GRE Verbal Practice Questions – Sentence Equivalence

1. C, E

2. A, D

3. B, F

4. A, D

5. D, F

6. A, E

7. A, D

8. B, D

9. C, F

10. D, E

11. A, F

12. E, F

13. C, D

14. B, E

15. A, E

16. B, D

17. B, C

18. D, F

19. C, E

20. A, E

21. B, E

22. B, C

23. D, F

24. B, E

25. A, F

26. D, E

27. C, F

28. C, E

29. A, B

30. A, D

31. A, D

32. D, F

33. B, D

34. E, F

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1. Word clues such as “simper,” “snide,” and “insubordination” indicate that Katie’s daughter is rebellious. (B) zealous and (D) primal, even if you’re not sure what they mean, don’t have synonyms in the sentence. (A) docile means teachable and corresponds to (F) amenable, agreeable, which are too positive for the sentence. The answer is (C) incorrigible, which means unreformable, and (E) irredeemable.

2. The phrase “While many…others” implies a contradiction within the sentence. Thus, the answer should be opposite in meaning to “enlightening” or “continually relevant.” Your word to fit the blank might be something like “obsolete” or “irrelevant.” (A) archaic and (D) antediluvian both mean outdated. A trick answer is (B) inane, which means empty or silly. This would make sense in the context of the sentence, but since none of the other answer choices are a close synonym, (B) cannot be an answer. The answer is (A) and (D).

3. Since she has “surpassed frugality,” the blank must mean frugal to a greater degree. Look for words then that mean “cheap.” The answer is (B) and (F).

4. Know your vocabulary, and use process of elimination. If he has trysts with supermodels, he is probably known as a womanizer. Eliminate the answers you know don’t mean that, such as (B) philanthropist, (E) patriarch, and (F) puritan. The answer is (A) and (D).

5. The phrase “rather than” lets us know the blank is opposite in meaning to “subjective.” You might come up with the word “objective” for the blank. The answer is (D) and (F).

6. “Suspect” and “mere” imply that the speaker has a less than positive opinion of the subject. A more negative description of joyousness would be foolishness or stupidity. The answer is (A) and (E).

7. If a mother must “endlessly endure” something, she would require patience and determination. The answer is (A) and (D).

8. For something to be scientifically valuable, it must be proven through several experiments. Look for words that mean “proven.” The answer is (B) and (D).

9. Abjuring carnal pleasures means becoming less worldly and practicing self-restraint and self-denial. If you don’t recognize some of the answer choices, eliminate the ones you know don’t fit. The answer is (C) and (F).

10. Burnt hair smells terrible. If you don’t know this, the key phrase is “unpleasant result.” You might come up for a word to fit the blank such as “nasty.” The answer is (D) and (E).

11. The clue to this sentence is the word “dulcet,” which means gentle and soothing. The phrase “One wouldn’t expect…to be anything but” indicates that the blank will support the positive connotation of “dulcet.” Thus, the synonym set (B) and (E), which mean irritable, cannot fit the blank. The answer is (A) and (F).

12. Look for the set of synonyms in the answer choices. Though (A) prologue or (D) snippet might make sense in the context of the sentence, neither one has a synonym among the other answer choices. The answer is (E) and (F).

13. Come up with your own word to fit the blank. Since the person must remain committed, the blank must be opposite in meaning to committed, such as “released.” Answers (A) and (B) do not mean “released,” and (E) and (F), though synonyms, mean the opposite of released. The answer is (C) and (D).

14. Recognize the contradiction in the sentence — we know that the man Bradley speaks of is his “erstwhile co-conspirator,” but he is “dumbfounded” by what he says about him. Thus, he likely is not (A) lauding or (D) aggrandizing him; he is speaking ill of him. The answer is (B) and (E).

15. This question is more difficult, as almost any of the answer choices could work within the sentence. So, you must rely on finding a set of synonyms. “Progeny” and “posterity” both mean offspring. The answer is (A) and (E).

16. The key words in this sentence are “indigents,” meaning impoverished people, and “refuse,” meaning garbage. So, if poor people are building their homes out of garbage, they must have limited resources. The answer is (B) and (D).

