Verbal Section Notes

Grammar Notes

English Notes

Verbal Strategy

1000 Sentence Correction Questions

1000 Reading Comprehension Questions


Word List

Tips & Strategies for Sentence Completion Questions

Example:

After a hectic week in the city, as a relief from ______ pressures, Carrie plans to _____ on her long weekend.
(A) inveterate -- pique(B) urban -- rusticate(C) pent -- prate(D) neolithic -- venerate(E) laconic -- slake

Solution: Choice B is correct. The key word "city" indicates that the first word must relate to urban life. The trigger for the second word is long weekend. We know that Carrie wants to get away from the city, making "rusticate" a good choice.

Example:

After surgery for my knee injury, my doctor gave me painkillers that made me _____ and _____.
(A) articulate -- copious(B) doltish -- overt(C) autocratic -- congruent(D) torpid -- phlegmatic(E) ludicrous -- remiss

Solution: The first key word in this is "pain killers", which are known to induce drowsiness. The second key word is "and", indicating that the two words we seek are synonyms.

Tips & Strategies for Sentence Completion Questions

1) Identify the crucial clues in the sentence. These sentences are never vague; each will include adjectives or descriptive terms that indicate the meaning of the missing word.

2) Look for what is directly implied or stated by the sentence. Each presents a complete thought and the missing words support that thought.

3) Look for structural words that will help you find the right answer:

a) If the second part of the sentence supports or elaborates on the first part, it will invariably include words like: and, similarly, in addition, since, also, thus, because, likewise, consequently

b) If the second part of the sentece deviates or contradicts the first part, it will inevitably include words like: but, despite, yet, however, unless, rather, although, while, nevertheless
In statements with two blanks, these structural words help to determine whether the two words are synonyms or antonyms. Use the relationship between the two words ro help select the correct answer choice.

4) Quickly eliminate choices that are not grammatically correct.

5) Always check all five answer choices. Sometimes more than one choice will theoretically "fit" the sentence, but one fits better than the others. Your job is to identify the BEST choice.

6) Don't be intimidated by odd or unusal words. The sentence completion questions aren't designed to test vocabulary, yet they will often contain somewhat difficult words. Rely on the content of the sentence to determine their meaning. In nearly all problems, the definition of the word is given or strongly implied in the sentence. In sentences with two blanks, you will usually know the meaning of at least one of the two words in each answer choice. This is usually enough to help you accept or reject the answer choice.

7) If a sentence is long, meandering or otherwise complex, paraphrase it to get the gist. Consider the author's tone or attitude. Then, search the answer choices for the correct words.

8) Always read your choice back into the original sentence to verify that it makes sense.

9) Always work with the easier blank first. Often, you can eliminate one or two answer choices simply because the "easy" word in the pair doesn't fit.

10) If you can't predict an answer, quickly plug the five answer choices into the sentence. Many times, you can eliminate a few choices that don't "sound correct" in context.

WORKER -- TOOLS & MATERIALS

BOXER ---GLOVES
BRICK LAYER / MASON---- / MORTAR / TROWEL
BUTCHER----- CLEAVER
CARPENTER -----SAW / VISE / AUGER
CARTOGRAPHER---- MAPS
CHANDLER---- WAX
COBBLER----- LEATHER / AWL
COBBLER -----AWL / ANVIL
CONDUCTOR ----BATON
COWBOY------- LARIAT / LASSO
DERMATOLOGIST------ SKIN
HABERDASHER ------CLOTHES
HISTRIONICS -----ACTOR
JOURNALIST------ TYPEWRITER
JUDGE ------GAVEL
LEXICOGRAPHER----- DICTIONARIES
MILLINER------ HATS
NUMISMATIST------- COINS
PATHOLOGIST -----DISEASES
PHARMACIST ------DRUGS / MEDICINE
PHILATELIST ------STAMPS
REAPER -------SICKLE
REFREE --------WHISTLE
SCULPTOR ------HAMMER / CHISEL / MALLET
SEAMSTRESS -----NEEDLE / SCISSORS / THIMBLE
SURGEON -----SCALPEL / LANCET
TRAPPER ------SNARE

POACHER -----SNARE
VINTNER -----WINES
WELDER ------GOGGLES
WOODMAN----- AXE
WRITER --------WORDS
KNIGHT -------LANCE
TROUBADOUR -----BULL
BARD -----POEMS
VIRTUOSO -----MUSIC

