All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #491 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ____________________ student's refusal to behave and _____________________ sense of humor landed him in the principal's office after his teacher discovered the whoopee cushion under her seat.
stubborn . . . imperious
austere . . . immature
listless . . . officious
recalcitrant . . . puerile
verdant . . . magnanimous
recalcitrant . . . puerile
The key phrase to focus on in this sentence to determine the first blank is "refusal to behave." Of the answer choices, only "stubborn" and "recalcitrant" fit. In the second blank, you have to consider what type of sense of humor would motivate a student to use a whoopee cushion. "Immature" comes to mind, and although it is one of the answer choices, it is paired with "austere," which does not fit in the first blank. Instead, we find "puerile," which also means immature. Thus, "recalcitrant" and "puerile" are the best fit for this sentence.
Example Question #492 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The army private's __________________ behavior struck his superior officers as _____________________ for a man in uniform, leading to his immediate dismissal.
cumbersome . . . catholic
inappropriate . . . salubrious
abrasive . . . unseemly
trifling . . . fractious
pusillanimous . . . vernal
abrasive . . . unseemly
This question tests a reader's ability to not become distracted by flashier or more impressive sounding answer choices and focus solely on finding the words that best fit the sentence. "Abrasive" and "unseemly" are the only options that make sense in this context when paired together.
Note: "Trifling" and "fractious" individually might make sense here, but when considered together, they do not create a logical sentence.
Example Question #2001 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ________________ river meandered slowly through the countryside, adding a sleepy quality to the rustic landscape, whose ____________________ setting attracted nature lovers and artists alike.
ubiquitous . . . luminous
ephemeral . . . aesthetic
fast-moving . . . capricious
squalid . . . penurious
torpid . . . bucolic
torpid . . . bucolic
Context clues for the first blank include "meandered slowly" and "sleepy quality"; the river must be slow-moving ("torpid"). "Bucolic" is a synonym for the "rustic landscape."
Example Question #2002 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ___________________ waiter went above and beyond, anticipating the party's every need; this excellent service combined with ______________________ cuisine fit for the gods made the dining experience one to remember.
querulous . . . insipid
amiable . . . culinary
hackneyed . . . pungent
solicitous . . . ambrosial
pedantic . . . tenacious
solicitous . . . ambrosial
The waiter "went above and beyond, anticipating the party's every need." In other words, he was "solicitous" (attentive and caring). The cuisine was described as "fit for the goods" or ambrosial. Don't be lured into "culinary" as an answer choice - "culinary cuisine" would be redundant.
Example Question #2003 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The _________________ DVDs looked legitimate from the outside. However, their appearance turned out to be merely ________________; once opened, the illegally copied disks had no content and would not play.
fake . . . subjective
mercurial . . . prosaic
pristine . . . credulous
pirated . . . specious
immutable . . . variegated
pirated . . . specious
The main clue for the first blank is illegally copied, which is a perfect definition for "pirated." For the second blank, we're looking for something that means looks good (legitimate) on the outside but is not actually good ("would not play"). "Specious" is a good fit.
Example Question #2004 : Gre Verbal Reasoning
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
After Karen's tutor told her that the first draft of her thesis seemed a bit ____________________, Karen removed the redundant parts and created a much more _______________ version.
convoluted . . . amenable
pithy . . . prolix
astringent . . . laconic
superfluous . . . succinct
pragmatic . . . quixotic
superfluous . . . succinct
The key context clue here is "redundant." If the first draft was redundant, it must have had extra, unnecessary information; in other words, it was "superfluous." Once revised, the draft was briefer and to the point, or "succinct."
Example Question #123 : Two Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Texts
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The ________________ lawyer, who never once lied in court, didn't accept ________________ clients who try to lie to get him to defend their cases
tawdry . . . tremulous
almighty . . . creepy
unbelievable . . . pleadable
insensitive . . . engrossing
truthful . . . deceitful
truthful . . . deceitful
"Truthful," meaning always speaking honestly, works here because it describes the lawyer who never lies. "Deceitful," meaning not speaking honestly, works here because it describes the clients who try to lie to the lawyer.
"Tawdry," meaning showy but cheap, doesn't work to describe the lawyer, as no indications have been given about his physical appearance, invalidating the answer choice.
"Insensitive" doesn't work, as the lawyer has primarily been described as someone who tells the truth, invalidating the answer.
"Almighty" doesn't work, as no indications have been given about the lawyer's power, invalidating the answer.
"Unbelievable" doesn't work, as no indications have been given about the lawyer's believability, invalidating the answer.