15 GRE Verbal Practice Questions and Answers

Is the GRE Verbal section causing you to break a sweat? Like you, many aspiring graduate students find this section to be a major challenge. The key to acing the GRE Verbal lies in strategic practice.

This blog post is your one-stop shop for honing your GRE verbal reasoning skills. We’ve got 15 GRE practice questions designed to mirror the exact format, question types, and difficulty you’ll face on test day. From understanding intricate passages to selecting the most fitting vocabulary, these questions will put your reading comprehension, critical thinking, and word power to the test—all in a controlled, stress-free environment. By methodically working through these practice problems, you’ll build the confidence and critical thinking skills needed to ace the GRE Verbal section. Let the practice begin!

What to Expect in the GRE Verbal Section?

The GRE Verbal section assesses your ability to understand the complexities of written language. While memorizing endless word lists might be tempting, the GRE emphasizes understanding how words function within a passage. Can you grasp the main points, analyze arguments, and follow the flow of complex ideas? The GRE will test your ability to do just that. The GRE exam isn’t just about memorization; it’s about thinking critically. You can expect questions that challenge you to analyze assumptions, identify biases, and draw sound conclusions. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

Question types

• Reading Comprehension (50%): You’ll be challenged to understand intricate passages on a variety of academic topics. You have to understand the main ideas, identify supporting arguments, and analyze the author’s purpose.
• Text Completion (25%): You’ll be presented with passages with strategically placed blanks. Fill those gaps with the words that best fit the context and overall meaning.
• Sentence Equivalence (25%): This question type focuses on vocabulary in action. You’ll be given a sentence with a single blank, followed by six answer choices. Your task is to choose the two answer choices that create sentences with identical meanings.

Difficulty and Timing

The GRE Verbal section is known for its challenging vocabulary and tight time constraints. You can expect to come across a range of difficulty levels, from straightforward vocabulary applications to passages that demand a deep understanding of complex concepts. You’ll have 30 minutes to answer 20 questions for each subsection.

15 GRE Verbal Practice Questions and Answers

GRE Reading Comprehension

Passage 1: Historian Dr. Amelia Khan delivered a captivating lecture titled “Unearthing the Past: The Allure of Ancient Languages.” Dr. Khan opened by highlighting the invaluable role ancient languages play in unlocking the secrets of bygone eras. She argued that deciphering these languages is akin to piecing together a fragmented puzzle, each word revealing a glimpse into the lives, thoughts, and cultures of those who came before us.

The lecture delved into specific examples. Dr. Khan showcased the Rosetta Stone, a pivotal artifact that allowed scholars to crack the code of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. This breakthrough, she explained, shed light on a civilization shrouded in mystery, providing insights into their religious beliefs, political structures, and daily lives. Similarly, advancements in deciphering cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia have transformed our understanding of this ancient civilization, revealing their legal codes, literary works, and even scientific knowledge.

Dr. Khan cautioned against a solely utilitarian approach to studying ancient languages. While the historical and cultural insights they offer are undeniably valuable, she emphasized the intrinsic beauty and complexity of these languages themselves. She likened them to intricate tapestries woven with unique grammatical structures and rich vocabularies, each word carrying the weight of history and cultural significance.

In conclusion, Dr. Khan painted a compelling picture of the allure of ancient languages. They serve as gateways to forgotten worlds, offering not just historical knowledge but also a window into the human experience across vast stretches of time.

Question: According to the passage, Dr. Khan would likely disagree with which of the following statements about the study of ancient languages?

1. Ancient languages provide valuable historical and cultural insights.
2. The Rosetta Stone was a key discovery in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
3. Studying ancient languages solely for practical applications is a limited perspective.
4. Cuneiform tablets offer a rich source of information about Mesopotamian civilization.
5. Ancient languages are beautiful and complex systems of communication.

Answer: (c) Studying ancient languages solely for practical applications is a limited perspective.

Passage 2: In Don Giovanni, which is perhaps Mozart’s best-known opera, there exist two distinct endings, a phenomenon not entirely unknown during the composer’s time but one that invites the obvious question: Why did Mozart decide to include alternate endings for Don Giovanni when he did not do the same with his other famous operas, Die Zauberflöte and Le Nozze di Figaro? Another question, and one not so obvious, is: Why was Mozart himself uncertain as to which of the two endings to choose, as is evidenced in his correspondence with Lorenzo Da Ponte, the opera’s librettist?

A common answer is to treat both of these questions as one: Mozart was uncertain as to which ending to provide, so he wrote both endings. Such a reply ignores an important consideration: Why did Mozart decide to provide these specific endings? Libard provides a reasonable answer: The traditional ending—in the sense that it is the one that was popular during the composer’s day and continues to be so today—is clearly more palatable for audiences. The hero, Don Giovanni, is chided for his libertine ways, and then the cast appears in tutti, bellowing a merry chorus as the curtain falls. The audience is left with a light dose of entertainment, which, after all, was the aim of many of the operas of Mozart’s time. Fine, but then what of the tragic ending? Libard—trading the sensible for the pat—offers little more than that such an ending reflects the political climate of the day.

