GRE General Test Verbal Reasoning Syllabus

Verbal Reasoning syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Verbal Reasoning in GRE General Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading Comprehension

   7 topics

   • Passage Types and Structure
   • Main Idea and Primary Purpose Questions
   • Detail and Supporting Idea Questions
   • Inference Questions
   • Select-in-Passage Questions
   • Multiple-Answer (Select All That Apply) Questions
   • Vocabulary-in-Context Questions
2. 2

   Critical Reasoning

   6 topics

   • Identifying Premises and Conclusions
   • Strengthen and Weaken the Argument
   • Assumption Questions
   • Evaluate and Explain the Argument
   • Identifying Logical Flaws
   • Bold-Faced and Paradox Questions
3. 3

   Text Completion

   4 topics

   • Single-Blank Text Completion
   • Double-Blank Text Completion
   • Triple-Blank Text Completion
   • Elimination Strategies
4. 4

   Sentence Equivalence

   4 topics

   • Identifying Synonym Pairs
   • Context-Driven Word Selection
   • Avoiding Single-Answer Traps
   • Tone and Connotation Matching
5. 5

   Vocabulary Building

   4 topics

   • High-Frequency GRE Word Lists
   • Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
   • Secondary and Less-Common Meanings
   • Memorization and Spaced Repetition Techniques
6. 6

   Verbal Test Strategy and Pacing

   4 topics

   • Section Adaptive Format and Timing
   • Process of Elimination
   • Question Triage and Mark-Review
   • Educated Guessing

Verbal Reasoning flashcards for GRE General Test

22 of 50 cards from the Verbal Reasoning deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three main passage lengths on the GRE Verbal Reasoning section, and roughly how many questions accompany each?

   Short passages (one paragraph) typically carry 1-3 questions; medium passages (2-3 paragraphs) carry 2-3 questions; long passages (4+ paragraphs, usually one per test) carry about 4 questions. Most GRE passages are short.

2. Name four common organizational structures of GRE reading passages.

   1) Thesis-support (author states a claim and defends it); 2) Compare/contrast (two theories, views, or phenomena weighed against each other); 3) Problem-solution (an issue is described, then a remedy proposed or evaluated); 4) Old view vs. new view (a traditional interpretation is presented, then challenged or revised by new evidence).

3. From which subject areas are GRE reading passages drawn, and why does this matter strategically?

   Passages come from the humanities, social sciences, physical/biological sciences, and everyday topics (arts, business). No outside knowledge is required or rewarded—every answer must be supported by the passage itself, so you should never use prior subject knowledge to pick an answer.

4. What structural signal words indicate a contrast or pivot in a GRE passage, and why are they important?

   Words like 'however,' 'but,' 'yet,' 'although,' 'nevertheless,' and 'on the other hand' signal a shift in direction. They often mark where the author's real point begins (especially in old-view/new-view passages), making them key landmarks for main idea and tone questions.

5. What is the difference between the 'main idea' and the 'primary purpose' of a GRE passage?

   The main idea is WHAT the passage says—its central claim or message. The primary purpose is WHY the author wrote it—the function of the passage, expressed with verbs like 'to argue,' 'to describe,' 'to evaluate,' or 'to reconcile.' Purpose answers focus on the author's intent; main idea answers summarize content.

6. What are the two most common wrong-answer traps in GRE main idea questions?

   1) Too narrow: the answer describes only one paragraph or a supporting detail rather than the whole passage. 2) Too broad: the answer goes beyond the passage's actual scope. A correct main idea answer must cover the entire passage without exceeding it.

7. In a primary purpose answer choice, why is the opening verb critical, and how should you use it?

   The verb defines the author's action: 'argue/advocate' implies a strong opinion, 'describe/explain' implies neutrality, 'challenge/refute' implies opposition, 'compare' implies two views. Eliminate choices whose verb mismatches the passage's tone—e.g., eliminate 'argue' for a neutral descriptive passage—before evaluating the rest of the sentence.

