GRE TEST DESIGNERS’ TOP 10 WRONG-ANSWER PLOYS If you’ve read the analysis of each sample question in this lesson carefully, you now know a great deal about how test designers formulate wrong-answer choices. Here’s a review list of the 10 techniques in GRE Reading Comprehension questions: The response distorts the information in the passage. An answer choice may understate, overstate, or otherwise alter the passage’s information or the author’s point in presenting that information. The response uses information in the passage but does not answer the question. This type of answer choice includes information found in the passage, but the information isn’t useful in helping you answer the question. The response relies on speculation or an unsupported inference. This type of choice calls for speculation; the statement won’t be readily inferable from the information given. The response is contrary to what the passage says. The answer choice contradicts the passage’s information or runs contrary to what the passage infers. The response reverses the logic of an idea. This type of response confuses cause with effect or otherwise turns around information in the passage. The response confuses one opinion or position with another. The answer choice incorrectly represents the viewpoint of one person or group as being that of another’s. The response is too narrow or specific. The answer choice focuses on infor- mation in the passage that is too specific or narrowly focused to adequately answer the question. The response is too broad. This type of answer choice embraces information or ideas that are too general or widely focused to adequately answer the question. The response relies on information not mentioned in the passage. The answer choice draws on information not found anywhere in the passage. The response is utter nonsense. This type of answer choice makes almost no logical sense in the context of the question; essentially, it’s gibberish. Chapter 14: Reading Comprehension 383 . www.petersons.com SUMMING IT UP • Practice reading “interactively” for Reading Comprehension questions. Ask yourself what the passage’s central idea is, what the author’s overall concern is, how each part of the passage relates to the main idea, and what the author’s line of reasoning is. • Take brief notes while reading the GRE passages; this will help you organize your thoughts and keep facts straight. • Simple recall questions require that you remember or find appropriate infor- mation in the passage. • For recap questions, work on recognizing the passage’s overall scope and its main emphasis. • With restatement questions, you won’t find the answer explicitly in the passage; you need to detect the specific idea the author is conveying, even if it isn’t specifically mentioned in the text. • Inference questions require that you discover a logical connection between two pieces of information in a passage and draw a reasonable conclusion from them. • For purpose-of-detail questions, look for a stem (such as “The author mentions” or “The author’s discussion of”) that helps you infer the author’s purpose in men- tioning a specific idea in the passage. • For method questions, let the question guide you to the appropriate area of the passage to determine how the author goes about making his or her points. • Vocabulary-in-context questions assess your vocabulary and your ability to under- stand how a word is intended to be used in the context of a passage. • Keep an eye out for “wrong-answer ploys” that can derail you on GRE Verbal Reasoning questions. PART V: Verbal Reasoning384 . www.petersons.com Antonyms and GRE Vocabulary OVERVIEW • Key facts about GRE Antonyms • The 5-step plan for Antonyms • Antonym strategies • How the GRE tests your vocabulary • How GRE test designers choose vocabulary • Strategies for building a GRE vocabulary • Summing it up In this chapter, you’ll learn a step-by-step approach to handling any GRE Antonym question, and you’ll apply that approach to some GRE-style Ant- onyms. You’ll also learn strategies for handling GRE Antonyms and for avoiding common test-taking pitfalls when it comes to these test items. Later in the chapter, you’ll learn how the GRE Verbal Reasoning section tests your vocabulary and how the GRE test designers choose the vocabulary words they incorporate into the test. At the end of the chapter, you’ll learn useful tips for making the most of your time to learn new words for the GRE. KEY FACTS ABOUT GRE ANTONYMS You first looked at GRE Antonyms in Chapter 2 and in this book’s Diagnostic Test. Here’s a quick review of key facts about this question format. Where: The 30-minute Verbal Reasoning section How Many: Approximately 7 test items (out of 30 altogether), interspersed with other question types on the computerized GRE What’s Tested: • Your vocabulary • Your ability to recognize subtle distinctions between words with similar meanings Directions: During the computerized GRE, test directions similar to the following will precede your first Antonym question, and a briefer version will appear above each succeeding Antonym question: chapter15 385 Directions: The following question consists of a word printed in capital letters followed by five lettered words or phrases. Choose the lettered word or phrase that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters. Since some