Master the Gre 2010 - Part 42

The test designers’ favorite types of words: • Those that are uncommon enough that a large percentage of test takers won’t know them, but not so obscure that almost no test takers will k

Uncommon Form More Familiar Form

digressive (winding or meandering) digression (deviation)

gleanable (gatherable or discoverable) glean (to gather or to discover

through patient investigation)

drinking)

zenithal (upright or vertical) zenith (highest point)

Now here’s a GRE-style Antonym in which this technique is useful:

10 PENDENCY:

(A) domination

(B) hope

(C) finality

(D) anguish

(E) informality

The correct answer is (C) The headword PENDANCY is the noun form of the

more familiar adjective (or verb) pending, which means “not yet final or

finalized.” Recognizing the everyday word in its less familiar form here makes

this Antonym easy to handle

Watch Out for Synonyms

Don’t be surprised to run across a synonym of the headword among the answer choices.

And under exam pressure, it’s remarkably easy to confuse a synonym for an antonym

To avoid “synonym syndrome,” always verify your choice before moving to the next test

question (Remember step 4 in this chapter’s previous section?)

You encountered this ploy in action earlier in the chapter Question 2 of this chapter

included the answer choice stall, which was similar in meaning to the headword

TABLE Here’s another example:

11 GAUCHE:

(A) hard-working (B) gentle in manner (C) financially secure (D) soothing to listen to (E) lacking in tact The correct answer is (B) GAUCHE means “lacking social graces; tactless,” so

choice (E) provides a synonym, but if you’re not careful you might select choice (E), just because it is related in meaning to GAUCHE You’d be wrong, of course Choice (B) provides the best antonym Although it is not a perfect description of

what a gauche person is not, gentle in manner comes closest among the five

choices

Just because two answer choices are close antonyms of each other, don’t assume that one is the correct choice (an antonym of the headword) and that the other is a synonym of the headword For example:

12 FETTER:

(A) criticize (B) relax (C) unleash (D) cajole (E) confide in The correct answer is (C) Choices (A) and (D) are close antonyms of each

other To cajole is to persuade by flattery, which runs contrary to the meaning of

criticize But neither criticize nor cajole is related to the headword To FETTER is

to bind or chain, just the opposite of unleash.

HOW THE GRE TESTS YOUR VOCABULARY

The rest of this chapter is devoted solely to GRE vocabulary, which comes into play in all four Verbal Reasoning question types:

Antonyms: Among all four Verbal Reasoning question types, Antonyms test your

vocabulary most directly Without at least an inkling of the meaning of the headword, you’re essentially left to random guessing The tougher the vocabulary used as a headword and in the answer choices (and the greater the number of tough words), the tougher the Antonym It’s that simple

Analogies: In Analogy questions, you need to create and identify links between

words, so without at least some understanding of what the words mean, you won’t

be able to determine relationships between them The tougher the words (and the greater the number of tough words) among the capitalized pair and answer choices, the tougher the Analogy

Sentence and Text Completions: All of the answer choices in Sentence and

Text Completion questions are words or phrases The broader your vocabulary, the

ALERT!

Don’t be fooled by answer

choices that are antonyms of

each other It’s possible that

neither one is the correct

answer.

easier time you’ll have determining which word or phrase makes the most sense

in each sentence The tougher the vocabulary in the answer choices—as well as in

the sentence or text itself—the tougher the question

Reading Comprehension: Although Reading Comprehension does not

emphasize vocabulary, tougher passages contain more advanced vocabulary,

which obviously increases the reading difficulty level The test designers might

boost difficulty levels further by incorporating tough vocabulary into a question

itself (the question stem, the answer choices, or both) Also, you might encounter

one or more vocabulary-in-context questions, for which your job is to determine

what the word means within the passage’s context So, of course it helps if you’re

already familiar with the word

HOW GRE TEST DESIGNERS CHOOSE VOCABULARY

The GRE test designers want to determine whether you possess a well-rounded

vocabulary—the kind you need to read, write, and speak effectively in graduate school

and beyond Most advanced words are fair GRE game But there are certain types of

words that the test designers are most likely to use and other types that they don’t use

at all

The test designers’ favorite types of words:

