Math strategy for verbal questions

GRE Verbal Problem Solving
1

I’ve been watching Greg’s video’s on signals and supporting and contrasting. Just to clarify, just because there are two blanks there doesn’t have to be two signals? For some questions I see - there are two blanks and he refers to two signals ‘While Parker is very outspoken…’ (TC and SE 2) and there was a While (contrasting signal) and then a semi colon (support signal). But then ‘Hampshire’s assertions…’ he used the far from (contrasting signal) to contrast blank 1 and blank 2.

Thank you.

2

What do you mean by this? Can you rephrase?

3

To try and rephrase - Should I be prepared to identify more than one signal in text completions with two blanks?

4

What does “signal” mean?

5

Signal as in support or contrast word.

I guess here’s my question:

'In spite of the fact the scientist’s meticulously documented research could be ___, some people ___. So there is a could be (support word) and an in spite (contrast word).

How do I know that the ‘in spite’ applies to the second blank and the ‘could be’ applies to the first blank?

6

Oh, I get your question now, thanks!

Figuring out which specific support/contrast word is for which blank is actually part of the skill.

I would check out some TC and SE videos regarding math strategy to help you with this.

You can also use our support/contrast skill building to practice this.

In this particular question, please tell me the following:

  1. What exactly does Blank 1 describe?
  2. What exactly does blank 2 describe?
7

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I took this example from one of Greg’s videos (so I remember which support/contrast corresponds to which blank). I believe blank 1 is a positive word as it belongs to ‘could be’ which is a support word for idea 1 meticulously documented research. Meaning blank 1 could be published or disseminated. But the ‘in spite’ belongs to blank 2 (which is a contrast word) and it is being contrasted against meticulously documented research. Therefore blank 2 would be negative meaning the research could be ignored or rejected.

Thanks

8

I’m asking you what the blanks describe, not what you think they should be.

Check out this video: https://www.gregmat.com/class/text-completion-strategy-what-is-the-blank-doing