GRE Verbal Traps in Text Completion

Vocabulary terms and critical text completion trap concepts covered in the Magoosh GRE verbal lecture.

Vicarious

Specifically means able to be experienced second hand.

Precarious

Means dangerous.

Substantive

Means having substance.

Topic Association Trap

A GRE verbal trap where an answer choice is wrongly selected because it directly relates to the context or subject matter of the sentence (such as choosing 'novel' in a sentence about a writer like Kafka).

In-Isolation Trap

A GRE verbal trap where an answer choice sounds correct when read in isolation inside the sentence blank (such as 'substantive thrills'), but fails to match the specific clue in the overall sentence.

Far-Fetched Logic Trap

A trap where a test taker uses convoluted connections (such as linking two-dimensional characters to 'tangential') rather than relying on the specific, direct clue in the sentence.