• Those that are uncommon enough that a large percentage of test takers won’t

know them, but not so obscure that almost no test takers will know them

• Uncommon words with roots and prefixes that provide useful clues about what

they mean

• Words that might remind you of certain other words but that mean something

else

• Distinctive words whose definitions are nearly impossible to guess, and that only

well-read and well-prepared test takers will know

Types of words the test designers don’t use:

• Highly technical words typically understood only by specialists or experts in

certain academic fields and professions

• Non-English words not widely used among English speakers and non-English

words with diacritical marks or non-English characters

• Archaic English words that are no longer in everyday use

• Vernacular and informal words (jargon, slang, and colloquialisms)

To help you understand how the test designers choose words to measure your

vocabulary, consider these three words:

bib

bibelot

bibliophile

NOTE

On the GRE, vocabulary is measured most directly through Antonyms, which is why you’re learning about GRE Antonyms and GRE vocabulary together in this chapter.

NOTE

Why won’t you encounter vernacular and informal words

on the GRE? Because one of the basic objectives of higher education—whether it’s undergraduate or graduate study—is to help you express ideas without resorting to such words.

You might encounter a word like bib (a cloth hung around the neck) on the GRE,

particularly in an Analogy test item (For example, BIB is to STAIN as “guard” is to

“crime.”) But the test designers wouldn’t be interested in bib for the purpose of

gauging your vocabulary, because it’s a common word with which nearly all college students are familiar

As for the word bibelot (a small relic or artifact), you might encounter it in a Reading

Comprehension passage, but only if the passage provides its meaning Otherwise, the test designers are unlikely to use this word to measure your vocabulary Why? Since it’s a technical word specific to one academic field—anthropology—so few GRE test takers would know the word that the test designers would essentially be wasting a GRE question by using it

The word bibliophile (a person who collects and/or appreciates books) is quite

test-worthy indeed, for the purpose of rewarding test takers who have a strong vocabulary and who might very well be familiar with the word Even if you’re not, you may be able to figure out its meaning by dissecting it: It’s derived from the Greek words

biblio, which means “book” (think of the word “bibliography”), and philo, which means

“love.”

Words That Contain Helpful Clues

In addition to using Greek, Latin, and other non-English word branches that you might need to memorize for the GRE, the test designers also like to use words with other commonly known root words, in one form or another In an easier GRE question, an uncommon word’s meaning will be similar to, or at least consistent with, its root word Here are three examples:

EFFLUENT (n): waste matter emitted by a sewage treatment or industrial

plant (the imbedded root is fluent)

OBEISANCE (n): a physical demonstration of respect—for example, bowing

or saluting (the root is obey)

RECIDIVISTIC (adj): characterized by habitual repetition of or return to

unlawful or immoral behavior (the root is recede)

But don’t count on words having common roots always being so easy to figure out A tougher word might contain a root that provides only a vague clue as to what the larger word means, as in these two examples:

GAINSAY (v): to deny, refute, or contradict UPSTART (n): a person who has become arrogant or overly confident as a result of a sudden rise to a position of higher status

Words that contain two roots (a compound word) sometimes send mixed messages about what they mean, as in these two compound words:

SPENDTHRIFT (n): a person who is overly free or undisciplined in spending money

VERISIMILITUDE (n): the appearance of truth

TIP

If you were paying attention to

the preceding paragraph, you

no doubt gathered that

knowing Latin and Greek (as

well as Anglo-Saxon) roots and

prefixes will help you score

high on the GRE Verbal

Reasoning section.

TIP

When you encounter an

unfamiliar word on the GRE,

look for a familiar root to help

you guess its meaning But

don’t rely too heavily on that

guess Try your best to answer

the question based on what

you know for sure.

