m 22s
-
Standard deviation2m 48s
-
Normal distribution2m 21s
-
Venn diagram problems2m 15s
-
Permutations3m 23s
-
Combinations3m 35s
-
Basic probability3m 21s
-
Either/or probability3m 42s
-
Graph and chart questions2m 33s
-
-
11. GRE Verbal Reasoning
-
Overview of verbal reasoning2m 10s
-
How to build vocabulary3m 7s
-
Reading efficiently2m 35s
-
-
12. Question Type: Text Completion
-
Overview of text completions2m 30s
-
Use signposts2m 23s
-
Triple-blank text completion4m 22s
-
Analyze complex sentences2m 23s
-
Review text completions1m 23s
-
-
13. Question Type: Sentence Equivalence
-
14. Question Type: Reading Comprehension
-
Read for the big picture5m 49s
-
Read critically3m 48s
-
Basic question technique3m 27s
-
Detail questions2m 33s
-
Whole passage questions3m 26s
-
Word-in-context questions2m 29s
-
Inference questions3m 41s
-
Wrong answer types1m 55s
-
15. Question Type: Function
-
Review function questions1m 15s
-
16. Question Type: Logic
-
Overview of logic questions1m 42s
-
Logic question technique1m 26s
-
Weaken an argument technique3m 39s
-
Explain a paradox3m 36s
-
Wrong answer types1m 30s
-
Review logic questions1m 6s
-
-
Conclusion
-
GRE test-taking strategies2m 34s
-
Conclusion and next steps1m 25s
-
- Mark as unwatched
- Mark all as unwatched
Are you sure you want to mark all the videos in this course as unwatched?
This will not affect your course history, your reports, or your certificates of completion for this course.
CancelTake notes with your new membership!
Type in the entry box, then click Enter to save your note.
1:30Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown.
Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, MS Word, PDF, Google Doc, or Evernote.
Share this video
Embed this video
Video: Sentence equivalence overview