This alternate ending—Don Giovanni is suddenly cast down to Hell, and instead of being redeemed, the hero emerges from the underworld chastened, and the curtain falls—was interpreted by the critics of the day as heavy-handed didacticism. While such a view is not entirely without merit—Mozart ultimately aimed to impart some lesson to his incorrigible Lothario—it still leaves the question unanswered as to why two endings and what exactly Mozart aimed to communicate could not be housed in a traditional ending.

One answer offered recently by musicologist Gustavo Lucien is that Mozart balked at including a traditional ending, feeling that it was incongruous with the serious tone of most of the opera. Indeed, Don Giovanni falls more under the rubric of opera series than opera buffo, the latter typically featuring light endings in which the entire cast sings in an upbeat, major key. Da Ponte, however, insisted that forthwith casting Don Giovanni to Hell and offering him scant opportunity for redemption would likely leave the audience feeling ambivalent. Such an ending would also suggest that the librettist had been unable to think of a tidy resolution. Da Ponte, then, was not so much against a tragic ending as he was against an abrupt tragic ending. Perhaps even Mozart was unsure of what to do with Don Giovanni once he was in Hell and may have even been working out a different ending, using the light ending as a stopgap till he achieved such an aim. In that case, the fate of Don Giovanni can best be answered by the fact that Mozart—through debts, ill health, and the composer’s obligation to compose works for his patrons—was unable to return to a work he had tabled.

Question: In the context in which it is used, “tabled” most likely means

1. considered
2. discarded
3. toiled over
4. unintentionally forgotten
5. put aside indefinitely

Answer: (e) put aside indefinitely

Passage 3: For much of the 20th century, paleontologists theorized that dinosaurs, like reptiles, were ectothermic; their body temperature was regulated externally. These scientists, however, based their conclusions on faulty reasoning, claiming that scaly skin was common to all ectotherms (birds, which are ectothermic, do not have scaly skin) and that the dinosaur’s size could account for ectothermy (some adult dinosaurs weighed as little as ten pounds). Supplanting this theory is an entirely new line of thought: dinosaurs were actually mesothermic, neither warm- nor cold-blooded. By taking this middle ground, some paleontologists maintain that dinosaurs were faster than a similar-sized reptile yet did not require as much food as a similar-sized mammal. To substantiate this theory, paleontologists intend to study how birds, the dinosaur’s closest extant relative, might have at one time been mesothermic.

Question: The two parts in parentheses serve to do which of the following?

1. Summarize two claims that the author of the passage ultimately repudiates.
2. Highlight commonalities between birds and dinosaurs.
3. Provide rebuttals to commonly held views regarding the physical aspects of dinosaurs.
4. Describe a recent theory that the author of the passage supports.
5. Furnish information regarding contradictory notions of dinosaur behavior.

Answer: (c) Provide rebuttals to commonly held views regarding the physical aspects of dinosaurs.

Passage 4: The Malbec grape, originally grown in France, has become the main varietal in Argentina. This is surprising because most Malbec grown in Argentina is grown at high altitudes, whereas the Malbec grape was once grown at low altitudes. Therefore, Argentinian wine growers should grow the Malbec grape at low elevations.

Question: Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the argument?

1. The Bordeaux grape is the most popular in France but is rarely if ever, grown in Argentina.
2. Some varieties are unable to grow at high altitudes.
3. The soil at high altitudes is filled with nutrients that help the Malbec grape grow.
4. The Malbec vine is susceptible to phylloxera, a plant louse that only grows at low altitudes.
5. Malbec has recently enjoyed a surge in popularity and can be found in many different countries.

Answer: (d) The Malbec vine is susceptible to phylloxera, a plant louse that only grows at low altitudes.

Passage 5: Downtown Greensborough is a major financial center, in which many citizens either drive or rely on public transportation to get to work. This setup has led to a surge in the number of pedestrians who have been struck and killed by vehicles. In an effort to curb the number of pedestrian-related fatalities, Greensborough has installed speed reduction signs at the six city intersections where the highest numbers of fatalities have occurred in the last year. The Greensborough city government predicts that the number of pedestrian fatalities will significantly decrease once the speed reduction signs have been installed.

Question: Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the validity of the conclusion?

1. Some of those who drive to work in downtown Greensborough have a valid driver’s license.
2. The number of annual pedestrian fatalities outside the downtown area is far less than in the downtown area.
3. The six intersections in which the signs are installed are responsible for the majority of pedestrian deaths in downtown Greensborough.
4. The new speed reduction signs will be in neon orange and prominently placed.
5. Red light cameras, which are used to catch motorists running red lights, were installed, yet the number of pedestrian fatalities did not decrease.

Answer: (c) The six intersections in which the signs are installed are responsible for the majority of pedestrian deaths in downtown Greensborough.

GRE Text Completion

Question 6: Upon visiting the Middle East in 1850, Gustave Flaubert was so _____ belly dancing that he wrote, in a letter to his mother, that the dancers alone made his trip worthwhile.

Choose one answer choice that makes the sentence grammatically correct and conveys the same meaning.

