Use transition words to get the gist of the phrases
Transition words exist in most Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions (and other sentences) and serve as valuable clues to interpreting the meaning of a sentence. (Transition words connect two ideas in a sentence or paragraph and tell you whether the two ideas in the sentence agree or contradict one another.) Transition words help you decipher the meaning of a sentence with key words missing.
For example, changing the transition word in the following sentence completely alters its meaning:
Although he ran as fast as he could, Eric _____ the bus.
The transition word although, indicating contrast, tells you that Eric missed the bus. Consider the same sentence with a different transition word:
Because he ran as fast as he could, Eric _____ the bus.
The transition word because, indicating cause-and-effect, tells you that Eric caught the bus.
With a little practice, transition words become easy to identify and use to your advantage. They’re helpful when breaking the sentence into pieces (which is the next step) and are used frequently in the Analytical Writing portion of the GRE. (See Part 4 for more on the Analytical Writing essays.)
Common transition words include the following:
| although | and | because | but |
|---|---|---|---|
| despite | either/or | however | in spite of |
| moreover | nonetheless | therefore | or |
The English language has hundreds of transition words. Fortunately, you don’t need to memorize them, but you do need to be able to spot them.
In the previous example with Eric and the bus, changing the transition from a continuing to a contrasting word (in this case, although to because) directly changes the meaning of the sentence. Note that the transition word isn’t always in the middle of the sentence. Now to work on the second step.
Start with the second or third missing word
Many Text Completion questions have two or three words missing. Often the first missing word could be anything, and the second (or third) missing word tells you the first one. Look at this example:
The transition word although clues you in to the gist of the first phrase. It tells you that Patty’s usual nature is different from the way she felt when receiving her assignment. But this isn’t enough — Patty could usually be of any nature: good, bad, cantankerous (cranky), sanguine (cheerful), capricious (fickle). You need the gist of the second missing word to find the first one.
Second missing word: Patty was _____ when the professor assigned a paper due the day after spring break.
From the second missing word, you can infer that she was annoyed when the professor assigned a paper. It could be different, but probably not. Most people are usually some form of disappointed when assigned papers, especially over spring break. Anyway, knowing she wasn’t happy, the continuing transition word although tells you that she’s usually the opposite:
First missing word: Although she usually was of a _____ nature,
The opposite of annoyed is happy. Patty is usually happy, but today she is annoyed. Now take on the whole question: Although she usually was of a (i) _____ nature, Patty was (ii) _____ when the professor assigned a paper due the day after spring break.
Eliminate answer choices that don’t match the words you used (happy and annoyed) to complete the text. Start with the second missing word.
Using the word clue annoyed, which words from the second column can you eliminate? Enigmatic means mysterious or cryptic, which doesn’t match annoyed. If you don’t know what lugubrious and ebullient mean, you can guess that lugubrious is heavy and ebullient means upbeat, based on how the words sound. (Ebullient means very happy, and lugubrious means sad. Flip to Chapter 7 for a lot more vocabulary.) Eliminate ebullient for not matching annoyed, so lugubrious remains and is the second missing word.
Now for the first missing word. Using the word clue happy, which words from the first column can you eliminate? Frugal doesn’t fit based solely on its meaning (economical), and it has no opposite in the second column. Keen, which means intense, also doesn’t fit, so cheerful seems to be the remaining choice for the first blank. The correct answers are Choices (C) and (E).
Getting Your Hands Dirty with Some Practice
You’re ready to tackle some practice Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions to get a better grasp of how to solve them using all the tools described in this chapter.
Text Completion questions
1. As a public relations specialist, Susan realizes the importance of treating even the most exasperating tourists with kindness and _____.
First, ask yourself, “What’s important when dealing with exasperated tourists?” A public relations specialist would need to be polite. The first word choice, etiquette, looks good, but you don’t treat someone with etiquette. (Etiquette is a system of rules for manners.) Cross that word off the list. You don’t show exasperating tourists compassion, either. Gone. Honesty won’t help. Gone! Realism isn’t even close. Gone! Through logic and elimination, or just because it’s the only one remaining, the correct answer is Choice (C), patience.
2. Enabled by his (i) _____