This chapter details a variation on the Text Completions you learned about in the prior chapter. Sentence Equivalence questions require you to find the best word to complete a sentence. For these questions, however, you’ll have to pick the two answers that best complete the sentence; this means the two correct answers will be synonyms. Because both words create sentences that are equivalent—both have the same meaning—we refer to these types of questions as Sentence Equivalence questions. This chapter shows you how to apply the strategies you learned last chapter and use Process of Elimination to answer these questions.
Sentence Equivalence questions make up approximately 20% of the questions in any individual Verbal section. There are usually four Sentence Equivalence questions in each Verbal section. These questions are similar to Text Completion questions, as both require test takers to select the answer choices that best complete the intended meaning of the given sentence. However, unlike Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence questions always have only one blank and six answer choices, and you must correctly select two answer choices to get credit for the question.
Sentence Equivalence questions look like this:
Anthropologists contend that the ancient Mesopotamians switched from grain production to barley after excessive irrigation and salt accumulation made the soil grains.
indifferent to
inhospitable to
unsuitable for
acrimonious to
benignant to
inured to
The goal of a Sentence Equivalence question is to choose the two answer choices that complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole, and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.
A common mistake that test takers make is expecting answer choices that produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning to be synonyms. The test taker making this mistake believes when two synonyms are present in the answer choices, they must be the correct answer. The test writers know this is a commonly made assumption, so they use this information to trick test takers into selecting the wrong answer choices. But this question type is called Sentence Equivalence, not Word Equivalence!
The first way they trick test takers is by including a pair of synonyms in the answer choices that do not fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole. They are expecting a certain number of test takers to scan the answer choices, find two answer choices that are synonyms, and select them as their answer. These test takers will be sad to find that they have just been tricked by the test writers.
The second way the GRE writers trick test takers is by ensuring that the two correct answer choices are not synonyms at all. The correct choices for Sentence Equivalence questions do not need to be exact synonyms, as long as both words correspond to the clues and the meaning of the sentence remains consistent with both words.
Sometimes, the test writers combine these two tricks and include as answer choices synonyms that are incorrect and correct answer choices that are not synonyms.
Let’s look at an example:
Unconventional political ideology is considered existing main stream political ideology until the new ideas gather enough evidence and support to be adopted by or replace existing ideologies.
in juxtaposition to
inconsequential to
deviant from
a threat to
in light of
foreboding to
The correct answer is (B) and (C), even though inconsequential to and deviant from are not even near-synonyms. Don’t worry too much yet about the best strategy to answer a question like this—we’ll go over that later on. For now, let’s just look at the correct and incorrect answer choices. In this example, each of the two correct answer choices is supported by a different clue in the sentence. Inconsequential to is supported by the fact that that the unconventional political ideology has yet to gather enough support to…replace existing ideologies. Deviant from is supported by the fact that the new ideology has yet to be adopted by…existing ideologies. In this context, however, both words give the same general meaning to the completed sentence. Notice also the two synonyms, a threat to and foreboding to, lying in wait for the unwary test taker. These words may sound perfectly fine when plugged into the sentence, but they do not correspond to the clues in the sentence.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that synonym pairs are always the wrong answer on Sentence Equivalence questions. In fact, the correct answers are often synonyms. But, answering a Sentence Equivalence question by picking any pair of synonyms is an unreliable strategy for conquering this portion of the GRE. At best, focusing on synonyms can be a last-resort approach for questions that you find difficult.
So, you ask, what is a good strategy?
Great question! We’re glad you asked.
The basic approach for Sentence Equivalence questions looks very similar to the basic approach for Text Completion questions. Much like Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence questions have clues and transition words built in, and you should come up with your own word or phrase for the blank before approaching the answer choices.
Find the Clues and Transition words.
Come up with your own word or phrase for the blank. Write that word or phrase down on your scratch paper.