1. overwhelmed by
2. enamored by
3. taken aback by
4. beseeched by
5. flustered by

Answer: (b) enamored by

Question 7: The travel writer’s _____ towards others he met on his cross-country trip most likely endeared him only to those readers with a misanthropic bent.

Choose one answer choice that makes the sentence grammatically correct and conveys the same meaning.

1. diffidence
2. humility
3. cynicism
4. garrulity
5. obsequiousness

Answer: (c) cynicism

Question 8: Increasingly, the boundaries of congressional seats are drawn in order to protect incumbents, as legislators engineer the demographics of each district such that those already in office can coast to (i) _____ victory. Of course, there is always the possibility that the incumbent will face a challenge from within his or her own party. Nevertheless, once the primary is over, the general election is (ii) _____.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

Answer: (a) an ineluctable and (f) merely denouement

Question 9: Unlike the performances of her youth, in which she seamlessly inhabited a role, the performances of her later years were _____, as though she were calling out to audiences, “Look how convincingly I can portray my character.”

Choose one answer choice that makes the sentence grammatically correct and conveys the same meaning.

1. decrepit
2. comical
3. volatile
4. mechanical
5. contrived

Answer: (e) contrived

Question 10: With characteristic _____, H.L. Mencken skewered the sacred cows of his time, criticizing social trends and government institutions with equal asperity.

Choose one answer choice that makes the sentence grammatically correct and conveys the same meaning.

1. hauteur
2. playfulness
3. vitriol
4. civility
5. dash

Answer: (c) vitriol

GRE Sentence Equivalence

Question 11: Water experts predict that unless the coming year’s rainfall is significantly above average, the city’s denizens, regardless of any protests, will have to _____ their water usage.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

1. curtail
2. intensify
3. administer
4. denote
5. disseminate
6. limit

Answers: (a) curtail and (f) limit

Question 12: As the job fair neared an end, the recent college graduate became ever more _____, desperately trying to befriend prospective employers he had earlier not even deigned to give so much as a cursory glance.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

1. ingratiating
2. fawning
3. withdrawn
4. volatile
5. vociferous
6. direct

Answers: (a) ingratiating and (b) fawning

Question 13: The heckler, hiding amongst the amorphous crowd, is the epitome of _____ —as soon as he has been identified, he goes scuttling off, head down, grumbling to himself.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

1. stealthiness
2. outspokenness
3. shyness
4. aloofness
5. cravenness
6. spinelessness

Answers: (e) cravenness and (f) spinelessness

Question 14: The travel writer must invite _____; few, if any travelogs have ever been inspired by a languorous afternoon poolside.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

1. travail
2. tribulations
3. excitement
4. scandal
5. tranquility
6. serenity

Answers: (a) travail and (b) tribulations

Question 15: The twins’ heredity and upbringing were identical in nearly every respect, yet one child remained unfailingly sanguine even in times of stress, while her sister was prone to angry outbursts that indicated an exceptionally choleric _____.

Choose two answer choices that make the sentence grammatically correct and convey the same meaning.

1. genotype
2. environment
3. physiognomy
4. incarnation
5. temperament
6. humor

Answer: (e) temperament and (f) humor

Suggested: 15 Hardest GRE Math Questions with Answers

5 Tips to Ace the GRE Verbal Section

1. Engage with the passage

The GRE passage is about understanding what you read. Before starting with your answer choices, actively engage with the passage. Underline key points, identify the main idea, and anticipate the author’s purpose. This will make answering questions much smoother.

2. Don’t memorize every word

Don’t waste time memorizing endless word lists in isolation. Focus on learning high-yield vocabulary in context. Use flashcards that include example sentences, and practice incorporating these words into your own writing.

3. Time management is key

Develop a time-management strategy that works for you. Practice answering questions quickly and efficiently under timed conditions. Remember that it’s better to leave a few questions unanswered than to rush through the entire section.

4. Practice makes perfect

Don’t underestimate the power of practice tests. Take full-length GRE practice exams under timed conditions to simulate the real test experience. Analyze your mistakes to identify areas for improvement and tailor your study accordingly.

5. Understand answer choices

The GRE loves to give tempting but ultimately incorrect answer choices. Read each answer choice carefully, ensuring it aligns with the meaning and context of the passage. Don’t be fooled by answer choices that seem vaguely familiar but don’t perfectly fit the question.

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From the Desk of Yocket

The GRE verbal section questions serve a valuable purpose in assessing your preparedness for the rigors of graduate school coursework. The mix of reading comprehension, sentence completion, and sentence equivalence effectively tests your ability to understand complex written material, analyze information critically, and express yourself clearly.

However, the challenge level can be quite high. Much of the success in these questions hinges on vocabulary knowledge and the ability to decipher dense academic writing. This can disadvantage students who are strong readers and critical thinkers but whose academic background hasn’t exposed them to this specific style of writing.

That being said, the GRE verbal section does have its merits. It forces test takers to confront unfamiliar vocabulary in context, which is a valuable skill for academic writing. Additionally, the time pressure element replicates the need to process information quickly and efficiently, a skill required in many graduate programs. Additionally, yocket GRE prep offers the latest GRE verbal practice questions with answers to enhance your preparation.