GRE text completion questions assess candidates on their ability to interpret and evaluate information presented to you based on your reasoning skills. GRE text completion is a sub-section of GRE verbal reasoning. It requires candidates to highlight words or phrases from given passages to fill blanks and create meaningful sentences. Candidates can expect questions featuring a sentence or short passage where one, two or three words are left blank.
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GRE Text Completion Question Types
Candidates can expect 12 text completion questions in total with 6 text-completion questions in each section. Mentioned below is the question structure:
- Passage composed of one to five sentences
- One to three blanks
- Three answer choices per blank (five answer choices in the case of a single blank)
- The answer choices for different blanks function independently; i.e., selecting one answer choice for one blank does not affect what answer choices you can select for another blank
- Single correct answer, consisting of one choice for each blank; no credit for partially correct answers
Table below summarises the overview of question pattern in GRE text completion:
| Question Types | Description | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Single Blank | These questions have a single blank to be filled up. For sentences or passages with a single blank, you will have to choose the right option from five given words | 2 in each section |
| Double Blank | Double blank text completion questions have two blanks to be filled up. You will have to choose the right answer from three given options. | 2-3 in each section |
| Triple Blank | Triple blank text completion passages have three blanks which need to be filled. Three options will be given from which you will have to pick up the right word | 1-2 in each section |
Tips for GRE Text Completion
There are a number of GRE tips that can help candidates ace the GRE exam pattern. Aspirants can comply with these tips to ensure effective preparation for GRE fill in the blanks questions. Moreover, this will also help them to strategize their approach for attempting GRE text completion questions and GRE sentence equivalence. Mentioned below are some of the valuable tips:
- Skim through the passage to derive a concept of the given texts
- Look for words like although or moreover. These words emphasise the structure of the passage or help with overall understanding of the given texts.
- Attempt GRE fill in the blanks questions with words or phrases that seem to complete the sentence. Given the condition of similar words being mentioned in the options.
- Candidates might think that there is a definite order to attempt GRE text completion questions. However, it is not necessary that the first question needs to be harder and needs to be filled first. Perhaps one of the other blanks is easier to fill first. Select your choice for that GRE fill in the blank, and then see whether you can complete another blank.
- Post selecting the answer, check for logical, grammatical and coherence within your answers to gain appropriate GRE scores.
GRE Verbal Text Completion Strategies
Effective measures can be adapted to practice GRE text completion practice questions to build skills of the aspirants for GRE exam pattern. However, it is necessary that candidates undertake immense practise of GRE text completion sample questions, Below mentioned are few strategies:
- Divide the texts in understandable sentences
When dealing with the length of GRE text completion, the questions that consist of an entire paragraph can be difficult. In that case, before you consider any of the answer choices, break the text completion up into smaller paragraphs. Try this while solving text completion practice questions. This way it would be easier during finals.
To understand this, consider the below mentioned example:
To solve this question, break the texts into smaller fragments in your own words. Doing this will help aspirants to find the appropriate words for each blank. Let’s justify this with the first sentence:
“For centuries now, cancer has (i) ___________ scientists.”
Confused here is the correct word. Candidates are to look for the word that is closest to the meaning of the word confused. From the above options, confounded is the correct word. Thus, the answer to this question will be confounded.
- Keep a check on word use and idiom problems
GRE text completion questions make use of words as well as idioms to express ideas. Thus, the texts become tricky and aspirants need to understand the motive behind the texts. This will help them to eliminate the options or choices that result in the sentence appearing puzzling or awkward. To understand this, consider the below mentioned example:
In the above mentioned question, candidates can take a hint from the last line of the passage; ‘sometimes the petty differences end up fatally’. Thus, even though the social bonding in crows, bees, and humans is strong. Sometimes they also quarrel amongst themselves and this sometimes can lead to loss of life. Thus, the answer is; Humans too, like all (i) gregarious creatures who bond together, such as the crows and bees, have their (ii) quibbles. Sometimes the petty differences end up fatally.
- Understand the relationship between texts
While solving GRE text completion & sentence equivalence big paragraphs you’ll also need to understand their relationships with one another.
