GRE Text Completion Strategy: How to Use Logic (Not Just Vocab)

You do not need a massive vocabulary to beat GRE Text Completion. What you do need is a reliable way to read for structure and logic, then map that logic onto the blanks. The test is designed so that tempting synonyms look right until you analyze how the sentence is built—its contrasts, supports, and cause–effect links. When you train your eyes to see these signals first, the correct word often becomes obvious, and the wrong “fancy” words fall away.

Since September 22, 2023, the GRE is shorter—about 1 hour 58 minutes. Verbal Reasoning still has two sections, now 12 questions in 18 minutes and 15 questions in 23 minutes. Text Completion remains a core question type: single-blank items offer five choices; two- and three-blank items give three choices per blank; there is no partial credit for multi-blank questions. You can move within a section, mark and review, and you should answer every question because there is no penalty for incorrect answers. The test is section-level adaptive, so doing well in the first Verbal section can route you to a more difficult second section; the scoring accounts for both how many questions you get right and the difficulty of the sections. Practically, this means accuracy early matters, but the best strategy never changes: read for logic, then choose accordingly.

Here is a simple, repeatable process: 1) Frame the sentence by spotting logic signals. 2) Predict a rough meaning for each blank before looking at choices. 3) Lock grammar, tone, and degree. 4) Eliminate choices decisively using logic mismatches. 5) For multi-blank items, start with the easiest blank and cross-check. 6) Do a final coherence read to confirm the sentence now means exactly what the author intended.

Signal words telegraph whether the blank should agree with or oppose surrounding ideas. Contrast signals include however, although, despite, yet, but, rather than, even though. Support signals include because, since, therefore, thus, consequently, so, as a result. Definition and emphasis signals include namely, that is, in other words, colon and em dash (the part after a colon or dash explains or exemplifies what came before). Comparison signals include like, similarly, likewise, more than, less than, not only…but also. When you label the signal, you immediately know the blank’s polarity: does it need to align with a positive/negative idea, or flip it?

Read the sentence without the answer choices and say what should go in the blank in your own simple words: positive or negative? cautious or enthusiastic? increase or decrease? If a clause says “because funding was irregular,” your prediction for the outcome might be “unstable” or “inconsistent.” Entering the choices with a prediction prevents you from being seduced by impressive-but-wrong vocabulary.

Check the part of speech the blank requires (noun, verb, adjective), agree in number and tense, and match degree. Words like slightly, somewhat, profoundly, and radically control intensity; the correct choice must fit that scale. Match tone too: academic prose often prefers neutral or precise words (measured, qualified) over emotional ones (ecstatic, furious) unless the sentence clearly calls for it.

Cut choices that violate logic (wrong polarity after however or because), mismatch grammar or tone, clash with facts in the sentence, or feel too extreme for the modifiers provided. Be wary of near-synonyms: if two options feel close, ask which one best expresses the author’s specific claim, not your general impression.

Tackle the blank with the strongest signals first (for example, the one right after a colon or the one controlled by a clear because/although). Lock that answer, then test the remaining blanks against your evolving picture of the sentence. Remember that each blank is selected independently, but the completed sentence must read as a coherent whole.

Although the documentary begins with admiring anecdotes about the founder, its final chapters are decidedly ______, dwelling on unpaid wages and shuttered factories. Choices: A) hagiographic B) exuberant C) contrite D) unsparing E) whimsical. Frame: although indicates contrast; content turns negative and critical. Predict: critical or harsh. Eliminate A and B as positive; E is tone mismatch; C means remorseful, which doesn’t describe a film. D unsparing fits both logic and tone. Answer: D unsparing.

Because the trial’s methodology was ______, its findings proved unusually ______, with small biases unlikely to obscure real effects. Blank (i) choices: chaotic; scrupulous; ad hoc. Blank (ii) choices: robust; equivocal; speculative. Frame: because introduces a cause; good method should cause strong results. Predict: rigorous → reliable. Eliminate chaotic and ad hoc as negative; scrupulous fits. For the result, robust matches reliable; equivocal and speculative contradict the sentence. Answer: scrupulous; robust.

Once dismissed as a background molecule, the protein is now seen as a ______ actor—so ______ that it has become the ______ of several new therapies. Blank (i) choices: peripheral; central; obscure. Blank (ii) choices: influential; trifling; fickle. Blank (iii) choices: target; relic; byproduct. Frame: now signals a shift to importance; so…that signals a strong degree. Predict: central, influential, target. Eliminate the rest by polarity or meaning. Answer: central; influential; target.

Across the two Verbal sections you average about a minute and a half per question. For Text Completion, aim for roughly 45–60 seconds on single-blank items and 60–90 seconds on multi-blank items. Use triage: do short, signal-rich sentences first; mark the knotty three-blank monsters and return if time allows. Always leave 20–30 seconds at the end of a section for bubbling any remaining questions—since there is no penalty for wrong answers, an educated guess always beats a blank.

Trap 1: The glittering synonym. If it doesn’t match the sentence’s logic, it’s wrong. Trap 2: The degree mismatch. Words like somewhat or scarcely demand moderate or negative intensity; avoid extremes unless the sentence signals them. Trap 3: The tone mismatch. Academic prose rarely jumps to hyperbole unless framed by cues like ironically or outrage. Trap 4: The double negative. Phrases such as not uncommon mean common; keep polarity straight. Trap 5: The pivot bait. Words after a colon, dash, or however carry heavy weight; align your choice with those cues.

Start with a diagnostic so your AI tutor can calibrate your current Verbal profile. In the Learn step, take the Text Completion strategy lesson that teaches you to tag contrast, support, and cause–effect signals. In Solve Together, walk through guided examples where the tutor predicts the blank before revealing choices. In Test Yourself, drill adaptive Text Completion sets that match your level; as you improve, Exambank automatically increases difficulty and mixes in multi-blank items. Use analytics to watch time per question, accuracy by signal type, and your score trajectory; let the platform generate personalized review sets that resurface the exact patterns you miss.

Day 1: Learn the logic-first method and practice 10 single-blank items, narrating your prediction aloud. Day 2: Practice 10 two-blank items focusing on signal words and degree. Day 3: Practice 8 three-blank items, sequencing easiest blank first. Day 4: Mixed set of 15 with strict timing; review every miss and label the signal you overlooked. Day 5: Short “speed bursts” of five items twice a day to automate prediction before peeking. Day 6: Full Verbal mini-sim with Exambank’s timed sections; analyze pacing. Day 7: Targeted review set generated from your analytics (for example, contrast with double negatives) and a final mixed set to lock in habits.

Read the whole sentence; do not start from the choices. Circle or mentally tag the signal words. Predict each blank in plain language. Enforce grammar, tone, and degree. Eliminate fast; if torn, pick the choice that best fits the author’s exact claim, not the flashiest word. For multi-blank, anchor the easiest blank and cross-check. Do a final coherence read. Guess rather than leave blanks—every question counts.

Text Completion rewards readers who think like editors: you diagnose the sentence’s structure, supply the missing logic, and then choose words that make the whole thing snap into place. Build that habit now, and vocab becomes a helper rather than a hurdle.

Because Exambank learns from every session, it can keep you practicing at the edge of your ability, generate endless GRE‑style Text Completion items, and show you exactly which logic signals you miss under time pressure. Use it to get reps that are both realistic and relentlessly targeted—then carry the same logic-first checklist into the exam.