Lara's GRE Verbal Prep stuff

ETS's Published Pool of Analytical Writing Topics

• Issue topics
• Argument topics

Powerpoints

For Office 2007 (*.pptx)

• NEW! Graphs of test score distributions: Excel Workbook, Power Point. I created these graphs from the raw data available on the ets website.
• The Argument Task
• The Issue Task
• Intro to the Analytical Writing Section
• Sentence Completion
• Analogies
• Antonyms (and how to make dignified guesses)
• Introduction to the Verbal Section/Vocabulary
• A Super Brief History of English or How Can Latin Help Me?

Latin Roots

• Latin Roots - Voldemort
• Latin Roots II
• Latin Roots III
• Latin Roots IV
• Latin Roots V

For Office 97-2003 (*.ppt)

Use these if you were unable to open the above PowerPoints

• The Argument Task
• The Issue Task
• Intro to the Analytical Writing Section
• Sentence Completion
• Analogies
• Latin Roots - Voldemort
• Antonyms (and how to make dignified guesses)
• Introduction to the Verbal Section/Vocabulary
• A Super Brief History of English or How Can Latin Help Me?

• Common Writing Mistakes--Not well annotated, but you are welcome to look at it. I thought I had a few more, but couldn't find them.

Interesting Links

Major tests

Free tests with explanations--helpful to figure out why you got a question wrong.

Software

Here are some vocabulary programs I found. They're easier than writing out 1200 flashcards yourself.

REMEMBER, though, if you don't use them daily, they aren't worth downloading!!! (Especially if you pay for them.)

If you have a Mac (sorry, not for Windows), a student recommneded iFlash, It's $14.95, but he thinks it's money well spent. You have access to a large library of flashcards, including GRE words, foreign languages and more. It looked pretty cool to me. I would recommend it.

iFlash site

For any operating system (if you know how to run a Java Jar file--have the SDK loaded) here is a nice Java vocabulary program. I like open source, so I recommend this.

Vocabulary Builder
Sorry, if you don't know how to run a jar file, I can't help with the technical details. If you have the Java SDK installed, it should run easily.

It's harder to find free flashcard programs for Windows. Here are a few shareware (free to try, usually with a trial period of several days to a month, or with word limits).

Word Guru--simple, clean; 1000 words free, 5000 for $9.99

Another program. You can only run it 5 times, then you have to pay. You could always keep it open on your computer . . . It's cool because it has pronounciation.

Vocabulary Wizard 6.7

Another program. Free trial, $19.99 to buy. Interesting because in addition to words, it also has roots and suffixes.

Grad Flash

Here's a list of some more GRE vocabulary software programs. Most are shareware and may require a fee--but shareware often gives you a trial period. For example, the WordHacker program gives you 21 days free.

GRE Vocabulary Software