Sentence Completion

1. Sentence Completion

2. Directions In this type of question you are given a sentence with one or two words missing. Below it are five choices. Select from among the answer choices the one with the correct word(s) to insert in the blank. The correct word will be the one that best fits the sentence.

3. Helpful Hints Don�t look at the answers until you: Understand the overall meaning of the sentence. Have a good idea of what word, or at least what kind of word should go in the blank.

4. What is meant by: �Understand the overall meaning�� Consider these two examples: Because of the heavy rainfall in the spring the tenants were ---- about flooding. Despite the heavy rainfall, the tenants were ---- about flooding. The trick is to pay close attention to key words in the sentence. Look for logical connecting words and phrases such as and, while, because of, due to, despite or ever since, which give you clues as to what the sentence is saying. What kind of word fits in the blank in the top sentence? Well, if it is raining a lot, then it is natural for people to be worried about flooding. So the word worried or concerned might fit in the blank. We know this from the opening words of the sentence which say: �Because of the heavy rainfall.� Now the second sentence begins with the word despite, which is telling us that the tents are feeling something even though there has been a lot of rain. The meaning of the word in the blank is therefore probably one that means the opposite of what you would expect the tenants to be feeling if there was heavy rain. So in the second sentence we should look for an answer that means unconcerned an not worried.What kind of word fits in the blank in the top sentence? Well, if it is raining a lot, then it is natural for people to be worried about flooding. So the word worried or concerned might fit in the blank. We know this from the opening words of the sentence which say: �Because of the heavy rainfall.� Now the second sentence begins with the word despite, which is telling us that the tents are feeling something even though there has been a lot of rain. The meaning of the word in the blank is therefore probably one that means the opposite of what you would expect the tenants to be feeling if there was heavy rain. So in the second sentence we should look for an answer that means unconcerned an not worried.

5. Consider the connotation of the word you are looking for. Ex. Sally was popular and ---, and received an overwhelming majority of the votes for student council president. If you approach the answer choices with a strong intuition for the type of word that you are looking for two things happen: There�s a chance you�ll see the exact word you had in mind. You�ll have a lot easier time rejecting the wrong answer. What type of word are you looking for?What type of word are you looking for?

6. Tips: Tip 1: Eliminate wrong answers. Tip 2: Solve two-blank problems one word at a time. Tip 3: Don�t force a word into the sentence. Tip 4: Go back and check your answer. Tip 1: When an answer has a word that you know is wrong, cross it off with your pencil immediately. Even if you still aren�t sure which answer is right, keep eliminating answers until you can�t eliminate any more. Tip 2: Either both words fit, or the answer is wrong. Tip 3: The right word will almost always fit quite smoothly into the sentence. Tip 4: The sentence should make sense to you when you read it with all the words. Tip 1: When an answer has a word that you know is wrong, cross it off with your pencil immediately. Even if you still aren�t sure which answer is right, keep eliminating answers until you can�t eliminate any more. Tip 2: Either both words fit, or the answer is wrong. Tip 3: The right word will almost always fit quite smoothly into the sentence. Tip 4: The sentence should make sense to you when you read it with all the words.

7. Sentence Completion Strategy:Use Your Own Word Although my uncle is usually a generous person, yesterday he gave _________ to a women soliciting for a popular charity. money advise thanks nothing food

8. Sentence Completion Strategy:Look for Flag Words Two Kinds of Flags: Opposite Flags - These are word and phrases that reverse the direction of a sentence. Although, despite, but, even though, instead of, nevertheless, contrary to, rather than, in spite of, and however Same Flags - These are words that continue the direction of a sentence. Since, thus, therefore, as, hence, because, for, for instance, and, moreover, so, due to, and ; If we look at our previous example we would see that the word �although� signifies that we are looking for a word that would reverse the direction of the sentence. If we replaced the word �although� with �since� it would continue the direction of our sentence so the answer �money� would fit.If we look at our previous example we would see that the word �although� signifies that we are looking for a word that would reverse the direction of the sentence. If we replaced the word �although� with �since� it would continue the direction of our sentence so the answer �money� would fit.

9. Example Julia had spent the entire previous week studying; on her final examination, she encountered _______ difficulties. myriad frequent formidable few remarkable The ; signifies a same flag so our word choice should continue the direction of our sentence.The ; signifies a same flag so our word choice should continue the direction of our sentence.

10. Sentence Completion Strategy:Try the Second Blank First Even though he had not eaten all day and had _____ money in his pocket, David ____ the offer of a free meal. considerable..refused various..accepted extra..renegotiated little.. declined enough..applauded Quite a few GRE sentence completion questions have two blanks instead of one. Sometimes the second blank is easier to fill in than the first blank. Flag word = even though = opposite flag. The first part of the sentence tells you that David hasn�t eaten all day so he must be hungry. The flag word even though tells us that David will do the opposite of what his hunger would cause him to do. Therefore the only choices that work for the second blank are choices A and D. Now try to fill the first blank from these two answer choices. If David had considerable money than he could refuse a free meal. The direction of the sentence isn�t changed. Try choice D. The second blank works as before and so does the first. With little money we would have expected him to jump at a free meal but our flag word told us that the opposite would happen.Quite a few GRE sentence completion questions have two blanks instead of one. Sometimes the second blank is easier to fill in than the first blank. Flag word = even though = opposite flag. The first part of the sentence tells you that David hasn�t eaten all day so he must be hungry. The flag word even though tells us that David will do the opposite of what his hunger would cause him to do. Therefore the only choices that work for the second blank are choices A and D. Now try to fill the first blank from these two answer choices. If David had considerable money than he could refuse a free meal. The direction of the sentence isn�t changed. Try choice D. The second blank works as before and so does the first. With little money we would have expected him to jump at a free meal but our flag word told us that the opposite would happen.

11. Sentence Completion Strategy:Try All the Choices For some questions you may have to try all five choices. This happens when there are no flag words, or when the sentence is very long, or it�s just plain tough.

12. Sentence Completion Strategy:Read in Your Answer Choice Even if you don�t try all the answer choices into the original sentence, you should at least read in the one you picked as the correct answer. This will help you make sure it fits in the meaning of the sentence.

13. Practice The president�s speech contained common words and simple examples mainly because her advisors counseled her to be more ______ instead of being so erudite. accessible gregarious mercenary sanctimonious saturnine What is our flag word? �instead of� tells us we will be looking for the opposite of erudite which means scholarly or educated. Accessible means simple or understanding.What is our flag word? �instead of� tells us we will be looking for the opposite of erudite which means scholarly or educated. Accessible means simple or understanding.

14. Practice The Olympic gold medalist found that her fame was ____ because by the time she arrived home, no one even remembered what she had achieved. resilient salient ephemeral lascivious lucrative What word would you place in this blank? Something that means short lived. Eliminate the answers you know that don�t mean this. Ephemeral means short lived.What word would you place in this blank? Something that means short lived. Eliminate the answers you know that don�t mean this. Ephemeral means short lived.

15. Practice When the Andersons� infant cried all night it severely ______ the young couple�s volatile relationship; furthermore the ____ task of caring for a new baby required more energy than the new parents had to give. exacerbated..relentless enhanced..simple aggravated..pleasing mitigated..arduous solidified..tedious Flag word ; tells us the direction will remain the same. Try the second blank first, eliminate B and C. Try the first blank with the answers you have left. A is the best answer.Flag word ; tells us the direction will remain the same. Try the second blank first, eliminate B and C. Try the first blank with the answers you have left. A is the best answer.