GRE Sentence Equivalence: Appositives

An essential part of your GRE preparation is mastering the setups in the sentences presented in Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions; one such setup is appositives. On GRE Sentence Equivalence questions, appositive-based setups appear when the sentence defines or renames a noun using a descriptive phrase set off by commas, and the blank must fit that definition precisely. The key is to treat the appositive as a built-in clue for meaning and tone, and then select a synonymous pair that matches that description. The video below explains a simple and practical way to handle appositive-based Sentence Equivalence questions and then demonstrates this approach on GRE-style questions with answer choices designed to test this pattern.

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Understanding Appositives | GRE SE

Appositives are a helpful way to add detail or emphasis to your writing. In simple terms, appositives are two words or phrases with similar meanings that follow each other in a sentence. Appositives add emphasis and can broaden the scope of description.

Appositives on GRE SE

Explanatory Examples of Appositives in Sentences

Here are two examples that show how two similar words can work together:

Henry is a suave, refined orator.

In this sentence, “suave” and “refined” are placed next to each other. Both words describe Henry’s style as a speaker (orator). By using both, the writer emphasizes how polished Henry is.

The article was so abstract, even unintelligible, that no reader found it interesting.

Here, “abstract” and “unintelligible” follow each other. The phrase “even unintelligible” broadens the scope by showing that the article wasn’t just hard to understand—it was almost impossible to understand.

For a detailed explanation for example on the slide, please refer to the video featured earlier on this page. Following is step-by-step written explanation.

An Explanatory Example

The mansion is so expensive, to an extent ________, that it is likely to stay unsold.

The Goal: We need to find a word that has a similar meaning to “expensive” to fill in the blank and emphasize just how high the price is.

Identify the main idea: The sentence is talking about a mansion that costs a lot of money (“so expensive”).
Identify the need for an appositive: The phrase “to an extent” is leading us to a word that reinforces the idea of being expensive.
Find a similar word: We need a word that means “so expensive that people cannot buy it.”
Select the answer: The best fit is the word unaffordable.

The Completed Sentence: “The mansion is so expensive, to an extent unaffordable, that it is likely to stay unsold.”

GRE-style SE Question: Appositives

A GRE SE-like example: Appositives

Correct answers: iconoclastic, unorthodox

For a detailed explanation of this question, please refer the last ~2 minutes of the video featured earlier on this page. Following is a step-by-step written solution:

Solution

A prominent economist recently lamented that her field suffered from a dearth of ______ intellectuals, people with entirely new ideas through which academics, politicians, and business leaders can better understand the changing landscape of economic production and distribution.

traditional
pretentious
iconoclastic
superfluous
abominable
unorthodox

Core Meaning

The sentence mentions a “dearth” or lack of a certain type of intellectual. The phrase following the comma defines these intellectuals as “people with entirely new ideas” who help others understand a “changing landscape“.

Broad Expectation

I expect a word meaning original, non-traditional, or breaking away from established beliefs to describe people with “entirely new ideas“.

Eliminate

traditional: Following long-standing customs. Opposite of “entirely new ideas”. Incorrect.
pretentious: Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance than is possessed. Irrelevant.
iconoclastic: Attacking settled beliefs or institutions. Matches the idea of new, non-traditional thinking. Keep.
superfluous: Unnecessary or more than enough. Does not fit the context of having new ideas. Incorrect.
abominable: Very bad or unpleasant. Irrelevant.
unorthodox: Contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted. Matches the idea of new thinking. Keep.

Cross-check

Iconoclastic and unorthodox are synonyms that both describe thinkers who challenge the status quo with new perspectives. They fit the definition of “people with entirely new ideas” provided in the sentence.

Correct answers: iconoclastic, unorthodox