Text Completion

What Is Text Completion?

Complete a short passage by choosing the word or phrase that fits each blank. Meaning depends on the relationships between clauses, so solving each gap as an isolated vocabulary question is unreliable.

Detail	Study reference
Exam	GRE General Test
Response	Select one choice per blank
Timing	Shared Verbal section timer
Primary skill	Clause logic, vocabulary precision and consistency

How It Is Scored

A complete correct set of choices is required for a question with multiple blanks; a partly correct set receives no credit. Treat the passage as one logical system. Verbal scores are reported on a 130–170 scale; practice accuracy is not a direct scaled-score conversion.

Official Video

ETS introduces the skills assessed across the GRE. This is a general exam overview; use the worked examples below for this task.

Explore ETS preparation videos for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing.

Technical Foundations

Logical polarity

Contrast words such as although, yet and despite often reverse an expectation. Support markers such as because and indeed reinforce one. Mark each clause as supporting or challenging the claim; do not assume every negative prefix reverses the whole sentence.

Scope and register

A word must fit the intended degree and grammatical role. Skeptical means doubtful, whereas hostile implies opposition. A sentence that suggests uncertainty does not justify an extreme word merely because it sounds academic.

Vocabulary retrieval

Learn a word with a definition, a contrast, a collocation and a sentence. For example, mitigate reduces severity; it does not necessarily eliminate a problem. Group near-synonyms but record their differences.

Step-by-Step Approach

Step	Action and purpose
1	Read the entire passage before looking for a word that seems familiar.
2	Mark contrast, cause, concession and evidence; predict each missing idea in simple English.
3	Start with the blank supported by the clearest evidence, even if it is not first.
4	Insert every selected answer and reread for logical, grammatical and tonal consistency.

Worked Examples

These are original teaching examples, not official ETS questions. Suggested practice timings are study targets, not extra test time.

Example 1

Although the proposal seemed ___, its implementation required only a minor change. Options: radical / routine / inevitable.

Explanation / model: Radical. Although sets an expectation that a major proposal should require major implementation; the second clause reverses that expectation. Routine removes the contrast, while inevitable concerns certainty rather than scale.

Example 2

The reviewer was not ___; she praised the strong evidence while identifying several weaknesses. Blank 1: partisan / concise / curious.

Explanation / model: Partisan fits the balanced treatment. Not concise does not explain the mixture of praise and criticism. Curious is unrelated to impartial evaluation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why it fails	Correction
Choosing from vocabulary alone	A familiar meaning can contradict the passage.	Predict the idea before inspecting options.
Locking in the first blank	Later evidence may disprove the first choice.	Recheck all choices together.
Ignoring degree	An extreme word can overstate the claim.	Match intensity to explicit evidence.

Practice Routine

Complete six questions without a timer, underlining the evidence for each blank. Then solve six with a study target of roughly 60–90 seconds each, allowing longer for difficult multi-blank passages. Record whether each miss came from vocabulary, logic or grammar. Rewrite the sentence using your own predicted words before revisiting it two days later.

Quick Reference

Check	Reminder
Before answering	Read the entire passage before looking for a word that seems familiar.
Before submitting	Insert every selected answer and reread for logical, grammatical and tonal consistency.
Review focus	Clause logic, vocabulary precision and consistency

Sources and Format Check

Format checked on 22 October 2026 against ETS GRE guidance. Explanations, examples, routines and time allocations within tasks are teaching guidance. Follow the instructions and timer on your test screen.