INSTRUMENTS OF MEASUREMENTS

ABACUS ----CALCULATIONS
ANEMOMETER---- WINDSPEED
BAROMETER ----ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
CALIPERS -----THICKNESS
CLOCK ----TIME
SUNDIAL ----TIME
CHRONOMETER ----TIME
GEIGER COUNTER ---RADIATION
HYGROMETER----- HUMIDITY
RULER----- LENGTH
SEXTANT -----NAVIGATION
THERMOMETER---- TEMPERATURE
WEATHERVANE----- WIND DIRECTION
YARDSTICK----- DISTANCE
ODOMETER----- DISTANCE

Analogy Tutorial 1

ANALOGIES
Analog as a word means a degree of likeness or sameness. Each of the problems carries two analogies in the form of A is to B as C is to D. A is related to B in the same way as C is related to D. The places of A, B, C and D (in the sentences) are occupied by four different words forming two pairs, each of which presents a relationship. In the following sentences there is a gap in place of either C or D. The gap is to be filled by selecting a word from among the option given at the end of each sentence.

Example: Doctor is to medicine as teacher is to __.
(a) Class (b) College (c) Lecture (d) School
The answer is (c) lecture. Just as medicine is the goods tat a doctor delivers to the patient, lecture is the commodity that the teacher gives to the student.

1. Air is to man as water is to ____.
(a) plants (b) fish (c) amphibians (d) life
2. Firecracker is to flower as smoke is to ____.
(a) wind (b) fire (c) cloud (d) blaze
3. Turtle is to slowness as ___ is to speed.
(a) eagle (b) dove (c) hare (d) rat
4. Hill is to mountain as house is to ____.
(a) cottage (b) mansion (c) building (d) bungalow
5. Peel is to banana as ____ is to nut.
(a) skin (b) shell (c) covering (d) rind
6. Solicit is to beg as ask is to ____.
(a) inquire (b) demand (c) require (d) snatch
7. Scalp is to hair as earth is to ____.
(a) sky (b) life (c) grass (d) vegetation
8. Bacteria is to illness as ____ of to explosion.
(a) bomb (b) explosive (c) fire (d) ammunition
9. Artist is to paint as sculptor is to ____.
(a) stone (b) mud (c) clay (d) design
10. Touch is to push s sip is to ____.
(a) taste (b) gulp (c) swallow (d) draught
11. Request is to entreat as question is to ____.
(a) demand (b) gulp (c) swallow (d) draught
12. Sing is to hum as talk is to ____.
(a) shout (b) numbly (c) murmur (d) whisper
13. Mask is to face as ____ is to name.
(a) title (b) rank (c) alias (d) status
14. Bird is to aviary as pig is to____.
(a) hovel (b) stable (c) sky (d) kennel
15. Petals are to flowers as ____ are to book.
(a) leaves (b) pages (c) volume (d) library
16. Doctor is patient what teacher is to ____.
(a) lessons (b) class (c) pupils (d) books
17. Horse is to stable as fish is to ____.
(a) pond (b) river (c) sea (d) aquarium
18. Thermometer is to temperature as Barometer is to ____.
(a) height (b) pressure (c) depth (d) speed
19. Book is to library as chemical is to ____.
(a) shops (b) chemists (c) laboratories (d) test tubes
20. Wood is to carpenter as mud is to ____.
(a) labourer (b) gardener (c) potter (d) farmer
21. Cloth is to tailor as leather is to ____.
(a) gardener (b) carpenter (c) cobbler (d) painter
22. Morning is to dawn as evening is to ____.
(a) night (b) dusk (c) darkness (d) nightfall
23. Bird is to nest as Eskimo is to ____.
(a) hovel (b) ice (c) igloo (d) caravan
24. Sports is to stadium as ____ is to stage.
(a) novel (b) play (c) poetry (d) song
25. Blood is to body as ink is to ____.S
(a) pen (b) pencil (c) writing (d) nib

ANSWERS
1. (a) plants 2. (b) fire 3. (c) hare 4. (b) mansion 5. (b) shell 6. (b) demand
7. (c) grass 8. (c) fire 9. (c) clary 10. (b) gulp 11. (d) probe 12. (b) mumble
13. (c) alias 14. (c) sty 15. (b) pages 16. (c) pupil 17. (d) aquarium 18. (b) pressure
19. (c) laboratories 20. (c) potter 21. (c) cobbler 22. (b) dusk 23. (c) igloo
24. (b) play 25. (a) pen.