The bottom line is this: When you encounter an unfamiliar word in the GRE Verbal

Reasoning section, by all means look for a familiar root to help you guess the word’s

meaning But never assume that your guess is always going to be right—or even close

Nevertheless, you can use your “root” knowledge to avoid random quesswork in

answering test questions

Words with Clues That Throw You Off Track

To increase the difficulty level of the vocabulary in an Antonym, Analogy, or Sentence

and Text Completion, the GRE test designers avoid providing obvious clues about a

word’s meaning They opt instead for words with roots that belie the word’s meaning

Look out for two varieties:

A word that looks or sounds like another but is either entirely unrelated or only

tenuously related:

BADINAGE (n): teasing conversation; jesting; banter (no relation to bad; think

“badminton” instead)

PRURIENT (adj): lewd; lustful (no relation to prudent)

CAUSTIC (adj): corrosive; sharp (only tenuously related to cause)

A word whose meaning is contrary to the meaning of its root but that might lead

you to guess just the opposite (that they’re similar):

ENERVATE (v): to deprive of vitality; debilitate (contrary to energize)

FACTITIOUS (adj): contrived; not genuine; artificial; counterfeit (contrary to

factual)

RESTIVE (adj) restless; impatient (contrary to restful)

Oddball Words

The most challenging type of GRE word is one that doesn’t look or sound like any other

English word and that contains no obvious root or prefix to help you guess its meaning

Some such words are modern non-English words that English speakers have adopted

(either as is or with a slightly different spelling) Others are words that are derived from

ancient languages but that are still in use today Here are three examples of the kinds of

test-worthy words whose meanings you couldn’t guess if you didn’t know them:

IOTA (n): a very small quantity; speck

BURGEON (v): to begin to grow, develop, or blossom, especially suddenly

INVEIGLE (v): to lure or entice by inducements

The only way to be ready for oddball words on your GRE is to study lists of advanced

vocabulary words But if you don’t have time, take solace: On the GRE, you won’t find

nearly as many of these odd words as you will words that contain roots and prefixes to

help you make reasoned guesses about definitions Remember: The GRE is designed

primarily as a reasoning test, not as a trivia quiz.

ALERT!

Words in tougher GRE questions might contain deceptive-looking roots Whenever you’re uncertain about which of two answer choices is better, consider the possibility that an unfamiliar word means just the opposite

of what many test takers might think.

NOTE

Expect to find a few unusual words on the GRE whose definitions you’d have to memorize to know—but also expect many unfamiliar words

to contain roots and prefixes that help you make reasoned guesses as to what these words mean.

STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A GRE VOCABULARY

To keep yourself on the straight and narrow path to your first-choice graduate program, heed the following pieces of advice for building your GRE vocabulary

Learn Words in Meaningful Groups

You can always chip away diligently at long alphabetical word lists (In fact, you may have already starting doing that.) But that’s not the most effective way to fix new words

in your memory It makes more sense to learn words by groups according to what they mean or what they look like There are all sorts of possibilities for word groups:

• a group of words that are similar in meaning (words that share the same root or prefix make an ideal group)

• a group of synonyms along with a group of their antonyms

• a group of words that look or sound similar but are unrelated in meaning (for example, “felicitous,” “filaceous,” and “fallacious”)

• a group of words that involve the same theme or subject (for example, “motion,”

“tools,” or “money”)

Don’t Rely Solely on “Hot Lists” to Build Your GRE Vocabulary

Do you really think those lists of words that supposedly appear most frequently on the test will continue to appear “most frequently” on future exams? Of course they won’t Yes, some words from any “top 500” list will show up from time to time on future exams, and a few might even show up on yours—so go ahead and learn them Just keep in mind that these words are not any more likely than a host of other test-worthy words to appear on your exam

Know Where to Draw the Line with GRE Vocabulary Resources

As you know, most comprehensive GRE books contain lists of vocabulary words If you compare books side by side, you’ll notice that the lists are very much the same among books That’s because these lists are compiled from the same older GRE exams that were once administered and have now been published What does this mean? The key is not how many lists are at your disposal, but rather the kinds of lists you use

Go the Extra Vocabulary Mile for Additional GRE Points

If you start early enough and make the effort to learn as many new GRE-style words, roots, and prefixes as you reasonably have time for, some of those words will undoubt-edly appear on your exam How many? Maybe two, or maybe as many as five If you don’t think these numbers make it worth your effort to learn new words for the GRE, think again As you well know, even a few additional correct answers can make the difference

in your chances for admission to the most competitive programs

But don’t take this advice too far Ferreting out every single test-worthy word the English language has to offer is simply not worth the extra time, which is better spent

on other tasks (See the next two tips.)

