GRE Study Tip #3: Improve GRE vocabulary skills

[ncy111]

GRE Study Tip #3: Improve GRE vocabulary skills

The single-most effective way to improve your GRE verbal score is to improve your GRE vocabulary skills. Good vocabulary skills will be useful in sentence completion, antonyms, analogies, and reading comprehension. If you know the meaning of all the words in the answer choices, it makes the question a whole lot easier.

Learn GRE vocabulary in context

The best way to learn GRE vocabulary is to learn words in context. For some reason your brain remembers words much better when it can associate a word with something other than its definition.

We recommend reading the The Wall Street Journal Onlineon a regular basis.The Journal has many GRE-type articles and uses GRE vernacular. When you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up and write down its definition. You'll be amazed at how much better your vocabulary is after a month of reading The Journal on a regular basis for just a month.

Learn GRE vocabulary from a list

If you don't have much time until test day, you should study from a GRE vocabulary list or invest in some flash cards. Barron's How to Prepare for the GRE has the most comprehensive GRE vocabulary list topping off at about 3500 words. Learn the general meaning of 3500 words or so, and the GRE verbal section will look a lot less daunting.

You're probably thinking 3500 words is a ton of words to learn. You're right. That's why GRE vocabulary can be scary at first, but remember, you don't have to memorize the exact meanings. The GRE does not test if you know exact definitions; just get to know general meanings. Be a thesaurus not a dictionary.

Study a little bit at a time. Try twenty words a day. If that's too easy, try thirty words a day. Don't worry if memorizing words is difficult at first--it'll get much easier. Whatever number of words you choose to study per day, don't study too many at one time. This runs along the same lines as GRE study tip #1: Make a GRE study plan. Your brain can only absorb so many words in one sitting. It's up to you to figure out how many words you should study per sitting. You know yourself best.

Whatever number you choose, always review the words you've already studied at the end of each week. Without review, you'll lose a lot. Don't end up getting stuck on a question with a word's definition at the tip of your tongue.

Heighten your GRE vocabulary skills either with reading or a list.

Review the words you've learned every week.

Watch your GRE verbal score go up.

[NguyenHaiHa]

a great tip! thanks

[facet]

dese tips r really good

[spring_2006]

anybody have any clue as to where i can find ' Barron's How to Prepare for the GRE' Online...and also the barrons list Softcopy...

Thanks for the tips

All the best everyone

[facet]

The best way is using memory techniques first braek de word in any language and made a stupid story relating tat and imagine tat story in thy mind 4 atleast 5 sec n u will remember it inshallah .ex: facetious=face+tea= on thy face tea is der n some one is looking n dey feel tats HUMOROUS ..... therefor Facetious=Humorous

[veena]

Hey,

Great tip nyc111 .Thanks.
Facet that's a intertsing way of remembering words in context.

[rajasekhar]

Thanks A Lot.........


KEEP IT UP .......

[apprentice]

good connection Facet.

[sh4h4d4t]

Originally Posted by facet

The best way is using memory techniques first braek de word in any language and made a stupid story relating tat and imagine tat story in thy mind 4 atleast 5 sec n u will remember it inshallah .ex: facetious=face+tea= on thy face tea is der n some one is looking n dey feel tats HUMOROUS ..... therefor Facetious=Humorous

Hmmmmm That's a nice idea....

[ncy111]

Yeah, when you're studying words from a list, mnemonic devices will definitely help you remember words better. You can also try using the words in sentences. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out sentence...just any sentence that uses the word properly and makes sense.