17. If there is tension between conquered and conqueror, an effective method of combatting it would be to lessen the differences between the two. By making all people “Romans,” the empire is integrating conquered nations into its culture. The answer is (B) and (C).

18. To recapitulate means to recap or summarize, so the phrase would be “brief.” If you weren’t sure of the meaning of recapitulating, use the clues earlier in the sentence, which talk about lengthy, verbose passages and then one phrase. The answer is (D) and (F).

19. If a company is on the verge of bankruptcy, they have neither funds nor the hope of getting funds in the near future. Thus, the “dubious hope” would be the acquisition of money. The answer is (C) and (E).

20. If Michael is able to do the job (“aptitude is certain”), but he has a reputation for dishonesty (“probity is equivocal”), the manager would have a difficult time deciding whether to hire him. Come up with a word or phrase to fit the blank, such as “go back and forth.” The answer is (A) and (E).

21. The phrase “in favor of” sets up a contradiction. So, if deists embrace a logically deduced god, they would reject or renounce the idea of an incomprehensive one. The answer is (B) and (E).

22. Know your vocabulary. A “behemoth” is a “monster” or anything of monstrous size or power. If you didn’t recognize this vocabulary word, you could have figured it out by recognizing that in order to acquire a “modest” company among others, this company must be large. To “amalgamate” means to consolidate. Thus, using the context clues, you might come up with a word like “demoted” “lowered” to fit the blank, as Jenny has moved from being a business owner to a manager. The answer is (B) and (C).

23. The phrase “rather than” lets us know the blank will be dissimilar to “empowered,” a word with positive connotation. Thus, we can eliminate (A) emancipated and (B) euphoric, because both of these words have positive meanings. Be careful here, though; several of the remaining answer choices make sense in the context of the sentence, but the key is to find the two that give it similar meaning. (D) and (F) both mean fatigued or weakened. The answer is (D) and (F).

24. The key words in this sentences are “while,” which sets up a contradiction, and “explicitly,” which demonstrates that a close distinction will be made. To sanction is to openly support, so the blank should mean to support but not openly. The answer is (B) and (E).

25. One would expect an aging man to move slowly and carefully, so if the way he’s moving is surprising, he would be moving quickly. The answer is (A) and (F).

26. Eliminate answers (A) and (B), which don’t fit the context of the sentence. All of the remaining answer choices could work, but it is (D) and (E) that give it similar meaning. The answer is (D) and (E).

27. This is a difficult question. The key vocabulary word in the sentence is “salubrious,” which means healthful. Thus, if the connection has convinced some nutritionists that eggs are healthful, it must be a weak tie between eggs, which contain high levels of dietary cholesterol, and blood cholesterol, which determines health. The answer is (C) and (F).

28. Pretentious people put on airs, so a new neighbor that stands out would be genuine or sincere. The answer is (C) and (E).

29. Several of the answer choices could fit the blank, so try to eliminate the lone rangers. “Frugality” and “affability,” though they might make sense in the sentence, don’t have any related words in the answer choices. Recognize two sets of answers — Diffidence and reticence and boldness and temerity. If the market is competitive, you would need to be bold. The answer is (A) and (B).

30. The state preceding a massive collapse and explosion? Sounds pretty “unstable.” Look for the synonyms that mean unstable. The answer is (A) and (D).

31. The word “while” indicates a contrast between what is expressed in the first clause (welcoming the move) and what is expressed in the second clause (opposing the move). The answer is (A) and (D).

32. “Despite” sets up a contrast between the key phrase “uplifting experience” and the missing word. The implication is that in spite of the rewards, the job is harsh and trying. The answer is (D) and (F).

33. The passage states that when sitting behind his desk J. Edgar Hoover looked larger than he actually was. So the perspective must have increased the appearance of his size. “Distorted” could make sense in the sentence, but there is no other closely related word in the answer choices. The answer is (B) and (D).

34. The word “as” in the sentence indicates that the missing word is explained or defined by the clause that follows it: “they do not complain about menial chores given to them or about harsh treatment meted out.” This aptly describes a “docile” or “compliant” person. The answer is (E) and (F).