Check each answer choice and use your scratch paper.
an answer that sort of matches your word
an answer that does not at all match your word
any word you don’t know
The first step in answering Sentence Equivalence questions is the same as that for Text Completions. You must find the clues and transition words in the sentence. Do not move on to Step 2 or look at the answer choices until you’ve identified the clues and transition words in the sentence! Consequently, as with Text Completion questions, much of your work for Sentence Equivalence questions happens by examining the sentence itself before considering the answer choices.
The clue is the words or phrases in the sentence that provide insight into the word or phrase that goes in the blank. When reading a Sentence Equivalence question and looking for the clue, ask yourself two questions:
Who or what is the blank describing?
What else in the sentence provides insight into that person or thing?
Transition words are words such as and, but, so, however, because, despite, since, although, instead, etc., that indicate how ideas in the sentence relate to each other. Thus, transition words convey important information about the intended meaning of a sentence. Some transition words, such as but and however, indicate that the portion of the sentence immediately following the transition word represents the opposite meaning to the other idea or action in the sentence. Here are some examples of sentences employing this sort of contrast transition words. The transition words are bolded.
I love coffee, but I cannot tolerate the caffeine.
Although I love coffee, I cannot tolerate the caffeine.
Other transition words, such as and, because, and since, indicate that the portion of the sentence immediately following the transition word represents the same meaning as some other idea or action in the sentence. Here are some examples of sentences employing this sort of same direction transition words. The transition words are bolded.
I cannot tolerate caffeine, so I take my coffee decaffeinated.
Because I cannot tolerate caffeine, I take my coffee decaffeinated.
Try out the basic approach to Sentence Equivalence questions on the question we just saw:
Anthropologists contend that the ancient Mesopotamians switched from grain production to barley after excessive irrigation and salt accumulation made the soil grains.
indifferent to
inhospitable to
unsuitable for
acrimonious to
benignant to
inured to
Here’s How to Crack It
Begin working on this question by first looking for clues and transition words in the sentence. Ask yourself, “Who or what is the blank describing?” The blank describes what the soil was to grains—the relationship between the two. Now, ask yourself “What else in the sentence provides insight into that person or thing?”, or in this case, what else in the sentence provides insight into the relationship of the soil to grains? The sentence states that ancient Mesopotamians switched from grain production to barley and that excessive irrigation and salt accumulation did something to the soil. These are the clues for the sentence.
Now that you’ve identified the clue, look for any transition words. In this sentence, the word after suggests that the switch from grain production to barley is the consequence of irrigation and salt accumulation’s impact on the soil. In other words, our two clues are in agreement and reflect the same meaning.
With all this in mind, now move on to Step 2. Come up with your own word or phrase for the blank that describes the effect on the soil’s relationship to grains brought about by excessive irrigation and salt accumulation—an effect that in turn would have caused ancient Mesopotamians to switch from grain production to barley. If ancient Mesopotamians had to switch from grain production to barley production, then excessive irrigation and salt accumulation must have made the soil bad for grains in some way. So, use the phrase “bad for” and move on to Step 3, checking the answer choices for any choice that indicates something “bad for.”
Choice (A), indifferent to, does not mean something “bad for” so eliminate (A). Choice (B), inhospitable to, is a good match for “bad for” because if the soil was inhospitable to grain, it would explain why ancient Mesopotamians switched from grain production to barley production. Put a checkmark next to (B). Choice (C), unsuitable for, is also a good match for “bad for” as it would also explain why ancient Mesopotamians switched from grain production to barley production, so put another checkmark next to (C).
Don’t stop evaluating the answer choices just because you found two that matched your word. Look at the remaining answer choices just in case another answer choice also matches. If that is the case, then you will need to reevaluate your interpretation of the sentence, or determine which words produce sentences that are closest in meaning. Choice (D), acrimonious to, may be a word you are unsure about, so put a question mark next to it. If you happen to know that acrimonious means angry or bitter, then you can eliminate this choice as not quite matching “bad for.” Choice (E), benignant to, may also be a word you are unsure about, so put a question mark next to it as well. Choice (F), inured to, is not a good match for “bad” as inured means to grow accustomed to something, so eliminate (F).
You have two answer choices with checkmarks next to them, two choices with question marks next to them, and two choices that are eliminated. Select the two answer choices with checkmarks next to them, which is the correct answer.
