GRE General Test · GRE & GMAT Analytical Reasoning
GRE Text Completion
Filling one to three blanks in a passage to form a coherent meaningful whole.
Eight concepts. GRE Text Completion rewards predicting from structural clues before you open the columns — and every blank must be right, with no partial credit.
- GRE General Test
- Hard level
- 8 concepts
- 5 practice questions
1Every blank is independent — no partial credit
A Text Completion item can have one, two or three blanks. In multi-blank items each blank has its own short column of choices, and the blanks are scored as a unit: there is no partial credit. One wrong blank zeros the whole item even if the other choices were perfect.
Treat the columns as separate decisions that must all survive a final coherence check. Do not bank on getting 'most of them' right.
Figure. Multi-blank items are scored as a unit — no partial credit. One wrong blank zeros the whole item even if the others are perfect.
| Blanks | Choices per blank | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| One | Five | One selection must be correct |
| Two | Three per blank | Both selections must be correct |
| Three | Three per blank | All three selections must be correct |
On a three-blank Text Completion you are sure about blanks (i) and (iii) but guessing blank (ii). What does GRE scoring do?
- Award partial credit for the two known blanks
- Score the item correct only if all three blanks are right
- Drop blank (ii) and score the other two at two-thirds credit
- Count the item correct if any two blanks match the key
Multi-blank TC is all-or-nothing: every blank must be right. Partial credit, fractional credit and any-two rules are not how the item is scored.
2Find the clue and predict before peeking
Cover the answer columns. Locate the sentence's pivotal clue — a defining phrase, a contrast word, or a cause that forces the blank's job — and insert your own plain word for each blank. Only then uncover the choices and pick the closest synonym of your prediction.
Opening the columns first invites attractive words that fit locally but miss the clue. The blank answers the clue elsewhere in the sentence, not the blank's own neighbours.
Figure. Cover the columns. Locate the pivotal clue, insert your own plain word, then match — do not shop the options first.
Predict-then-match
- CoverHide every answer column so vocabulary cannot steer the first read.
- ClueUnderline the phrase that defines, contrasts or causes the blank's meaning.
- PredictWrite a plain word for each blank that satisfies that clue.
- MatchUncover choices; pick the closest synonym of your prediction, then read back.
Far from being ______, the senator's remarks were carefully hedged to avoid committing her to any position.
- evasive
- forthright
- tedious
- eloquent
- hostile
Far from reverses what follows: hedged/noncommittal means the blank is the opposite — direct. Forthright matches. Evasive restates the hedging (same direction, wrong after far from). Tedious, eloquent and hostile are unrelated to commitment.
3Contrast signals flip the blank's charge
Although, despite, yet, however, but and far from mark opposition. When one clause praises or affirms, the blank in the other clause usually needs the opposing charge — not a synonym of the nearby praise.
The trap is a same-direction word that would fit if the contrast marker were deleted. Keep the marker; flip the meaning.
Figure. Although, despite, yet, however, but and far from mark opposition. The blank usually needs the opposing charge, not a synonym of nearby praise.
| Signal | Blank's job | Classic trap |
|---|---|---|
| although / despite / yet | oppose the other clause | synonym of the nearby praise or blame |
| far from being ______ | antonym of what follows | restating the following behaviour |
| however / but | turn against the prior claim | a support word (thus / therefore) |
Although the first draft was ______, the revision was lucid and tightly argued.
- clear
- muddled
- published
- brief
Although plus lucid/tight demands an opposing flaw → muddled. Clear same-directions with lucid and kills the contrast. Published and brief do not supply opposition.
4Support signals keep the blank aligned
Because, since, thus, therefore, so and and mark support or result. The blank agrees with the cued idea: a weak cause yields a tentative conclusion; a strong cause yields a firm one. Planting a contrast word invents a turn the sentence does not contain.
Read the logical arrow first. Only after the blank's direction is fixed should you browse synonyms inside that charge.
Figure. Because, since, thus, therefore, so and and keep the blank aligned with the cued idea. Planting a contrast invents a turn the sentence does not make.
Cause then effect
- Mark the linkName whether the blank sits in a reason, a result or a same-direction add-on.