For instance, consider the following example:
John’s final essay covered the works of such ________ figures in American Literature as Poe and Emerson, comparing them to the less obviously ________ words of Donna Tartt.
Blank 1:
- established
- esoteric
- counterrevolutionary
Blank 2:
- well-known
- canonical
- nuanced
You’ll notice that each choice for GRE fill in the blanks would be grammatically correct if selected. Here we see that John’s essay discusses three novelists. Two of whom are responsible for a number of American classics and the other who are not quite considered in the same regard. The sentence does not discuss the writers’ notoriety, however, allowing us to eliminate “nuanced” as an option for Blank 2. Since Tartt’s novels are far less sacred than Poe and Emerson, we land on “canonical” as the right choice for Blank 2.
- Insert your own words
Once you’ve broken a passage down and understand the relationship between the texts. Try inserting your own words, even before considering any of the answer choices for either blank. Considering the example taken earlier, we begin by inserting words that are used far more often in everyday conversation.
John’s final essay covered the works of such ________ figures in American Literature as Poe and Emerson, comparing them to the less obviously ________ words of Hilary Mantel.
Since we’re looking for two words similar in nature. We can use the word “historic” for both blanks. Most importantly, we can now use this to find the closest match to “historical” in each of the answer choices. This would point us again to “established” and “canonical.”
GRE Text Completion Sample Questions
Aspirants can find a number of GRE text completion practice questions online and develop their skills. Below mentioned are few sample questions that candidates might consider:
- It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to be (i)__________ by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to (ii)__________ his comprehensive description of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasises the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness of our observations, and the (iii)__________, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
| (A) overshadowed | (D) enhance | (G) plausibility of our hypotheses |
| (B) invalidated | (E) obscure | (H) certainty of our entitlement |
| (C) illuminated | (F) underscore | (I) superficiality of our theories |
Explanation: To understand what the author of the book trying to explain is being complimented on, so useful to focus on the second blank. Here, we must determine what word would indicate something that the author is praised for not permitting. The only answer choice that fits the case is "obscure," since enhancing and underscoring are generally good things to do, not things one should refrain from doing. Choosing "obscure" clarifies the choice for the first blank; the only choice that fits well with "obscure" is "overshadowed." Notice that trying to fill the first blank before filling the second blank is hard — each choice has at least some initial plausibility. Since the third blank requires a phrase that matches "enormous gaps" and "sparseness of our observations," the best choice is "superficiality of our theories."
Thus, the correct answer is Choice A (overshadowed), Choice E (obscure), and Choice I (superficiality of our theories).
- Vain and prone to violence, Caravaggio could not handle success: the more his (i)__________ as an artist increased, the more (ii)__________ his life became.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
| (A) temperance | (D) tumultuous |
| (B) notoriety | (E) providential |
| (C) eminence | (F) dispassionate |
Explanation:
In this sentence, Caravaggio became more successful, his life got more out of control. When one looks for words to fill the blanks, it becomes clear that "tumultuous" is the best fit for the second blank. Since neither of the other choices suggests being out of control. And the best choice is "eminence," since to increase in eminence is a consequence of becoming more successful. It is true that Caravaggio might also increase in notoriety, but an increase in notoriety as an artist is not as clear a sign of success as an increase in eminence.
Thus, the correct answer is Choice C (eminence) and Choice D (tumultuous).
- In parts of the Arctic, the land grades into the landfast ice so _______ that you can walk off the coast and not know you are over the hidden sea.
| (A) permanently |
| (B) imperceptibly |
| (C) irregularly |
| (D) precariously |
| (E) relentlessly |
Explanation:
The word that fills the blank has to characterise how the land grades into the ice in a way. It explains how you can walk off the coast and over the sea without knowing it. The word that does that is "imperceptibly"; if the land grades imperceptibly into the ice. Describing the shift from land to ice as permanent, irregular, precarious, or relentless. It would not help to explain how you would fail to know.
Thus, the correct answer is Choice B (imperceptibly).
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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