Gre verbal section 6 pdf

something unusual, different from the norm. But the way in which it is unusual differs significantly between

sentences. A revolutionary idea is unusual in that it is new and unlike ideas that came before; it changes things

dramatically. A radical idea, however, is unusual because it is extreme. From the word choice, we can infer that

the writer of sentence a feels very positive about Higgins’s proposal, while the writer of sentence b may feel

concerned about the extreme nature of Higgins’s plan. The writer doesn’t need to spell out his or her feel￾ings because the word choice makes his or her position clear.

DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION

Even words that seem to mean the same thing have subtly different meanings and sometimes not-so-subtle

effects. For example, look at the words dangerous and perilous. If you say, “The situation is dangerous,” that

means one thing. If you say,“The situation is perilous,” that means something slightly different. That’s because

dangerous has a different connotation than perilous. Connotation is a word’s suggested or implied meaning;

it’s what the word makes you think or feel. Dangerous and perilous have nearly the same denotation or dic￾tionary definition—in fact, each word is used in the definition of the other. But perilous suggests more threat

of harm than dangerous suggests. Peril has a more ominous ring to it than danger has and suggests a more

life-threatening situation. Perilous and dangerous, then, have different connotations, and the word you choose

to describe the situation can tell others a lot.

EUPHEMISMS AND DYSPHEMISMS

Another way writers use word choice to reveal their feelings is through the use of euphemisms and dysphemisms.

A euphemism is a neutral or positive word used in place of something negative. A common example is to sub￾stitute the phrase passed on or departed for died. A dysphemism, on the other hand, uses a negative word or phrase

(instead of something neutral or positive), such as saying croaked or kicked the bucket for died. To cite a business

example,“I’ve been let go” is a euphemism and “I’ve been axed” is a dysphemism for “I’ve been fired.”

Seven Strategies for Reading Comprehension Questions

1. Read actively! As you read, ask yourself what each paragraph is about. Make notes about the passage;

react to it on your scratch paper. Be an engaged reader. Try to become interested for a few minutes in

the passage’s subject.

2. If you have an especially good short-term memory, you may want to look at the questions before you

read the passage. Jot down the words and phrases the questions ask about, then look for those words

and phrases in the passage. When you find them, you can either go ahead and answer the question

right then or note the area to come back to later.

3. If you don’t understand what a question is asking,rephrase the question using your own words. GRE

questions are written in a very precise, formal style in order to eliminate any ambiguity. Unfortunately,

nobody talks that way, so the questions can be confusing at first glance. Once you have noted the key

words and phrases, rewrite the question in a way that makes sense to you. Don’t be afraid to add new

words to the question; just be sure the words express the same ideas as the question, and don’t change

the meaning in any way.

–THE GRE VERBAL SECTION–

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