questions of this type require you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding which one is best. Testing Format: • The headword is capitalized (all caps), but the five answer choices are not. • The capitalized headword is always one word only (no phrases), but the answer choices can be either single words or brief phrases. • Each answer choice is expressed using the same part of speech (noun, verb, or adjective) as the capitalized word. Scope of Vocabulary: • All words are part of the modern English language—but no slang, obsolete, or non-English words that have not been adopted into the English language • A common, everyday headword usually has an alternate meaning that is being tested • The best answer choice is not always a perfect opposite THE 5-STEP PLAN FOR ANTONYMS Your first task in this chapter is to learn the five basic steps for handling a GRE-style Antonym. After reviewing the following steps, you’ll apply them to three examples. Step 1: Determine the Headword’s Part of Speech Check whether the answer choices are nouns, verbs, or adjectives. (They’ll all be the same within each question.) Assume that the headword is of the same part of speech as the answer choices. Step 2: Define the Headword Be as specific as possible. If the headword is difficult to define, try to think of a close synonym that’s an everyday word. If the headword has two distinct definitions (given its part of speech), keep both in mind. Step 3: Compare Each Answer Choice with Your Definition of the Headword At this point, eliminate any answer choices that fit your definition (those that are synonyms instead of antonyms). Also eliminate answer choices that bear no clear relationship to your definition. Step 4: Compare the Quality of the Remaining Choices Choose the answer that is most nearly opposite in meaning to your definition. If you’re having trouble choosing a clear winner, either you have the definition of the headword PART V: Verbal Reasoning386 . TIP To help you improve your vocabulary, Appendix C of this book includes a survey of vocabulary-building resources—books, software, and Web sites. www.petersons.com wrong or you failed to consider another meaning of the headword. Don’t give up: Go back to step 2 and try again. Step 5: Confirm Your Selection by Comparing It to the Headword Ask yourself, “Is my selection a close antonym of the capitalized word?” If so, confirm that selection and move on to the next question. Applying the 5-Step Plan Let’s apply these five steps to three GRE-style Antonyms. Here’s the first one: 1. LOQUACIOUS: (A) rational (B) abrasive (C) agitated (D) compact (E) articulate Step 1: The first three answer choices are adjectives only. Thus, LOQUACIOUS must be an adjective. Step 2: LOQUACIOUS carries two similar but distinct meanings: “talkative” (more common) and “wordy” (less common). These are good synonyms as well. Keep them both in mind. Step 3: Choices (A), (B), and (C) bear no clear relationship either to talkative or wordy. Eliminate them. Step 4: Choices (D) and (E) are the only two viable answer choices. Let’s examine each one in turn. First, choice (D). The word compact (an adjective here) means “condensed or com- pressed.” Wordy speech is characterized by the opposite of compactness. So compact is clearly contrary in meaning to LOQUACIOUS. Next, choice (E). The word articulate (an adjective here) means “well-spoken, eloquent, or fluent.” But does an articulate person necessarily speak in a brief, concise manner (the opposite of wordy)? Not necessarily. Brevity or conciseness is not part of the job description for an articulate person. Accordingly, articulate is not nearly as opposite in meaning to LOQUACIOUS as compact. Step 5: Choice (D) appears to be the best answer. Let’s verify our decision. Is LOQUACIOUS contrary in meaning to compact? Yes. The correct answer is (D). 2. TABLE: (A) proceed (B) flatten (C) raise (D) conform (E) stall Chapter 15: Antonyms and GRE Vocabulary 387 . NOTE This chapter will refer to GRE Antonym test items simply as Antonyms. This chapter will also use the term headword to refer to the capitalized word preceding the five answer choices. www.petersons.com Step 1: TABLE is a very common word, so you can bet that it has an uncommon definition that is the focus of this question. All the answer choices are verbs, so TABLE must also be a verb here. Step 2: TABLE as a verb means “to lay aside a proposal for an indefinite period of time.” Two everyday words that are similar in meaning are delay and postpone. Step 3: Choices (B), (C), and (D) are completely unrelated to delay and postpone (and to TABLE). Eliminate them. Step 4: Proceed is contrary in meaning to table. Stall means “to delay or procras- tinate.” Stall is a synonym for TABLE, so choice (E) gets it backwards. Eliminate it. Step 5: Choice (A) appears to be the best answer. Let’s verify our decision. Is proceed contrary in meaning to TABLE? Yes. The correct answer is (A). 