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Verbal Ability

•Vocabulary Building and Sentence Completion

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Vocabulary Building Strategies

– An improved, strengthened vocabulary is the most sure-fire way to improve your verbal scores.• Strategies for enhancing your vocabulary skills.

– Memorize the meanings of as many prefixes, suffixes, and root words as possible.» Generate a thorough collection of flash cards of prefixes,

suffixes, and root words.» Establish a thorough collection of flash cards of words.

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Vocabulary Building Strategies

– What your flash cards should include and entail.• Write the word on one side of the card with pronunciation if

necessary.• Write all of the definitions on the other side.• Along with the definitions, write down the word’s part of

speech.• Write down the word in a sentence.• Optional: Draw an illustration you can associate with the

word.• Optional: Use word association (the word) with something

memorable.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Realize each section consists of six questions.• Plan on spending 4-4 1/2 minutes on each of the two

sections or 30-45 seconds per question.• Memorize instructions and internalize what you need

to do to save precious time.• Remember you want to indentify answer choices that

LOGICALLY and STYLISTICALLY complete the sentence.• Select the BEST answer choice.

– Some answer choices work, but they aren’t the most accurate choice.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Read the sentence carefully and slowly to avoid skipping anything.

– Fill in the blank(s) with your own word(s) before looking at the answer choices and then look for a synonym of that word.

– Eliminate as many of the wrong answer choices as possible.• Don’t forget that one of the incorrect answers will

OFTEN be an ANTONYM of the correct response.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Work one blank at a time with sentences with two blanks.• Insert the first word for blank one to see if it fits and to

help you eliminate any wrong answer choices.• Move on to blank two and do the same thing by once

again eliminating any wrong answer choices.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Double-check the correct answer choice to make sure it is STYLISTICALLY and LOGICALLY correct.• Know your parts of speech and make sure the answer

choice matches the proper part of speech.• Use this strategy to eliminate wrong answer choices as

well.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Memorize commonly used key word/signal phrases and use them as “road signs.”• “Straight ahead” signs reveal a continuation and

support of the logic and meaning of the sentence or a result of some sort.– Also, besides, furthermore, because, since, in addition, in fact,

moreover, accordingly, as a result, consequently, hence, it can be inferred that, so, this means, therefore, thus, etc.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Memorize commonly used key word/signal phrases and use them as “road signs.”• “Detour” signs reveal a contrast or opposition or a shift

into something different.– As, although, but, despite, however, in spite of, in contrast,

nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather than, though, unlike, yet etc.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Memorize commonly used key word/signal phrases and use them as “road signs.”• “Detour” signs reveal a contrast or opposition or a shift

into something different.– As, although, but, despite, however, in spite of, in contrast,

nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather than, though, unlike, yet etc.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Look for other key words that can help you derive meaning.• Practice defining words you don’t know by using their

context in a sentence to help you understand them.• Look for what’s directly implied by the meanings of the

words of the sentence and relate it to the correct answer .• Read the sentence literally, not imaginatively and do

not impose your feelings onto the sentence.

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Sentence Completion Strategies

– Look for other key words that can help you derive meaning.• Look for descriptive words or phrases that reflect the theme,

idea or logic of the sentence or the author’s intent.• Paraphrase long, complex sentences in your own words to

better distill the meaning of the sentence.• Rely on your knowledge of root words (etymology) to help

you understand answer choices and key words in the sentence.

• Don’t forget that one of the incorrect answers will OFTEN be an ANTONYM of the correct response.