Nice work.
Click here to download a PDF of Sentence Equivalence Drill.
Work the following questions, using the same approach outlined in this chapter. Check your answers in Part V when you’re done.
1 of 5
To any observer, ancient or , the night sky appears as a hemisphere resting on the horizon.
antiquated
perceptive
modern
astute
contemporary
archaic
2 of 5
Researchers interested in the nature versus nurture debate use identical twins who were separated at birth to explore which personality characteristics are and which arise through experience.
intractable
nascent
erudite
innate
predilection
inborn
3 of 5
The eccentric Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, often used séances to contact his dead pet dog for advice; despite this behavior, the public had so much confidence in his ability as a leader that he was in power for 22 years.
capricious
lackluster
poised
unconventional
repulsive
decorous
4 of 5
The circulation of the blood makes human adaptability to the conditions of life, such as fluctuating atmospheric pressure, level of physical activity, and diet, possible.
inveterate
dynamic
timorous
cowed
turgid
oscillating
5 of 5
Arriving in New Orleans days after Hurricane Zelda had passed and without an adequate number of vehicles of its own, the armed forces began to any working form of transportation they could find, including a bus that had been chartered at great expense by a group of tourists.
repatriate
commandeer
extradite
interdict
expurgate
appropriate
The basic approach for Sentence Equivalence questions is going to be useful for each Sentence Equivalence question on the GRE. You’re going to need to know how to proceed once you encounter a question. Knowing and believing in the basic approach is extremely valuable.
But, the basic approach can get you only so far. The truth is, for some Sentence Equivalence questions, if you do not know the meanings of the words in the answer choices, you’ll likely end up guessing. There is only one, surefire defense against the possibility of guessing. That defense is having a robust vocabulary.
At the end of this section, we discuss in more detail vocabulary on the GRE. We have included the Key Terms List, which is a list of the words most commonly seen on the GRE. You should learn these words to stand the best chance of knowing many of the words you’ll see on the GRE.
One of the best ways to help learn vocabulary, and to shed some light on unfamiliar words, is by understanding the roots of words.
Word Roots
Word roots are linguistic units that have distinct meanings. They’re building blocks for words in modern English. Mastery of word roots can accelerate your vocabulary improvement. A knowledge of word roots can also sometimes help you infer enough about a mystery word to decide whether to keep or discard it as an answer choice. Here’s a smattering of common word roots:
ben or bene—good: benefit, benefactor, benediction
mal or male—bad: malign, malfeasance, malediction
anthropo—having to do with humankind: anthropology, philanthropy, anthropocentric
cise or cide—strike, cut, or kill: incisive, circumcise, homicide
gen or gene—origin, kind, or type: genesis, generate, genus, homogenous
morph or morpho—form or shape: morphology, amorphous, metamorphosis
vol or voli—will or intention: volunteer, voluntary, volition
Word roots are often combined. From the roots listed above you can now decipher several GRE-level words: benevolence (good intention), malevolence (bad intention), anthropogenic (caused by human activity), anthropomorphic (taking human form), morphogenesis (how something takes form), genocide (killing an entire group of people).
Prefixes and suffixes are especially common word roots. Just a handful of the prefixes you’re sure to encounter: ante (before), anti (against), circum (around), hyper (over, above), trans (across). And here are some common suffixes: able (for adjectives indicating capability), ism (for nouns denoting a doctrine or belief), less (for adjectives indicating absence of something), ly (used to form adverbs from adjectives).
One good way to learn word roots is by noting the etymology (origin) of words that you look up in the dictionary. Look for word roots in your Key Terms List (in Chapter 8) and any other new words you learn.
But learning the entirety of the Key Terms List or memorizing a couple of word roots is in no way comprehensive. The GRE can test any word it wants, so unless you have a full working knowledge of the dictionary, it’s likely you’ll come across some words on test day that you are unfamiliar with. That’s okay.
In the following section we’re going to outline some strategies for you to fall back on in case you are unsure how to proceed with a particular question, and you don’t know what the words mean.
