how do you study for the GRE verbal?

[Dear Summer]

I don't have much time so I plan to just memorize the "GRE high frequency" word list you see in kaplan, princeton review, barron books. Isn't the verbal section, either you know it or you don't? How much will memorizing 500 words help you?

 

[johnjohn320]

I didn't. Still did pretty well. Just use some etymologic knowledge to eliminate answers.

 

[Dear Summer]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I didn't. Still did pretty well. Just use some etymologic knowledge to eliminate answers.

can you break down how you eliminated answers?
not sure what you mean

 

[Parasitic]

Just look over some study guides and if you're American you should do just fine. In the sciences GRE scores are sorta just procedural anyways.

 

[dullard]

It is usually a "you know it or not" type of problem. But, you can certainly do better than random guessing. Does the word "feel" positive or negative? If you get a feeling that leans either way, then you can eliminate most of the answers. Your feeling might be wrong, but more often than not it isn't.

Ususally the people that score really well on the verbal GRE section are foreigners who spend years memorizing obscure words. Then these foreigners often fail the test of english as a foreign language since they only know definitions but not how to use those words. If you go into math, science, or engineering, your verbal score might not even matter.

 

[Mo0o]

Is GRE similar to SAT verbal? For that I just used flash cards and a list of common SAT words. It was tedious but I think the knowledge pays dividends well beyond the test itself.

 

[johnjohn320]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Is GRE similar to SAT verbal? For that I just used flash cards and a list of common SAT words. It was tedious but I think the knowledge pays dividends well beyond the test itself.

I found it a lot harder than the SAT, but same sort of idea, yes.

To the OP: break down the big words into smaller chunks. Notice certain things, like if it has "poly" you know you're dealing with something plural, if it has "micro" you know you're dealing with some really small, etc. It won't save you from flying a little blind, but it helps.

 

[Rubycon]

Protocol 47?

 

[Mo0o]

Another method is to group words with similar definitions together and memorize them in chunks like that. Chunking is pretty vital in med school, especially during anatomy

 

[zinfamous]

Flash cards.

Learn your roots, pre-fixes and suffixes. That is THE most important thing you can do. Try to memorize some serious WTFBBQ made-up words, because you will invariably get one or two of those in the section. This isn't really important, as the roots and pre- -suf should help you eliminate enough choices for those definitions.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: johnjohn320

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Is GRE similar to SAT verbal? For that I just used flash cards and a list of common SAT words. It was tedious but I think the knowledge pays dividends well beyond the test itself.

I found it a lot harder than the SAT, but same sort of idea, yes.

To the OP: break down the big words into smaller chunks. Notice certain things, like if it has "poly" you know you're dealing with something plural, if it has "micro" you know you're dealing with some really small, etc. It won't save you from flying a little blind, but it helps.

same method, yes, but GRE is way harder. Strangely enough, the math sections are pretty much the same level....

distinguishing intra- vs inter- and other similar prefixes will go a long way.

 

[jagec]

Read a LOT as a kid, know your latin roots.

 

[erub]

I did notice a few of those words from Kaplan and PR lists on the exam. But yeah its a much harder verbal section than the SAT. I only studied those (made flashcards), for about a week and that was enough to do pretty well.

 

[ja1484]

People study for the GRE?

Why?

Originally posted by: Dear Summer

Originally posted by: johnjohn320
I didn't. Still did pretty well. Just use some etymologic knowledge to eliminate answers.

can you break down how you eliminated answers?
not sure what you mean

He has trouble with the etymological characteristics of etymologic. I am amused.

 

[Farang]

There are some things that help. Like answers containing absolutes are almost always wrong unless all of the answers contain absolutes. Also if you notice any assumption in the answer, do not be tempted, an assumption is a sign saying "WRONG WRONG WRONG" so steer clear. I'm taking these from what I learned on the LSAT but from what I remember the GRE questions are similar.

I didn't study and wish I had, I was too cocky and only got a 65th percentile. Compare that with my 85th percentile LSAT, which I did study for and actually take seriously.

edit: I seem to remember essays with multiple choice answers on the verbal part also.. maybe I am wrong