GRE Grammar: Mastering the Essential Rules for Success

The Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE demands a strong grasp of English grammar to excel in sentence equivalence, text completion, and reading comprehension questions. This post delves into essential grammar subtopics to help you prepare effectively.

1. Parts of Speech

Understanding the role of each part of speech is critical for GRE success. Focus on:

  • Nouns: Countable vs. uncountable.
  • Pronouns: Agreement with antecedents.
  • Verbs: Tense consistency and subject-verb agreement.
  • Adjectives & Adverbs: Modifiers and comparative forms.
  • Prepositions: Common pairings and phrasal verbs.

2. Sentence Structure

GRE sentences are often complex. Familiarize yourself with:

  • Independent and Dependent Clauses: Recognize relationships between ideas.
  • Punctuation Rules: Avoid errors with commas, semicolons, and dashes.
  • Parallelism: Ensure balanced structures in lists and comparisons.

3. Verb Tenses

Mastering verb tenses ensures clarity in comprehension:

  • Present, past, and future tense usage.
  • Perfect tenses for describing ongoing or completed actions.
  • Consistency in tense within a sentence or passage.

4. Subject-Verb Agreement

Understand how singular and plural subjects dictate verb forms, especially in complex constructions:

  • “Neither…nor” and “either…or” structures.
  • Collective nouns and irregular subjects.

5. Modifiers

Proper placement of modifiers enhances precision:

  • Identify misplaced and dangling modifiers.
  • Ensure modifiers are close to the word they describe.

6. Pronoun Usage

Pay attention to:

  • Pronoun-antecedent agreement.
  • Avoiding ambiguous pronouns.
  • Correct use of reflexive and demonstrative pronouns.

7. Active vs. Passive Voice

The GRE often employs both voices. Understand:

  • The clarity of active voice.
  • Recognizing and interpreting passive constructions.

8. Idioms and Usage

While not heavily tested, idiomatic expressions can appear. Focus on:

  • Prepositional phrases (“different from” vs. “different than”).
  • Commonly confused words (e.g., affect/effect, farther/further).

9. Logical Comparisons

Ensure comparisons are logically structured:

  • Apples-to-apples comparisons (e.g., “better than” or “as…as”).
  • Avoiding redundancy and ambiguity.

10. Agreement in Phrases

Certain GRE questions test agreement within phrases:

  • Correlative Conjunctions: Examples include “not only…but also.”
  • Agreement of elements following “as well as,” “in addition to,” etc.

Conclusion

A strong grasp of grammar is essential for GRE Verbal success. Focus on these key subtopics, practice rigorously, and review official GRE materials for real-world examples.