It’s worth repeating here that the top strategy for all Sentence Equivalence questions is first to determine whether you know the words. Test takers too often make the mistake of believing that the strategies suggested below are a cure-all (or, to use the GRE vocabulary, a nepenthe) for their Sentence Equivalence problems. We want to be very clear about this: there is no substitute for a killer vocabulary.
These strategies may not result in eliminating all the incorrect answer choices. But, if you can eliminate some, your chances of guessing correctly are certainly improved.
When you come across a Sentence Equivalence question on test day, follow the basic approach. But, when you begin to evaluate the words in the answer choices, the best thing you can do is be honest with yourself. If you don’t know any of the words, then start thinking about some of the Process of Elimination strategies below. When confronted with a word they do not know, many test takers will make the mistake of stubbornly staring at the word, convinced that if they continue to stare, the word’s meaning will appear. This behavior wastes valuable time that could be spent dealing with other questions and words that they do know.
So, on test day, if you don’t know a word, just admit it and move on to Process of Elimination strategies. Or, if you don’t know the meanings of most or all of the words in the answer choices, make a guess and move on to the next question.
Ideally, when you encounter a Sentence Equivalence question, you are able to discern the clues in the sentence clearly and come up with a spot-on word for the blank. Ideally, too, you will know the meaning of every answer choice.
Needless to say, this ideal scenario isn’t the only situation you will come up against when working through the Sentence Equivalence questions in the verbal sections of the GRE. The precise nuance of the clues may elude you, making it hard to come up with a word for the blank. Or you may find yourself fuzzy, or even downright clueless, about the definition of some of the answer choices. Fret not. This happens to everyone!
Luckily, with two correct answer choices and four wrong ones, there are many opportunities for effective use of Process of Elimination. Let’s look at a few of the POE strategies and considerations available to you.
One way to slice quickly through the lineup of answer choices is to decide whether the word in the blank should have a positive or negative connotation and then separate the answer choices into positive ones and negative ones. You don’t need to know the exact dictionary definition of every answer choice if you can somewhat confidently identify it as positive or negative. However, note that with the exception of words such as “sizzle” words do NOT have meanings that relate to their sounds. So, don’t fall for the trap of saying something like “Oh, that word sounds ugly so it must be a negative word.” After all, pulchritude isn’t a particularly nice sounding word, but it means beauty. So, you can’t separate words that you’ve never encountered before into positive or negative. But, you may remember that a word you’ve studied has a negative meaning even though you can’t remember the precise meaning of that word.
Let’s practice using this approach on the following question:
Despite the implications of their noble status, many aristocrats were virtually penniless and lived in a state of .
indigence
opulence
eminence
penury
depravity
complacency
Here’s How to Crack It
The transition word that begins this sentence, Despite, tells us that the state in which many aristocrats…lived is the opposite of their noble status. Because noble status is a positive idea, the word in the blank should be negative. This is reinforced by the additional clue that many aristocrats were virtually penniless. Evaluate the answer choices one at a time, eliminating positive words and holding onto negative words.
Choice (A), indigence, is an uncommon word. Instead of spending time trying to decipher whether it’s positive or negative, just mark it with a question mark and move on. Choice (B) is another uncommon word, opulence, so give that one a question mark as well. Choice (C), eminence, is a positive word—think of someone described as an eminent doctor or as an eminent author. Therefore, eliminate (C) because the word in the blank has to be negative. Choice (D), penury, is another uncommon word, so mark it with a question mark. Choice (E), depravity, means moral corruption. This is certainly a negative word, but would you describe a penniless person as depraved? Not likely, so eliminate (E) as well. The final word, (F), is complacency, which means a feeling of self-satisfaction, so eliminate (F).
After all that, you have three answer choices remaining—(A) indigence, (B) opulence, and (D) penury. This is a much better situation than guessing from among all six. And if you happen to know that the word opulence is a positive word suggesting luxury, you’ve got the answer—it has to be (A) and (D).
Let’s move on to another strategy.