TIP

When choosing vocabulary

resources, look for those that

employ a variety of methods

to group test-worthy words.

Don’t Stress Vocabulary at the Expense of Mastering Test-Taking

Strategies

A strong vocabulary is important in helping you raise your GRE score, but keep your

vocabulary review in perspective You can know the precise meaning of every word on

every GRE Verbal Reasoning section and still score low Unless you know how to draw

analogies and can recognize logical connections between sentence parts, don’t expect a

competitive Verbal Reasoning score

Don’t Memorize Word Lists at the Expense of Learning Roots and

Prefixes

The English language includes many thousands of tough and test-worthy words Be

forewarned: You will encounter at least a few new and unfamiliar words on your exam,

no matter how thoroughly you’ve prepared If you believe otherwise, you’re either

kidding yourself or you’ve committed to memory Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary Go

ahead and learn as many words as you reasonably have time for But make sure you

devote just as much time to learning roots and prefixes, which might help you guess the

meaning of those unfamiliar words you’re bound to encounter on the test

Remember: When the test designers choose an especially obscure word for the GRE,

chances are they’ve selected the word because it contains a root or prefix that will help

you guess the word’s meaning (assuming you know that root or prefix)

Don’t Rely on Practice Testing to Learn GRE Vocabulary

You’ll learn a few new words as you review your practice tests, but taking practice GRE

tests is more useful for applying test-taking skills—such as analyzing Antonyms,

Analogies, and Sentence and Text Completions and developing strategies for

respond-ing to them—than it is for improvrespond-ing vocabulary

Pace Yourself When Building Your GRE Vocabulary

Let’s say that you’ve compiled your vocabulary resources and have taken inventory of

what you need to review Now you need to set up a sensible schedule that will allow you

to cover everything by exam day Work your vocabulary-building schedule into your

regular GRE prep schedule Rather than trying to learn hundreds of words in one

session, try tackling just twenty to thirty words a day Start your GRE study each day by

learning those words, then review them at the end of your GRE study session

Systematically Review the Words You Learn

Unless you have a photographic memory, it’s not enough to “learn” a word (or a root or

prefix) once Unless you review it, the word might vanish from your memory banks So

your study schedule should include daily review of some of the words you learned during

previous days or weeks

If Your Time Is Short, Prioritize and Keep Proper Perspective

Most of what you’ve read about GRE vocabulary up to this point assumes you have

several weeks to gear up for the GRE But if you’re short on time, prioritize and keep

your perspective Your first priority should be to learn roots and prefixes, because they

appear in so many different words Next, learn as many meaningful word groups as you

ALERT!

Trying to learn every single test-worthy English word for the GRE is not an effective use of your time It’s better spent on developing reasoning skills and test-taking strategies.

have time for Finally, keep in mind that the strategies presented in the Verbal Reasoning part of this book are more important than rote vocabulary After all, the GRE

is designed as a reasoning test, not a vocabulary quiz.

SUMMING IT UP

• The GRE Verbal Reasoning section contains about 7 (out of 30) Antonym

ques-tions, which test your vocabulary and your ability to recognize subtle distinctions

between words with similar meanings

• On the GRE, the emphasis on vocabulary is stronger with Antonyms and

Analogies than it is with Sentence and Text Completions—but it comes into play

with all four question types, so be sure to review vocabulary thoroughly

• Of the four Verbal Reasoning question types, Antonyms test your vocabulary most

directly

• Test designers will generally use words that are uncommon enough for a great

percentage of test takers to be unfamiliar with them, uncommon words with roots

and prefixes that provide useful clues about what they mean, “fake-out” words

that might remind you of certain other words but have different definitions, and

distinctive words whose definitions are nearly impossible to guess and that only

well-read and well-prepared test takers will know They will not use highly

technical words that only specialists or experts would know, non-English words

not widely used among English speakers or those with diacritical marks or

non-English characters, archaic English words, or vernacular and informal words

(jargon, slang, and colloquialisms)

• Follow and review the five basic steps in this chapter for handling GRE

Ant-onyms, and use the tips and study methods outlined here to boost your

vocabulary skills Apply your knowledge to this book’s Practice Tests; then review

everything again just before exam day