Lesson 2
- 1. Lesson 2<br />Understanding Positive and Negative Word Strategy for Sentence Completion<br />Using positive (+) and negative (-) connotations (implied meanings) to annotate answer choices is a productive way to eliminate wrong answer choices. This strategy is particularly useful for questions with two blanks.<br />Example:<br />Although the British public once __(+)_____ Prince Edward VIII, the would-be king who renounced his claim to the throne in order to marry a commoner, recent revelations about the Prince’s Nazi sympathies during World War II have ___(-)_____ such positive feelings.<br />-We know that for the most part feelings associated with Nazi sympathies are negative (-). The word although establishes a reversal so we can determine that the first blank should be (+).<br />The formula you should have established is (+)(-)<br />Revered…assuaged
- 5. Admired…minimizedThe technique can also be used for single-blank questions:<br />Example:<br />Their mutual teasing seemed ____(+)____ because the two co-workers enjoyed poking fun at each other.<br />Although teasing carries a negative (-) connotation, enjoyed poking fun is a positive connotation (+). Therefore (+) is the symbol you should have inserted in the blank.<br />(A)Harassing<br />Good-natured(C)Vindictive<br />(D)Enamored<br /> (E)Truculent<br />Lesson 3
- 6. Fill-in-the-Blank StrategyAn effective strategy is to fill in the blank with your own word and then match it with one of the answer choices. This is a four step process:<br />Identify the key words or phrases.
- 7. Determine what the blank is modifying.
- 8. Mentally fill in the blank with a word that seems to complete the sentence logically. You can use simple words.
- 9. Look at the answer choices given. You will find one of the following to be true:
- 10. The word you picked is an actual answer choice.
- 11. A synonym for the word you inserted is one of the answer choices.
- 12. None of the answer choices have the same meaning as the word you chose.Example:<br />The ___(kind)___ nun gave up her own life to help others.<br />Wretched
- 13. egotistical
- 14. benevolent
- 15. comical