- Lock the chargeDecide positive or negative from the clue clause before opening choices.
- Reject fake turnsDrop however/but unless a real opposition appears — an unhappy result can still be support.
Because the data were so fragmentary, the committee's conclusions remained ______ despite months of analysis.
- definitive
- tentative
- popular
- celebrated
Because plus fragmentary data forces uncertain conclusions → tentative. Definitive fights weak evidence. Popular and celebrated are unrelated to evidential strength.
5Fill the easiest blank first
In two- and three-blank items the blanks are not equally constrained. Fill the blank with the clearest clue first — often a contrast marker or a defining phrase — then use that locked meaning to narrow the remaining columns.
Starting with the foggiest blank wastes time and invites a local word that later fights the clearer blank. Order by clue strength, not by left-to-right position.
Figure. Fill the blank with the clearest clue first, then use that locked meaning to narrow the remaining columns.
Constraint order
- Rank cluesFor each blank, ask how forced its meaning is from nearby signals.
- Solve strongestPick the easiest blank's column first and commit to a meaning.
- PropagateCarry that meaning into the harder blanks; reject options that break the locked logic.
Because the data were so (i)______, the committee's conclusions remained (ii)______ despite months of analysis. Blank (i): robust / fragmentary / abundant. Blank (ii): definitive / tentative / popular. Which pair is correct, and which blank should you lock first?
- robust ; definitive — lock (ii) first because conclusions are named
- fragmentary ; tentative — lock (ii) first from despite months of analysis, then (i)
- abundant ; popular — lock (i) first because data comes first in the sentence
- fragmentary ; definitive — left-to-right, then force (ii) to match
Despite months of analysis still uncertain is the strongest clue → tentative for (ii). Because then forces weak data → fragmentary for (i). Robust/definitive fights the uncertainty. Abundant/popular ignores evidential logic. Fragmentary/definitive mixes a weak cause with a firm result.
6For hard vocabulary, lock polarity first
When you do not know a choice word, you can still decide whether the blank must be positive or negative from the structural clue. Eliminate every option whose charge fights that polarity, then guess among the survivors if needed.
A rare synonym that matches charge and clue beats a familiar word that points the wrong way. Polarity is a filter, not the final answer — but it kills most traps before dictionary-level precision is required.
Figure. When vocabulary is hard, lock polarity from the structural clue first. Eliminate every option whose charge fights that polarity, then guess among survivors.
Charge then word
- ChargeFrom contrast or support cues, mark the blank + or − before naming a synonym.
- CullDelete options whose ordinary charge fights that mark.
- PrecisionAmong survivors, prefer the word that matches the clue's exact job.
Despite years of ______ reviews, the novel eventually won a major prize. You do not recognise two options. Which polarity must the blank carry?
- Positive — prizes follow praise
- Negative — despite flips against the later success
- Neutral — reviews never carry charge
- Either — polarity cannot be known without the exact synonym
Despite plus eventually won forces earlier reviews to oppose the success → negative (harsh, scathing, dismissive). Positive would erase the contrast. Neutral and either abandon the structural cue the item gives you for free.
7Never trust a blank that only sounds right
An option can complete a familiar phrase beside the blank and still miss the clue word elsewhere. Local collocation is a second check, not the first: verify every survivor against the specific description, contrast or definition that governs the blank.
If your choice only works when you ignore the clue phrase, it is wrong — however natural it sounds in isolation.
Figure. A familiar local phrase can still miss the clue word elsewhere. Collocation is a second check, not the first.
Clue over sound
- Name the clueQuote the word or phrase that forces the blank's meaning.
- Test each survivorAsk whether the option satisfies that clue, not only the blank's immediate neighbours.
- Drop local-only fitsReject options that sound idiomatic beside the blank but fight the clue.
The scientist's ______ conclusion — that the sample was contaminated — rested on a single anomalous reading. Which word fits the clue?
- sweeping
- tentative
- popular
- celebrated
Rested on a single anomalous reading forces a cautious claim → tentative. Sweeping would fit a broad claim but fights thin evidence. Popular and celebrated ignore the evidential hedge the dash and clause supply.
