GRE SE: Explanation of a Term or Thought

Understanding different sentence constructions and setups is an important part of your GRE preparation, and one such construction is the explanation of a term or idea through a sentence. On GRE Sentence Equivalence questions, explanation of a term–based setups appear when the sentence introduces a term and then clarifies, explains, or restates its meaning through the surrounding context. The key is to treat the sentence as a definition or clarification task, use that explanation to predict what the blank must convey, and then select a synonymous pair that matches the intended meaning precisely. The video below explains a clear and practical way to handle explanation of a term–based Sentence Equivalence questions and then demonstrates this approach on GRE-style questions with answer choices designed to test this concept.

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Understanding Explanation of a Term or Thought on GRE SE

Some GRE sentences explain or elaborate on an idea that already appears earlier in the sentence. The structure often introduces a term or opinion first and then revisits it with added detail that clarifies meaning. This explanatory pattern makes the sentence longer and more information rich, and recognizing it helps you understand the sentence efficiently and move faster. An opinion may appear at the beginning and then receive a detailed explanation later, so the blank must take a word whose meaning aligns directly with that explanation. You evaluate answer choices by checking which word matches the impact described in the explanatory portion of the sentence.

Explaining a term or thought on GRE SE

Explanation Triggers

Colon( : )
m-Dash( — )
Pair of dashes( — …. — )
Semicolon( ; )
Double dash( — ), which often means “namely”

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.

Conceptual Example

Some experts opine that donations of clothing to impoverished regions are typically ______ — these regions have functional domestic textile industries that are hurt by the influx of foreign clothing, leading to further impoverishment.

Step 1: Identify the Trigger. Look at the punctuation. We see an m-Dash ( — )right after the blank. This is our signal! Everything after that dash is an explanation of what the blank word should be.
Step 2: Analyze the explanation. Now, let’s read the explanation: “these regions have functional domestic textile industries that are hurtby the influx of foreign clothing, leading to further impoverishment.” The explanation tells us that the donations are causing harm and making things worse for the local industries.
Step 3: Expectation from the blank. Since the explanation describes something that “hurts” and causes “further impoverishment,” we know the word in the blank must mean something like “harmful”.

GRE-style SE Question: Explanation of a Term or Thought

A GRE SE-like example: Explanation of a term or thought

Correct answers: transformative, revolutionary

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

The lesson to take away from the invention of nuclear power is the simple maxim that any sufficiently advanced scientific breakthrough is ______: it leaves the world changed forever.

transformative
fastidious
acrimonious
revolutionary
incredible
painstaking

1. Core Meaning

The sentence defines a “maxim” or general rule about scientific breakthroughs. The colon introduces an explanation: such a breakthrough is something that “leaves the world changed forever“.

2. Broad Expectation

I expect a word meaning life-changing, world-altering, or producing a complete and radical change.

3. Eliminate

transformative: Causing a marked change in someone or something. Keep.
fastidious: Very attentive to accuracy and detail. Irrelevant to the world changing. Incorrect.
acrimonious: Angry and bitter. Does not fit the context of scientific progress. Incorrect.
revolutionary: Involving or causing a complete or dramatic change. Keep.
incredible: Impossible to believe; extraordinary. Too vague and does not specifically mean “changed forever.” Incorrect.
painstaking: Done with great care and thoroughness. Describes the process of invention, not the result. Incorrect.

4. Cross-check

Transformative and revolutionary are synonyms that both describe a force that fundamentally alters the existing state of the world. They perfectly match the explanation provided after the colon.

Correct answers: transformative, revolutionary