Read The Hindustantimes ,Times of India, The Hindu for improving vocabulary.

Improve your English-1

My most important advice is to do something (anything), but above all have fun! Make it your hobby, not a chore. There are many ways to improve your level of English, but only you can find the right way for you. Here are a few tips that might help:-

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH LEARNING SKILLS
Learning is a skill and it can be improved.
Your path to learning effectively is through knowing yourself your capacity to learn processes you have successfully used in the past .Your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn

Motivate yourself
If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-
Why do you need to learn/improve English?
Where will you need to use English?
What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
How soon do you need to see results?
How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
Do you have a plan or learning strategy?

Set yourself achievable goals
You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.Here are some goals you could set yourself:-
Join an English course (and attend regularly).
Do your homework.
Read a book a month.
Learn a new word every day.
Visit an English speaking forum every day.
Read a news article on the net every day.
Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
Watch an English film at least once a month.
Follow a soap, comedy or radio or TV drama.
A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.
Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month. Example-A bottle of your favourite drink ,A meal out / or a nice meal at home ,A new outfit ,A manicure or massage .

Word Roots

ROOT
MEANING
EXAMPLES

acr, acro beginning, tip, end, top, peak,summit acronym, acrophobia actin ray actinology, actinoid agog lead, leader demagogue, synagogue andr male androgynous, misandry anthrop man, mankind anthropology, misanthrope arch first, ancient, chief monarch, archaeology arthr joint arthritis, arthropod aster star astrology, asterisk auto self automaton, autonomy, autocratic bar pressure barometer, isobar bibl book bibliophile, Bible bio life amphibious, biology cac(o) harsh, bad cacophony, cachexia cardi heart cardiologist, pericardium carp fruit monocarpic, carpophgous cephal head encephalitis, cephalopod chrom color chromatic, chromosome chron time synchronize, anachronism chthon earth autochthonous, chthonic cline dip, slope isocline, geosyncline cosm order, world cosmology, microcosm crat power, rule, government democracy, autocrat cry frost cryology, cryogenics crypt secret, hidden cryptic, cryptogram cycl circle, wheel bicycle, cyclic, cyclone cyt cell cytoplasm, cytology dactyl finger dactylic, pterodactyl dem people democracy, demotic, epidemic derm skin epidermis, hypodermic deuter second Deuteronomy, Deuterium dox belief, teaching orthodox, doxology dyn power, strength dynamo, heterodyne, dynasty eo dawn eohippis, Eocene erg work, power erg, energy, energetic ethno race, people, cultural group ethnology, ethnocentric gam marry, mate, sexual union gamete, monogamous, bigamy gen kind, race, source genesis, genealogy geo earth geography, George ger old age geriatrics, gerontology glot language, tongue polyglot, epiglottis gon corner, angle trigonometry, polygon gram write, writing grammar, telegram, epigram graph write, writing graphite, orthography gyn woman, female gynecology, misogynist hagi holy hagiographer, hagiolatry hem blood hemorrhage, hemoglobin helio sun heliotropic, heliacal hepat liver hepatic, hepatitis hetero other, different heterodox, heterogeneous hier holy hierophant, hierarchy homo same homogeneous, homograph hydr water hydrogen, dehydrate, anhydrous hygr moisture hygrometer iatr heal, cure iatric, geriatrics, pediatrics iso same, equal isosceles, isotope, isonomy lith rock, stone monolith, neolithic

