GRE Verbal in Dubai: use sentence logic as well as vocabulary
Vocabulary matters in GRE Verbal, but knowing the definitions of every option does not guarantee a correct answer. You must also identify how the sentences relate and what evidence constrains the missing word.
Original Text Completion exercise
Although the proposal initially seemed impractical, the committee became ______ after the pilot study showed that it could work.
- receptive
- indifferent
- hostile
- bewildered
- inflexible
Answer: A, receptive. “Although” sets up a contrast with the initial negative reaction. The successful pilot supplies a reason for becoming open to the proposal. The other options do not express that supported change in attitude.
Before reading the options, a useful prediction is “more willing to consider it”. That prediction comes from the sentence rather than the emotional tone of an isolated word. This is an original teaching example, not an ETS question.
Use the current timing and score correctly
GRE Verbal has 12 questions in an 18-minute first section and 15 questions in a 23-minute second section. The difficulty of the second section depends on first-section performance. There is no independently reported “first-section score of 150”; the reported Verbal score covers the section performance together.
Review beyond the correct word
In your log, separate an unknown definition from a missed logical relationship. For Text Completion, mark contrast, continuation and cause. For Reading Comprehension, identify the passage evidence that supports the answer and the extra assumption in each rejected option.
Use official GRE practice to work with the real formats. Schedule vocabulary review alongside question analysis in the free study planner. A Dubai GRE tutoring lesson should help you explain why an answer follows, then check that reasoning on a fresh question.