3. RETRIBUTION: (A) delightful experience (B) forgiveness for an offense (C) restraint in behavior (D) return to normality (E) generous donation Step 1: All of the answer choices define nouns, so RETRIBUTION must be a noun. Step 2: RETRIBUTION means “revenge or vengeance“—in other words, “getting even with someone.” Both are good synonyms. Step 3: Let’s consider each answer choice. We’ll compare each one to the phrase “getting even.” Is a delightful experience a good definition of what “getting even” is not? No. In fact, vengeance might actually be a delightful experience, at least for the avenger. Eliminate choice (A). Is forgiveness for an offense a good definition of what “getting even” is not? Yes. A person who seeks to get even with another has not forgiven the other person. So choice (B) is indeed part of the definition of what retribution is not. Is restraint in behavior a good definition of what “getting even” is not? Perhaps. “Getting even” is indeed characterized by a lack of restraint in behavior. But is restraint part of the definition of the opposite of “getting even”? Perhaps not. Let’s earmark answer choice (C) for now, and move on to choices (D) and (E). Is return to normality a good definition of what “getting even” is not? No. Getting even results in a return to equilibrium, but it may or may not result in a return to a normal relationship between the avenger and avenged. The connection is not clear enough, so eliminate choice (D). Is a generous donation a good definition of what “getting even” is not? No. “Getting even” is certainly contrary to making a gift; but it isn’t part of the definition. Eliminate choice (E). Step 4: Choices (B) and (C) are the only two viable choices. Notice that choice (C) describes the lack of vengeance, but it doesn’t describe what vengeance is not. This distinction is crucial—in fact, it’s the reason why choice (B) is a better answer choice than choice (C). If you’re still not convinced, try the reverse route: What word is the PART V: Verbal Reasoning388 . ALERT! If you think definitions as offbeat as the one for table here are too obscure for the test makers, think again! The verb table has indeed appeared as an Antonym headword on the GRE. www.petersons.com opposite of “restraint in behavior”? Impulsiveness or spontaneity. These are hardly good synonyms for vengeance, are they? Step 5: Let’s verify our decision. Is “forgiveness for an offense” a good definition of what retribution (vengeance) is not? Yes. The correct answer is (B). ANTONYM STRATEGIES In the previous section, you picked up some valuable ideas for gaining a tactical advantage on GRE Antonyms. Here you’ll review those ideas and learn about some others. As a whole, these strategies will give you the insights into Antonyms that you need to be able to think clearly about them and handle them efficiently. They’ll also help you avoid the kinds of blunders that average test takers might commit. Don’t Expect to Find a Perfect Opposite Every Time In many GRE Antonyms, you won’t find a perfect opposite among the five choices. Look again at Antonym 1 in this chapter, for example, which involves the headword LOQUA- CIOUS. Words such as terse, concise, and succinct are all better antonyms than the word compact. But none of those three words is among the five answer choices, so compact is the correct answer. Here’s another example: 4. SATE: (A) gather (B) want (C) linger (D) unhinge (E) criticize The correct answer is (B). To SATE is to “fully satisfy an appetite or desire,” as in He sated his appetite. The word deprive, which means “withhold a need or want,” is probably the best antonym, but it’s not among the five choices. One meaning of the word want is “to be without or to lack.” Though not as good an antonym as deprive, the word want is certainly contrary to SATE in meaning, and it’s the best of the five listed choices. Resolve Close Judgment Calls in Favor of the More Specific Antonym Among the test designers’ favorite Antonym ploys—especially for more challenging questions—is to provide a “runner-up” answer choice that is wrong because it is not quite as specific or on-target as the correct choice. You saw this strategy in use earlier in this chapter, in Question 3. Notice again that restraint in behavior does indeed describe the lack or absence of retribution, but it’s a bit too general; forgiveness of an offense relates more specifically to the idea of RETRIBUTION. Take a look at another GRE-style Antonym in which you need to make a judgment call between the best two choices: Chapter 15: Antonyms and GRE Vocabulary 389 . TIP If the answer choices are phrases, it’s a good bet that one of them will provide a fine definition of what the headword is not. Think of answer choice phrases as possible definitions, not just potential Antonyms. www.petersons.com 5. DELIBERATIVE: (A) free-spirited (B) rash (C) judgmental (D) indecisive (E) uninterested The correct answer is (B). A person who is careful, thoughtful, and ponderous in his or her actions and decisions is said to be DELIBERATIVE. The only viable choices are (B) and (D). A rash decision is one that is made hastily and with little or no thought. So rash is a good antonym. As for choice (D), slowness to make decisions may appear to be indecisive behavior, but what characterizes a delib- erative person is not decisiveness as much as the thought and care used in deciding. Think of a Common Synonym for an Uncommon Headword It can be difficult to analyze answer choices accompanying a difficult headword. Assuming you have an idea what the headword means, try thinking of an everyday synonym of the headword—a less difficult word or short phrase—and then compare the five answer choices with that commonly used word. For example, in