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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Sentence Equivalence Strategy

8:05 AM By , , , 2 comments


Sentence Equivalence is the new addition to revised GRE. Sentence equivalence has 6 answer choices from which you have to pick two, and there is no partial credit for 1 right answer. To get the full credit you have pick both choices correctly. What does Sentence Equivalence justify? Here is the say of ETS official:

"Like Text Completion questions, Sentence Equivalence questions test the ability to reach a conclusion about how a passage should be completed on the basis of partial information, but to a greater extent they focus on the meaning of the completed whole. Sentence Equivalence questions consist of a single sentence with just one blank, and they ask you to find two choices that lead to a complete, coherent sentence while producing sentences that mean the same thing."

 SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE STRUCTURE:
  • a single sentence
  • one blank
  • six answer choices
  • Requires you to select two of the answer choices; no credit for partially correct answers
STRATEGY:
  • Read the SENTENCE first
  • Look for the KEY words, SENTENCE structure, 
  • Come with your own words
  • MATCH the answers; check to make sure that each one produces a sentence that is logically, grammatically and stylistically coherent, and that the two sentences mean the same thing.
EXAMPLE:

1.
In the end, Bayreuth’s genial atmosphere and----------------- setting were a pleasant surprise, Jordan found, and very conducive to performing.
  • Woeful
  • Idyllic
  • Mournful
  • Catastrophic
  • Blissful
  • Sadistic
ANSWER and EXPLANATION:
B,E


After reading the sentence, you will notice that KEY words here is "and", "genial", SO the answer should be something similar to genial or something positive. Lets predict the words be "beautiful" and match the answer choice. Only "Idyllic" and "Blissful" match our prediction. Mind it, "woeful" and "mournful" are synonymous but they are not supported by the context. And Catastrophic means disastrous and Sadistic means cruel. Neither supports the context.

EXERCISE DRILL:
1.DIFFICULTY: EASY


One, that he was a sublime genius of incomparable creative power, and two, that he was a disagreeable, even intolerable ---------------.
  • Megalomaniac
  • Insincere
  • Disciplinarian
  • Martinet
  • Impertinent
  • Amiable
2.DIFFICULTY: HARD
There was an ugly side to Wagner’s conception of nationhood, however: he favored a Germany ----------------by Jewish influence, spelling out his views in a notorious pamphlet, Das Judentum in der Musik , which helped put wind in the sails of a nascent ultra-nationalist movement that fed on widespread hostility to Jews.
  • Induced
  • Inherited
  • Uncorrupted 
  • Ameliorated
  • commemorated
  • Uninfluenced 
ANSWERS:
1.A,E

The word "even" indicates that the answer should be "more disagreeable", A,E matches that.

 2.C,F
Last clause of the sentence indicates that Wagner did something which spread ed the hostility, that means he did not like to be influenced by the jewish, so the answer choice should be "not influenced"
C is tricky but it conforms to the structure. Uncorrupted means 'not corrupted' which is kind of 'not influenced', so it makes sense.And F matches directly to our prediction.




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