8Plug choices back and read the whole
After selecting every blank, reread the full sentence or short passage with your choices inserted. All blanks must cohere: a support chain cannot hide a contrast word, and a three-blank story cannot change who is blamed halfway through.
This last pass catches the pair that each looked fine alone. If the combined reading jars, reopen the weakest blank — do not submit a locally pretty set that fails as a whole.
Figure. After selecting every blank, reread the full sentence. Support chains cannot hide a contrast word, and blame cannot silently change speakers.
Final coherence pass
- InsertRead the sentence aloud (or subvocally) with every chosen word in place.
- Stress-test linksCheck each because/although/far-from link still means what you intended.
- Reopen weakestIf the whole jars, change the blank whose clue was softest; keep the locked ones.
You chose (i) robust and (ii) tentative for: Because the data were so (i)______, the conclusions remained (ii)______. What should the plug-back pass tell you?
- Accept the pair — each blank can be defended in isolation
- Reject the pair — strong data do not justify still-tentative conclusions under because
- Accept the pair — tentative always pairs with any data word
- Reject only if the sentence uses although instead of because
Because links cause to effect: robust data fight remaining tentative. The pair fails coherence even if each word is familiar. Isolation defence and always-pairs rules skip the link. The failure is under because itself, not only under although.
Notes
- Independent Blanks: In multi-blank Text Completion there is one correct choice per blank drawn from separate columns, and there is no partial credit—every blank must be right.
- Find the Key Word: Locate the sentence's pivotal clue (a description, contrast word, or definition) and predict each blank's meaning before viewing options.
- Structural Signals: Words like 'although', 'despite', and 'yet' signal contrast, while 'because' and 'thus' signal support, guiding each blank's charge.
- Work Easiest Blank First: In three-blank questions, fill the blank with the clearest clue first, then use that meaning to constrain the others.
Formulas
- Predict-then-match: cover choices, insert your own word for each blank, then select the closest synonym.
- Contrast frame: 'although X, ______' means the blank opposes X.
- Support frame: 'because X, ______' means the blank agrees with X.
- No partial credit: all blanks (1-3) must be correct for the item to count.
Exam traps & shortcuts
- Never pick a blank based on how it sounds alone; verify it against the specific clue word elsewhere in the sentence.
- For hard vocabulary, decide only whether the blank should be positive or negative, then eliminate mismatched options.
- Plug your final choices back and read the whole passage to confirm all blanks cohere logically.
Reference tables
Run structure and prediction before vocabulary browsing; finish with an all-blanks readback.
| Move | Do this | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Remember all blanks must be right — no partial credit | Stopping after the easy blank |
| Predict | Cover columns; insert a plain word from the clue | Opening choices before the clue is named |
| Contrast | Although / despite / yet / far from → flip the charge | Same-direction synonym of the nearby praise or blame |
| Support | Because / thus / and → keep the same direction | Planting a fake however |
| Order | Solve the blank with the clearest clue first | Left-to-right on three-blank fog |
| Readback | Insert all choices and check coherence | Submitting locally pretty blanks that fight each other |
Name the job of the blank from the signal before you browse synonyms.
| Signal class | Examples | Blank charge vs clue |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast / concession | although, despite, yet, however, but, far from | Opposes the cued idea |
| Cause / reason | because, since | Aligns with the reason's force (weak→weak, strong→strong) |
| Result / support | thus, therefore, so, and | Continues the same direction |
Recap
Keep these on exam day; each one kills a planted Text Completion trap.
- No partial credit
- GRE TC: every blank independent; all must be right.
- Predict
- Cover choices; insert your own plain word from the clue; then match.
- Contrast
- Although / despite / yet / far from → blank flips the nearby idea.
- Support
- Because / thus / and → blank stays in the same direction.
- Easiest first
- Lock the clearest blank; use it to constrain the foggy ones.
- Readback
- Plug all choices in; reject pairs that fight the logic link.
Practise GRE Text Completion
Reading is free and needs no account. Practice, mocks and progress live in the app.
- 5 exam-style questions on this topic, with explanations
- A 5-question practice set that ends the chapter
- Timed mocks scored with the real marking scheme
- Readiness tracked per topic, kept on your device