One strategy is to look over the answer choices for synonym pairs and choose one of these pairs for the answer. However, the warning given earlier in the chapter still holds: it is sometimes the case that the correct answer choices will not be strict synonyms while synonym pairs can be found among the incorrect answer choices! Therefore, this strategy must be used with caution and considered a last resort. It’s best reserved for times when you are pretty familiar with the words in the answer choices but having difficulty with the clue.
Consider this example:
Because mercury has a variety of innocuous uses, including in thermometers and dental fillings, few people realize that it is one of the most substances on the planet.
acidic
irritating
mundane
deleterious
disagreeable
pernicious
Here’s How to Crack It
The clue here may be confusing, making it hard to come up with a word for the blank. So work with the answer choices to pair those that are synonyms and eliminate those with no synonyms. Evaluate the answer choices one at a time.
Start by eliminating (A), which has no synonyms among the other answer choices. Choice (B) is irritating. Scanning the other answer choices for a synonym, you’ll find (E), disagreeable. If one of these is correct, the other is likely to be as well, so make them a pair. Choice (C) is mundane, which can mean either worldly or unexciting. This has no synonym among the other answer choices, so eliminate (C). Choice (D) is deleterious, a word similar in meaning to (F), pernicious, the only word remaining. Make these another pair.
This process eliminates two choices and leaves you with two pairs of synonyms. Guessing at this point will give you a 50/50 chance of getting the correct answer. If you’ve searched for the clue and come up empty-handed, those are not bad odds.
Here’s how to choose between the answer choices. The blank should describe what kind of substance mercury is. The sentence gives the insight that mercury has a variety of innocuous or harmless uses. The transition word because suggests agreement between this clue and the blank. However, the sentence contains another transition in the phrase few people, which indicates that the word in the blank should actually be the opposite of innocuous. This insight makes the correct answer (D) and (F).
With Text Completion questions, we saw that GRE ups the difficulty by creating questions with multiple blanks. Some of these questions might even have two or more sentences! Neither of these complications occurs in Sentence Equivalence questions—they are always a single sentence containing a single blank. For Sentence Equivalence questions, the writers have some other tools to make questions difficult.
Difficult Transitions. When we introduced the topic of transitions, we focused on words such as and, but, so, however, because, despite, since, although, instead, etc. But not all transitions are marked by the obvious words that typically serve this function. Be on the lookout for less-than-obvious transitions. A transition can be any language indicating that two parts, ideas, or actions in the sentence are the same or opposite in sense. Let’s consider these examples:
Being a confirmed coffee snob, Boris reluctantly the foul gas-station brew.
Being a confirmed coffee snob, Boris surprised me by the foul gas-station brew.
The clue in both sentences is that Boris is a coffee snob. In the first sentence, the adverb reluctantly implies that whatever he did with the gas-station brew was the opposite of his inclination. In the second sentence, the fact that Boris’s actions were surprising again implies an action that is the opposite of the clue. In both cases, Boris has acted against his nature as a coffee snob. Therefore, the word in the blank should suggest that Boris was willing to drink the foul gas-station brew.
For another example, consider the use of few people in the mercury example used in the previous section, on this page. There are many ways for a sentence to present things as the same or opposite, as agreeing or contrasting, as similar or different. Read carefully and critically!
Secondary Definitions. Sometimes the folks at ETS will make a question harder the old-fashioned way: with harder vocabulary.
There’s no getting around it—your best defense against a lineup of scary answer choices is a formidable vocabulary. But it’s not just about learning those polysyllabic, arcane, and unusual words. Many common words have less-common meanings or nuances that may be exploited on the test. The verb apprehend, for example, usually means to catch or arrest a wrongdoer. But it may also simply mean to perceive or to understand. While the verb realize commonly means to become fully aware of something, it can also mean to make something a reality. The adjective fast may describe something speedy or something fixed securely in place. And, as a verb, flag can mean to mark with a flag or to become droopy or tired. Here’s the moral of the story: when you learn a new word, take the time to learn the secondary and tertiary definitions as well.
Tips for Advanced Sentence Equivalence. Our tips for conquering the most difficult Sentence Equivalence questions fit within the three steps of the basic approach:
Find the clues and transition words.
