Estimated study time: 45 minutes
Content:
Text Completion questions appear throughout both Verbal Reasoning sections of the digital GRE and ask you to fill one, two, or three blanks in a short passage (typically 1–5 sentences). Each blank has three answer choices (for single-blank questions, five choices). In multi-blank questions, you must select the correct answer for each blank independently — there is no partial credit; you must get all blanks correct to earn the point.
The most important strategy for Text Completion is to predict your own answer before looking at the choices. Read the sentence(s) carefully, identify the direction of logic (is the blank contrasting, extending, or exemplifying the surrounding text?), and predict a word or phrase that fits. Then match your prediction to the choices. Avoid the common trap of substituting answer choices into the blank and picking the one that "sounds okay" — this approach is slow and leaves you vulnerable to sophisticated distractors.
Logic keywords are your navigation tools. Contrast signals (although, however, despite, while, even though, yet, but) tell you the blank must go opposite to what was stated. Extension signals (therefore, thus, hence, as a result, consequently, furthermore, moreover) tell you the blank continues or intensifies the stated idea. Cause-effect signals (because, since, given that, so) tell you the blank is caused by or causes the surrounding information.
In two-blank and three-blank questions, work through the blanks in the order that gives you the most context. Often one blank is much easier to determine than the others — solve the easier one first and use that to constrain the remaining choices. If Blank (i) is hard but Blank (ii) is clear from context, fill Blank (ii) first, then return to Blank (i) with that additional context.
Common mistakes include choosing a word that is almost right but subtly wrong in tone, degree, or direction. GRE distractors often include plausible-sounding vocabulary words that are contextually wrong. Another mistake is not accounting for the full logical structure of the sentence — test-takers sometimes choose based on the immediately adjacent clause while ignoring a reversal earlier in the sentence that changes the direction entirely. Always reread the complete passage with your chosen answers inserted before confirming.
Key Terms:
Quiz Questions:
Q1. Although the scientist's findings were initially met with (i) __________ by the research community, subsequent experiments not only confirmed but (ii) __________ her conclusions.
Blank (i): A) enthusiasm B) skepticism C) indifference Blank (ii): D) undermined E) amplified F) replicated
A) (i) enthusiasm, (ii) undermined B) (i) skepticism, (ii) amplified C) (i) indifference, (ii) replicated D) (i) skepticism, (ii) replicated
Answer: B — "Although" signals contrast: the initial reception was negative (skepticism). "Not only confirmed but" signals the second blank must intensify beyond mere confirmation — "amplified" (strengthened or extended her conclusions) fits best. "Replicated" means reproduced, which is covered by "confirmed" — saying "not only confirmed but replicated" is redundant, not intensifying.
---
Q2. The professor was known for her __________ lectures: dense with citations, carefully structured, and leaving no argument unexamined.
A) perfunctory B) extemporaneous C) exhaustive D) abstruse
Answer: C — The description (dense with citations, carefully structured, leaving no argument unexamined) paints a thorough, comprehensive picture — "exhaustive" (thorough and complete) is the best match. "Perfunctory" (done as a routine duty, carelessly) directly contradicts the description. "Extemporaneous" (improvised, off-the-cuff) contradicts "carefully structured." "Abstruse" (obscure, hard to understand) is in the right register but doesn't capture completeness.
---
Q3. Despite the author's reputation for (i) __________, her latest novel surprised critics with its (ii) __________ prose — stripped of ornament and relentlessly direct.
Blank (i): A) prolixity B) brevity C) innovation Blank (ii): D) florid E) lapidary F) discursive
A) (i) prolixity, (ii) lapidary B) (i) brevity, (ii) florid C) (i) innovation, (ii) discursive D) (i) prolixity, (ii) florid
Answer: A — "Despite" signals contrast: the blank (i) reputation is opposite to the novel's style. Since the novel is "stripped of ornament and direct," the author's reputation must have been for verbosity — "prolixity" (excessive wordiness) fits. Blank (ii): "stripped of ornament, direct" describes spare, precisely-cut prose — "lapidary" (elegantly concise, like gem-cutting) is the match. "Florid" (elaborate, flowery) describes the opposite of what the passage says.
---
Q4. The negotiators' agreement, once considered (i) __________, proved to be surprisingly (ii) __________: minor disputes that should have (iii) __________ quickly instead dragged on for months.
Blank (i): A) contentious B) ironclad C) tentative Blank (ii): D) durable E) fragile F) comprehensive Blank (iii): G) escalated H) resolved I) surfaced
A) (i) contentious, (ii) fragile, (iii) resolved B) (i) ironclad, (ii) fragile, (iii) resolved C) (i) tentative, (ii) durable, (iii) escalated D) (i) ironclad, (ii) comprehensive, (iii) surfaced
Answer: B — "Once considered" + "proved to be surprisingly" signals contrast. Blank (i) should be positive/strong — "ironclad" (unbreakable) fits. Blank (ii) must contrast with "ironclad" and match the evidence of disputes dragging on — "fragile" fits. Blank (iii): disputes that "should have __________ quickly" but didn't — "resolved" (settled) completes the logic: disputes that should have been settled quickly instead dragged on.
---
Q5. The playwright's early work was criticized as __________, relying on stock characters and predictable plot twists that audiences had seen hundreds of times before.
A) derivative B) impenetrable C) subversive D) prolix
Answer: A — "Stock characters and predictable plot twists seen hundreds of times" describes work that copies familiar formulas — "derivative" (unoriginal, copied from existing works) is the precise match. "Impenetrable" (impossible to understand) contradicts the idea of overly familiar/predictable content. "Subversive" (undermining norms) is the opposite of predictable. "Prolix" (excessively wordy) is unrelated.
---