log, ology speech, word, study, reason epilogue, logarithm, theology mega large, enlargement megaphone, megacephalic metr, meter measure diameter, metronome, trigonometry miso hatred misoneism, misology mnasthai memory mnemonic, memory mono, mon one, single monogamy, monotonous morph form morphology, amorphous necr dead, die necrology, necrotic neo new, recent neologism, neolithic nephr kidney nephritis, nephron neur nerve neuralgia, neurasthenia nom law, rule autonomy, economy, metronome odont tooth orthodontia, peridontics oeno, eno wine oenologist, oenomania onym, nym name, word anonymous, pseudonym ornith bird ornithology orth straight, correct orthodox, orthodontist paleo old paleonotology, paleolithic pan all, entire panorama, pandemonium path feeling, disease, sufferer psychopath, apathy, pathology ped, paed child, boy orthopedic, pediatrician phan appearance phantom, theophany phil like, love philanthropic, philology phob fear phobia, claustrophobia phon sound phonetics, telephone, euphony phor bearing, carrying, having semaphore, phosphorous phos, phot light phosphorous, photograph phyll leaf phyllopod, chlorophyll plasi formation neoplasm, homoplasy plegia to strike, paralysis paraplegia, hemiplegia pneum air, wine, lung pneumatic, pneumonia pod foot tripod, podiatrics, podium polis city, people metropolitan, political poly many polygon, polygamy pseudo false pseudopod, pseudepigrapha psych mind psychiatry, psychology pyr fire pyrex, pyre, pyrotechnic rhin nose rhinoceros, rhinoplasty rrhage, rrhea flow hemorrhage, logorrhea scop watch, look at microscope, telescope seism earthquake seismograph som body psychosomatic, soma soph wise, wisdom sophomore, philosopher taut same tautology, tautomerism tax, tact arrange, arrangement taxidermy, tactics techn art, craft, technique polytechnical, technician tele far, distant telegram, telepathy theo god thearchy, theology therm heat thermal, thermometer tom cut, split atom, appendectomy trop turn phototropic, tropic troph nutrition, growth atrophy, polytrophic typ model, print type, prototype thanatos death thanatopsis, thanataphobia thaum miracle thaumaturge, thaumatrope

Grammar Tips

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Prepositions

Idioms

Interjections

MATHEMATICS For GRE GMAT SAT

Mathematics concepts - HCF LCM Fractions



Mathematics concepts - Permutations and Combinations



Mathematics concepts - Interest (Simple & Compound)



Mathematics concepts - Data Sufficiency



Mathematics concepts - Average



Mathematics concepts - Equations



Mathematics concepts - Geometry , Motion, Time, Work and Mixtures



Mathematics concepts - Number Theory & Defined Functions



Mathematics concepts - Sample Mathematics Test Questions



Mathematics Review Excercise

Groups of Numbers

Lalit from Delhi started preparing for GRE recently. His confusion with numbers (as written by him in the forum) is the reason for this post. "Lalit, I hope this post provides the basic definition of numbers".

While studying arithmetic and algebra, we work with several groups of numbers.

NATURAL or COUNTING NUMBERS: The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . are called natural or counting numbers .

WHOLE NUMBERS : The numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . are called whole numbers.

INTEGERS: The numbers . . . — 2, -1, 0, 1, 2, . . . are called integers .

NEGATIVE INTEGERS : The numbers . . . — 3, —2, -1 are called negative integers .

POSITIVE INTEGERS : The natural numbers are sometimes called the positive integers .

RATIONAL NUMBERS: Fractions, such as 3/2 or 7/8, are called rational numbers. Since a number such as 5 may be written as 5/1 all integers are rational numbers .

IRRATIONAL NUMBERS : Another type of number is an irrational number. Examples of irrational numbers are square root of any natural number or say for example pie .

REAL NUMBERS: Real numbers consist of all rational and irrational numbers. Typically most standardized exams use only real numbers ,which are the numbers you are used to using .

PRIME NUMBERS : A prime number is a number that can be evenly divided by only itself and 1 . For example, 19 is a prime number because it can be evenly divided only by 19 and 1, but 21 is not a prime number because 21 can be evenly divided by other numbers ( 3 and 7) . The only even prime number is 2 ; thereafter, any even number may be divided evenly by 2 . Zero and 1 are not prime numbers. The first ten prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, and 29 .

ODD NUMBERS : Odd numbers are whole numbers not divisible by 2 :-1,3,5,7, . . .

EVEN NUMBERS : Even numbers are numbers divisible by 2:- 0, 2, 4 ,6, . . .

COMPOSITE NUMBERS: A composite number is a number divisible by more than just 1 and itself: 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, . . .

SQUARES: Squares are the result when numbers are multiplied by themselves : (2 . 2 = 4), (3 • 3 = 9) ; 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 . . .

CUBES: Cubes are the result when numbers are multiplied by themselves twice: (2 . 2 . 2 = 8), (3 • 3 . 3 = 27) ; 1, 8, 27 . . .