Begin by asking “Who or what is the blank describing?” and “What else in the sentence gives insight into that person or thing?
For Sentence Equivalence questions it may be difficult to identify the clue using the questions above. If that is the case, then start by determining the part of speech needed in the blank. This helps you to more concretely and efficiently answer the question “Who or what is the blank describing?”
Transitions are not always clearly marked with words such as and, but, so, however, because, despite, since, although, instead, etc. Be alert to other ways that a sentence can make two parts the same or opposite, agreeing or contrasting.
Come up with your own word or phrase for the blank.
The more thoroughly you’ve done Step 1, the easier it will be to come up with a word for Step 2, and the better that word will predict the correct answer choices.
Do not be preoccupied with coming up with the perfect, most GRE-worthy word. Feel free to recycle from the clues in the sentence. Use a phrase instead of a single word. You do want a word or phrase that accurately reflects the clues. But your goal is not to have a scratch pad full of elegant words; it’s to answer the questions quickly and correctly.
Check each answer choice and use your scratch paper.
Stick with the clues and the word you come up with. In reviewing the answer choices, if you have to choose between words you know that don’t match and words you don’t know, pick from the words you don’t know! For example, if you have eliminated three answer choices and put question marks next to the other three, pick two from the ones that you’ve marked with question marks.
What makes a Sentence Equivalence question harder is often just the difficulty of the words in the answer choices. Your best defense is to build a strong vocabulary. Learn your word lists, and learn the range of meanings for each word.
The correct answer will not always be a pair of synonyms, and synonym pairs in the answer choices are not necessarily the correct answer. See the Cautionary Tale on Synonyms at the beginning of this chapter (this page).
Let’s put these advanced skills together in working through some more difficult questions.
Despite their outward negativity, many a cynic harbors an inner faith in the of humankind.
benevolence
precocity
parsimony
ignobility
antipathy
probity
Here’s How to Crack It
Find the clue for this Sentence Equivalence question by asking, “Who or what is the blank describing?” If the answer to that question is unclear, then determine the part of speech to more easily answer the question. In this case, the blank is a noun describing some aspect of humankind that cynics have faith in. Now ask, “What else in the sentence gives insight into that person or thing?” This clue comes from the introductory phrase, [d]espite their outward negativity. Despite is a transition word suggesting that their outward negativity is the opposite of their inner faith in some aspect of humankind. Therefore, the blank must refer to some positive aspect of humankind. Pick an appropriate word such as the “good” of humankind for the blank, or focus on positive words in the answer choices. Evaluate the answer choices individually.
Choice (A), benevolence, is a positive word so keep (A). Choice (B), precocity, is an uncommon word, so put a question mark next to this one. The same can be done for (C), parsimony. Choice (D) has the root word noble in it, which is certainly positive, but the prefix ig- makes it a bad thing—think of the word ignorant. Eliminate this choice. Choice (E) has the prefix anti-, meaning against. This generally implies something negative, so eliminate (E). Choice (F), probity, is another tough word, so put a question mark next to it.
At this point, select (A), as it is the only choice with a checkmark next to it. Choices (B), (C), and (F) all have question marks, so if there is no way to further parse out what those words mean, pick one of them to go with (A) and move on. At the worst, you have a 1-in-3 chance of guessing correctly. Taking the POE a little further, you should also be able to eliminate (B). The word precocity is related to precocious. It also begins with the prefix pre-, meaning before—an idea that’s neither positive nor negative. Choice (C), parsimony, means frugality, and (F), probity, means honesty and integrity. Thus, the correct answer is (A) and (F).
Let’s try one more:
Formerly seen only on sailors and bikers, tattoos in the United States have become so in urban culture as to lose any rebel cachet.
prepossessing
fascinating
pedestrian
peripheral
marginal
pervasive
Here’s How to Crack It
Find the clue by asking first, “Who or what is the blank describing?” If the answer to that question is unclear, then determine the part of speech to more easily answer the question. In this case, the blank is an adjective describing what tattoos have become…in urban culture. Now ask, “What else in the sentence gives insight into that person or thing?” Clues here are that they were [f]ormerly seen only on sailors and bikers and that, as a consequence of what they’ve become, they have lost any rebel cachet. The word formerly is a transition word suggesting that tattoos—or specifically their cultural significance—have changed in some way. Therefore, the blank should suggest the opposite of being seen only on sailors and bikers. A good word might simply be “common,” so use that for evaluating the answer choices. Evaluate the answer choices individually, looking for reasons to eliminate each.