Questions 1, 2, and 3 of this chapter, it helped to substitute simple synonyms for headwords: • In Question 1, we substituted wordy for LOQUACIOUS • In Question 2, we substituted delay for TABLE • In Question 3, we substituted vengeance for RETRIBUTION Let’s try applying this technique to another GRE-style Antonym: 6. VITRIOLIC: (A) simple (B) agreeable (C) uncertain (D) kind (E) humble The correct answer is (D). VITRIOLIC means “caustic” or “scathing.” But even these two synonyms are a bit unwieldy, so try using an easier word, such as mean or nasty. Now it’s easier to spot the best antonym among the five choices. The opposite of mean is kind. Don’t Give Up Just Because a Word Is Unfamiliar Ask yourself whether an unfamiliar word resembles a familiar one in any way. Perhaps the two words have the same root. If so, the two words are likely to have related meanings. For example, the word LOQUACIOUS (Question 1 in this chapter) includes the root loqu, which you’ve no doubt seen before in words such as eloquent and soliloquy. PART V: Verbal Reasoning390 . www.petersons.com Those two words both involve speech or talking. So does LOQUACIOUS. That’s no coincidence; the root loqu is based on the Latin word for speak. Here are some other headwords that are uncommon words but look like familiar ones: HEADWORD: Definition Familiar Word That Looks Similar AGGRANDIZE: to make more important grand (large) EVINCE: to demonstrate convincingly convince FORESTALL: to hinder from advancing stall (to delay) FUNEREAL: sorrowful funeral LARGESSE: generous donation large PERENNIAL: enduring annual (occurring every year) QUIESCENCE: calmness quiet NEXUS: connection next URBANE: refined or elegant urban VENAL: corrupt venom (poison) Here’s another GRE-style Antonym that involves a familiar root: 7. FLAGRANT: (A) tasteful (B) slow to act (C) lacking imagination (D) intimidating (E) barely perceptible The correct answer is (E). The headword FLAGRANT contains the root flag. You’ve probably used the phrase “flag down” to describe a disabled motorist’s signaling for help. It makes sense that the adjective form, FLAGRANT, means “obvious or conspicuous”—just what a stranded motorist is trying to be by flagging down passersby, and quite contrary to barely perceptible. To Gain Insight, Try Starting with the Answer Choice Working backwards from an answer choice to the headword may help when you’re stuck on a question. Try to think of a single word (not a phrase) that expresses the opposite of the answer choice. Then ask yourself whether that word is also a good synonym of the headword. If it isn’t, you can eliminate the answer choice. Let’s apply this technique to a GRE-style Antonym: Chapter 15: Antonyms and GRE Vocabulary 391 . ALERT! When encountering unfamiliar words, you can examine roots and prefixes to help you make educated guesses—but don’t expect this technique to work every time. www.petersons.com 8. UNSEEMLY: (A) shy (B) sacred (C) resolute (D) arid (E) obvious The correct answer is (B). The word UNSEEMLY means “improper or indecent.” We can easily rule out choices (C), (D), and (E), none of which are related to UNSEEMLY. We’re left with a difficult choice between (A) and (B). Choice (A) is tempting because we often think of a shy person as modest, a trait that is somewhat contrary to indecent (our synonym for UNSEEMLY). But what is the opposite of shy? It’s bold or outgoing, neither of which is a close antonym of UNSEEMLY. Apply the same technique to choice (B): the opposite of sacred is unholy or profane. Although profane is a much stronger word than UNSEEMLY, it is a better antonym than shy. If you’re working backwards from an answer choice to the headword and you have trouble thinking of—or even imagining—a one-word Antonym for the answer choice (as opposed to a phrase), then it’s a good bet that you can eliminate that choice. In Question 3 of this chapter, for example, can you imagine a word (not a phrase) that expresses the opposite of “a return to normality”? Probably not, which is a clue that choice (D) is a wrong answer. Here’s another example: 9. INGRATIATE: (A) distance (B) move on (C) obstruct (D) command (E) thank The correct answer is (A). Let’s say that you have no idea what INGRATIATE means. Instead of selecting an answer choice at random, scan the choices for words that have no easy one-word Antonyms. Can you think of a single-word Antonym for thank? Probably not—so it’s unlikely that choice (E) is the correct answer. For the record, to INGRATIATE oneself is to “work one’s way into another’s confidence”; to distance oneself is to “deliberately keep apart from another”—not a perfect antonym but certainly the best of the five choices. If You’re Stuck, Try Converting a Word to Another Part of Speech Many GRE words are difficult to deal with mainly because their part of speech (noun, verb, or adjective) is not commonly used. Converting the word into a more familiar form can help. Here are some examples that have appeared previously on the GRE: PART V: Verbal Reasoning392 . www.petersons.com . and GRE Vocabulary OVERVIEW • Key facts about GRE Antonyms • The 5-step plan for Antonyms • Antonym strategies • How the GRE tests your vocabulary • How GRE. in the chapter, you’ll learn how the GRE Verbal Reasoning section tests your vocabulary and how the GRE test designers choose the vocabulary words they