Verbal Reasoning Tips & Tricks Flashcards
Things to Watch Out For
(Text Completion)
7 tips
1) Double Negative Pivots = Reversal Traps
2) Unfamiliar Style/Content
3) Red Herring Clues*
4) Blanks in Tough Spots
5) Theme Traps*
6) Close But Not Close Enough Traps*
7) Vocab Traps*
Reading Strategy:
Content & Judgement
Content: the scientific, historical, or artistic subject matter of the passage
1) Causes (effects, evidence, logical results)
2) Processes (steps, means, ends)
3) Categories (examples, generalities)
Judgement: what the author and any other people believe about the Content
1) Theories and Hypothesis
2) Evaluations and Opinions
3) Comparisons and Contrasts
4) Advantages and Disadvantages
Qualification or contrast
Means a key twist or two in the road. A “qualification” is a restriction or a limiting factor.
Foreshadowing
Problem leads to Resolution
Question leads to Answer
Old Idea leads to New Idea
Observation leads to Reason or New Idea
Common Structures of Long Passages
Theory
- A Theory
- Introduction: an area of scientific or historical research
- A theory about that area of research exists
- Here is support for that theory
- Here are implications for that theory. (possibly)
- Point: the theory itself exists / is valid OR an assertion about the theory is made, e.g. Theory X can now be tested. In the latter case, support for the assertion is given.
Common Structures of Long Passages
Couple of Theories
- Introduction: a phenomenon in some area of scientific or historical research
- Here are a couple of theories about that phenomenon
- Here is support (possibly positive or negative) for each of those theories.
Point: Theory X is best or they all fall short or more research is needed.
The 7 Strategies of Reading Comprehension
For General Questions
1) Use a scoring system when stuck between two answer choices (Slash/Weaken)
For Specific Questions
2) Match key words in specific questions to key words (or synonyms) in the passage.
3) Defend your answer choice with one or two proof sentences and develop your mantra
For all questions:
4) Justify every word in your answer choice
5) Justify extreme words in answer choice
6) Choose an answer choice that infers as little as possible.
Last
7) Preview the first question before reading the passage.
Typical Wording for:
Main Idea Questions
“The author is primarily concerned with…”
“Which of the following best states the author’s main point?”
“Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?”
Typical Wording for:
Lookup Detail
“According to the passage, X resulted primarily from which of the following…”
“According to the passage, as the process of X continues, all of the following may occur EXCEPT”
“According to the passage, person X indicates that all of the following were true of Y EXCEPT”
“The author provides information that would answer which of the following questions?”
Typical Wording for:
Infer about Facts
“It can be inferred from the passage that slower X than those discussed in the passage…”
“The author implies that a major element of X is…”
“Which of the following statements concerning X is most directly suggested in the passage?”
“The quality of X described in lines 10-15 is most clearly an example of…”
“The passage supports which of the following statements about X?”
Typical Wording for:
Infer about Opinions
“The author’s attitude toward X, as discussed in the passage, is best described as…”
“In the first paragraph of the passage, the author’s attitude toward X can best be described as…”
“It can be inferred from the passage that person X chose Y because X believe that…”
“It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes which of the following about X?”
Typical Wording for:
Author’s Purpose
“The author refers to X (line 45) primarily in order to…”
“Which of the following phrases best expresses the sense of word X as it is used in lines 20-21 of the passage?”
Types of WRONG Answer Choices
1) Out of Scope* = introduces an unwarranted assertion
2) Direct Contradiciton
3) Mix-up
4) One Word Wrong = watch out for EXTREME WORDS
5) True but Irrelevant = doesn’t answer the question
Strengthen the Conclusion
Question Types for Argument Structure Passages
1) In the question stem = strengthen, support, strongest reason, or similar
2) Will often (but not always) include the words “if true”
Ex: “Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the scientists’ hypothesis?”
**The correct answer will be a new piece of information that will make the conclusion at least a little more likely to be valid or true.
Weaken the Conclusion
Question Types for Argument Structure Passages
1) In the question stem = weaken, undermine, or similar
2) May ask what supports the idea that someone will NOT be successful
3) Will often (but not always) include the words “if true”
Ex: “Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the mayor’s claim?”
** The correct answer will be a new piece of information that will make the conclusion at least a little less likely to be valid or true. Creates doubt!
