Ch 8

Question 1

Faulty Use of Detail

Answer 1

Answer doesn’t answer the question posed

• the answer may be too specific for a question that requires a general answer
• the answer may use detail from the wrong part of a passage
• the answer may refer to the correct pet of the paragraph but may not be relevant to the question posed

Question 2

Out of Scope

Answer 2

These answer choices will be on topic but will bring in some element that the passage does not discuss (and that cannot be inferred from the passage)

• the answer may make connections or comparisons that the author does not discuss
• the answer may make a statement about the significance or history of an idea that was not discussed
• the answer brings in information that does not fall within the constraints of the passage

Question 3

Opposite

Answer 3

The answer choice contains info that directly conflicts with the passage

• the answer contains (or omits) a single word like not or except
• the answer contains a prefix like un- or a- or suffix like -less or -free
• the answer says that a claim is true when the author is ambivalent

Question 4

Distortion

Answer 4

Answer choices that are extreme or twist the ideas in the passage further than the author would prefer

• the answer contains words like all, always, none, never, impossible, only
• the answer contains a prefix like any- or every- or suffix like -est or -less
• the answer is more radical than the author

Question 5

Signs of a healthy answer

Answer 5

• the answer is not too broad or specific
• the answer is consistent with the author’s statements and opinions
• the answer tends to use moderating key words like can, could, may, might, is possible, sometimes, often, likely, probably, in some sense

Question 6

Wrong Answer Pathologies

Answer 6

1. Faulty use of Detail
2. Out of Scope
3. Opposite
4. Distortion