Qudurat verbal: analogy, sentence completion, contextual error and reading

The verbal question types and their weight

Source: ETEC General Aptitude Test guide, July 2026. Percentages are shares of the whole test. The guide's practice questions also include odd-one-out items (الارتباط والاختلاف).

Worked example 1: verbal analogy

Seed : tree. Options: (a) egg : nest, (b) child : adult, (c) leaf : branch, (d) water : river.

1. Say the relationship as a full sentence: 'a seed grows into a tree', an early stage becoming its mature form.
2. Test every option against that sentence. An egg does not grow into a nest (a nest is where it is laid). A leaf does not grow into a branch (it is part of it). Water does not grow into a river.
3. A child grows into an adult, so the answer is (b).
4. Trap to notice: (c) leaf : branch looks right because both pairs are about plants. Analogy answers match the relationship, not the topic.

Worked example 2: sentence completion

'His success was not ......; it was the fruit of years of ...... .' Options: (a) sudden / steady work, (b) expected / laziness, (c) quick / rest, (d) large / hesitation.

1. Read to the end first. 'Not ... ; it was the fruit of' signals contrast: the first blank must be the opposite of something earned over years.
2. 'Sudden' contrasts with years of effort, and 'steady work' is something that bears fruit. Option (a) fits both blanks.
3. Check the others in both blanks: success is not the fruit of laziness, rest or hesitation, so (b), (c) and (d) fail on the second word.
4. Method: in two-blank questions, eliminate on the easier blank first, then confirm with the other.

Worked example 3: contextual error

'The doctor cared deeply for her patients, so she ignored their appointments and followed every case closely.' Which word does not fit the context?

1. Find the overall meaning: a doctor who cares deeply and follows cases closely.
2. 'Ignored' contradicts that meaning. A caring doctor would organise or keep their appointments.
3. The answer is 'ignored'. The grammar of the sentence is fine; contextual error is always about meaning, never spelling or grammar.

Worked example 4: reading comprehension

Passage: 'Some educators argue that reading on paper helps students remember more than reading on a screen. Others reply that the difference shrinks when students are taught to slow down and take notes. Both groups agree that the habit of reading matters more than the medium.' Question: Which statement does the passage support? (a) Screens should be banned in schools. (b) Both groups think regular reading is more important than paper or screen. (c) Paper always produces better memory. (d) Taking notes is harmful.

1. Read the question first so you know you are looking for something the whole passage supports.
2. (a) goes beyond the text: nobody calls for a ban. (c) uses 'always', which the second sentence contradicts. (d) is the opposite of what the second group says.
3. (b) restates the final sentence in different words, so it is the answer.
4. Lesson: reject options that are more extreme than the text, or that reuse its words with a changed meaning.

Common mistakes

• Choosing an analogy pair because it shares the topic of the question pair rather than the relationship.
• Not reversing the order: in 'tree : seed' the relationship runs the other way, and the right option must run the same way.
• Filling the first blank of a completion question without reading the second half of the sentence.
• Hunting for a grammar mistake in contextual error questions. The odd word is grammatically correct; it just contradicts the meaning.
• Answering reading questions from general knowledge. The answer must come from the passage, even if you know more about the topic.
• Re-reading a long passage for every question instead of noting where each idea sits on the first read.

Building the skill over weeks, not days

Verbal reasoning improves with regular short practice more than with cramming. A useful routine is 20 minutes a day: ten analogy items where the student writes the relationship sentence before choosing, five completion or contextual error items, and one reading passage. Keep a notebook of unfamiliar words met in practice, grouped by meaning, and revise it twice a week. Use ETEC's own guide and practice test to calibrate timing: the whole test allows about a minute per question.

In one-to-one lessons the tutor asks your child to say why each answer is right before moving on, which exposes guessing quickly. Because the Arabic GAT tests reasoning in Arabic, the most suitable tutor for most Saudi students is one comfortable with formal Arabic. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, so ask when you book and we will tell you honestly whether we can match one. If your child sits the GAT in English, our English tutors can prepare them for the same question types.

Self-check

• Pen : writing is to ...... : cutting. (Answer: scissors, a tool and its function)
• Which word is the odd one out: apple, orange, carrot, grape? (Answer: carrot, the only vegetable)
• Find the contextual error: 'Because the road was crowded, we arrived early and missed the start of the match.' (Answer: early; the sense needs late)
• Write the relationship sentence for 'drought : thirst'. (Answer: a drought causes thirst, cause and effect)