Choice (A), prepossessing, might be unfamiliar. Trying to determine the meaning from its parts, you’d come up with something like “owning before.” It’s hard to see how this matches “common,” so eliminate (A). Choice (B) is fascinating. While modern culture may be fascinated with tattoos, it doesn’t match the word “common,” so eliminate (B). Choice (C) is pedestrian. As an adjective, pedestrian can mean either walking on foot or ordinary. In the sense of ordinary, this is a good match for “common,” so put a checkmark next to (C). Choice (D), peripheral, means at the edge of something—not a match for “common.” Eliminate (D). Choice (E), marginal, means the same thing as peripheral, so eliminate it as well. The final choice is (F), pervasive, which describes something that is found everywhere. This could be another way of saying “common,” so (F) earns a checkmark. The answer is (C) and (F).
Notice some pitfalls that we’ve avoided in this question. Two of the answer choices, peripheral and marginal, are synonyms but don’t match “common.” They’d be tempting if you missed the time transition implying that tattoos have changed from being something unusual. The words prepossessing, meaning impressive or pleasing, and fascinating are another decoy synonym pair. The correct answer choices, pedestrian and pervasive, aren’t strict synonyms. Furthermore, recognizing pedestrian as a correct choice depends on knowing its secondary definition. These are all traps that might have tripped you up before, so you’ve learned a lot!
Click here to download a PDF of Sentence Equivalence Practice Set.
Work the following questions, using all the techniques you’ve learned for Sentence Equivalence. Check your answers in Part V when you’re done.
1 of 5
Possessed of an insatiable sweet tooth, Jim enjoyed all kinds of candy, but he had a special for gumdrops, his absolute favorite.
container
affinity
odium
nature
disregard
predilection
2 of 5
Although the Wright brothers’ first attempted flight in 1901 was a and subsequent efforts similarly ended in failure, they persisted and ultimately made the first successful airplane flight in 1903.
fiasco
debacle
hindrance
feat
triumph
precedent
3 of 5
The fuel efficiency of most vehicles traveling at speeds greater than 50 miles per hour as the vehicle’s speed increases, due to the increased aerodynamic drag placed on the vehicle.
equalizes
adapts
stabilizes
diminishes
increases
wanes
4 of 5
Despite the vast amount of time Francis dedicated to learning six different languages, he was communicator; his mastery of vocabulary and grammar failed to redress his inability to construct cogent prose.
a florid
an inept
a prolific
an astute
a morose
a maladroit
5 of 5
The twins’ heredity and upbringing were identical in nearly every respect, yet one child remained unfailingly sanguine even in times of stress while her sister was prone to angry outbursts that indicated an exceptionally choleric .
genotype
environment
physiognomy
incarnation
temperament
humor
The approach for Sentence Equivalence questions is the same as that for Text Completions. Ignore the answer choices, ask who or what the blank is describing, look for clues and transition words, fill in your own word for the blank, and check the answer choices against your word using POE. You must pick two answer choices.
Identifying the part of speech that should go in the blank will help answer who or what the blank is describing.
Pay close attention to transitions. Transitions indicate two parts of the sentence are the same or opposite in meaning. They are often marked by obvious words like and, but, so, however, because, despite, since, although, instead, etc. Other transitions are not as obvious but still important.
If the clue is hard to decipher, you can simplify POE by determining if the word to go in the blank should be positive or negative. Then narrow down the answer choices by eliminating those that don’t match.
The two correct answer choices may not be strict synonyms.
Sentence Equivalence questions can be made harder simply by having more difficult words in the answer choices. Keep working on vocabulary every day! Learn prefixes, suffixes, and other word roots.