GRE Verbal : Conjunctions and Text Logic in Two-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #51 : Two Blank Texts

Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Despite the prosecution’s claim that Milo’s statements were __________, Milo continued to __________ the veracity of his testimony.

Possible Answers:

inconsequential . . . divert

uncanny . . . bolster

spurious . . . aver

partisan . . . contest

false . . . protest

Correct answer:

spurious . . . aver

Explanation:

Key words here are "despite" (indicating that we're looking for a shift in meaning) and "veracity" (truthfulness). "Spurious" (false) and "aver" (to assert) best complete the sentence.

Example Question #52 : Two Blank Texts

Choose the set of words that best completes the following sentence.

It was true that Trevor wasn’t particularly renowned for his propriety, but he was still shocked that his __________ brother neglected to invite him to his wedding. Surely, Trevor was capable of refraining from his usual __________ for a single night.

Possible Answers:

abstemious . . . debauchery 

garrulous . . . grandiloquence

insipid . . . chicanery 

complaisant . . . harangue

vindictive . . . alacrity

Correct answer:

abstemious . . . debauchery 

Explanation:

The first key word here is "propriety" (respectability, uprightness). The second blank is set up to contrast with "propriety." "Debauchery" (drunkenness, corruptness) fits. Knowing that, we can assume that his brother expresses the opposite of this; he is "abstemious" (self-disciplined, sober).

Example Question #53 : Two Blank Texts

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Even though the plot was heralded by many critics as __________, it was actually __________ to last summer’s box office hit.

Possible Answers:

singular . . . analogous

peerless . . . antithetical

plebeian . . . homologous

mundane . . . akin

unparalleled . . . disparate

Correct answer:

singular . . . analogous

Explanation:

Since there is a sentence shift, we are looking for two words that are dissimilar in meaning. “Analogous” describes something that is similar or comparable to something else in a particular way. “Singular” has several definitions. “Singular” can mean exceptional, or it can mean bizarre. In this case, it means one-of-a-kind. “Singular . . . analogous” is the correct answer.

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