8. How do you recognize a Detail (Supporting Idea) question on the GRE, and what is the golden rule for answering it?

   Detail questions use stems like 'According to the passage...' or 'The passage mentions which of the following...'. Golden rule: the correct answer is explicitly stated in the passage, usually as a close paraphrase. Always relocate the relevant lines and match the answer to the text rather than answering from memory.

9. Why are answer choices that copy exact words from the passage often wrong on GRE detail questions?

   Test writers frequently build trap answers from verbatim passage language attached to a distorted meaning, while the correct answer paraphrases the idea in new words. Match meanings, not words.

10. List three common wrong-answer types for GRE detail questions.

    1) True in the real world but not stated in the passage; 2) Distortion—uses passage language but twists the meaning (e.g., reversing cause and effect or overstating with 'all'/'never'); 3) Wrong location—a fact stated elsewhere in the passage that does not answer the specific question asked.

11. What does 'infer' mean on the GRE, and how does it differ from everyday inference?

    A GRE inference is something that MUST be true based on the passage—a small, logically unavoidable step from stated information. Unlike everyday inference, it is not a plausible guess or a real-world likelihood. If a choice could be false while the passage remains true, it is wrong.

12. Which quality makes an answer choice more likely correct on a GRE inference question: bold and specific, or modest and qualified? Why?

    Modest and qualified. Choices with soft language ('some,' 'may,' 'at least one,' 'not all') are easier to prove from limited text, while extreme wording ('all,' 'never,' 'must,' 'only') requires proof the passage rarely provides. Correct inference answers tend to be the weakest defensible claims.

13. What question stems signal an Inference question on GRE Reading Comprehension?

    Stems like 'It can be inferred that...', 'The passage suggests/implies...', 'The author would most likely agree that...', and 'Which of the following is most strongly supported?' All require an answer provable from the text, not merely consistent with it.

14. How does a Select-in-Passage question work on the GRE, and how is it answered?

    You are asked to click the sentence in the passage that performs a stated function (e.g., 'Select the sentence that presents a counterexample'). You answer by highlighting one sentence in the passage—there are no lettered answer choices. Only sentences in the indicated paragraph(s) are eligible.

15. What is the recommended strategy for Select-in-Passage questions?

    Translate the question's description into your own words (what role must the sentence play—claim, evidence, concession, example?), then test candidate sentences one at a time against every part of the description. The correct sentence must satisfy the entire description, not just a keyword from it.

16. On which passages do Select-in-Passage questions appear, and what scoring caveat applies?

    They appear only on shorter passages in the computer-delivered test (paper editions replace them with equivalent multiple-choice items). There is no partial credit: only the one sentence that fully matches the description earns the point.

17. How does GRE 'Select All That Apply' (multiple-answer) Reading Comprehension differ from standard multiple choice?

    It presents three answer choices (labeled with squares, not ovals), and one, two, or all three may be correct. You must select every correct choice and no incorrect one to earn credit—there is no partial credit.

18. What is the correct strategy for evaluating choices on a Select-All-That-Apply question?

    Evaluate each of the three choices independently as a true/false judgment against the passage, rather than comparing choices to each other. Do not assume a fixed number of answers is correct—any combination from one to three is possible.

19. How can you visually distinguish multiple-answer questions from single-answer questions on the GRE?

    Multiple-answer questions use square checkboxes and instruct 'Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply'; single-answer questions use oval/round buttons and ask for exactly one choice among five.

20. What is the essential rule for Vocabulary-in-Context questions on the GRE?

    Answer based on how the word functions in the passage, not its most common dictionary meaning. The tested word usually carries a secondary or context-specific sense, and the most familiar definition is typically a trap.

21. Describe the substitution strategy for Vocabulary-in-Context questions.

    Cover the tested word, reread the sentence, and predict your own replacement word from context. Then substitute each answer choice into the sentence; the correct choice preserves the sentence's exact meaning and logic. Choices that are valid definitions of the word but distort the sentence are wrong.

22. In a GRE argument, what is a premise and what is a conclusion?

    A premise is a statement offered as evidence or support—a fact, finding, or reason the author asks you to accept. The conclusion is the claim the author is trying to establish, which the premises are meant to support. The conclusion depends on the premises; the premises stand on their own.

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