GRE READING COMPRHENSION

The following are types of wrong answers that consistently show up on Reading Comprehension questions.

180: States the opposite of what the question calls for or what is cited in the passage. Outside the Scope: Deals with material beyond the confines of the passage or the author' s concern. (Note: Since topic is broader than scope, a choice can relate to the correct topic but still be outside the scope that the author takes up.) Distortion: Relates to a point in the discussion but fundamentally confuses some aspect of it. Extreme: Similar to Distortion, but takes a point and blows it out of proportion; an unwarranted exaggeration. Watch out for extreme language, such as always, never, only, etc. Choices with extreme language are rarely correct on the GRE. Faulty Use of Detail: Focuses on a detail from the wrong part of the passage or takes a relevant detail out of context.

A Detail question asks about something that' s actually stated in the text. examples are

According to the passage... The author states... The author mentions which of the following...

tips for inference test:

Always refer back to the text for context in these situations, remember that the definition of Inference on the test is something that must be true, not what could be true, or what sounds plausible or likely. For example, if the passage states, " Jill is Rachel' s mother" , then you can infer from that statement that Rachel is Jill' s daughter. As you can see, an inference isn' t something that strays from the text, or something that requires imagination or guessing, but rather something that' s necessarily and logically implied by the text.

logic- signify author reasoning/ argument, answers evidence and conclusion. author' s conclusion answers the question, " What' s your point?" The evidence for that conclusion answers the question, " Why do you think your point is correct?"

Evidence: because, since, for example, to illustrate, citing that Conclusion: therefore, hence, so, believe, maintain, hypothesize, argue, suggest

An Inference question asks you to read between the lines, searching for the choice that' s suggested or implied by the text

It can be inferred that... The author suggests that... The passage best supports which of the following statements? The author of the passage would most likely agree with the assertion that...

Logic questions basically ask you to use logic to answer questions based on the structure of the passage or about the function of specific details from the text.

The primary function of the last paragraph is to... The author mentions X most probably in order to... Select the sentence in the passage in which the author provides support for a generalization.

continuation - keywords tell you we' re moving forward. Expect no significant change in the author' s direction, but rather another point or further expansion words like

also, indeed, and, in addition, furthermore, moreover

tips of logic question:

ask yourself, " Why did the author put this detail in the passage? How does this detail fit into the paragraph or the passage as a whole?" The answer to that question will be your prediction. Consider the following: statement/opinion details/support/example/quote/data/anecdote

contrast- shift in direction whenever you see a contrast keyword words like

but, nonetheless, as opposed to, not only/but also, however, on the other hand, disagre

5 different categories of keywords to be on the lookout for:

contrast continuation logic (evidence/conclusion) emphasis temporal/sequential

emphasis-

important, emphasize, vital, crucial, sad, interesting, unfortunately

temporal/sequential

recently/until recently, over the past several years, traditionally, finally, then

A Global question asks about an author' s primary purpose or main idea. examples are

the primary purpose of the passage is to... Which of the following best summarizes the main point of the passage? Which of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage? tips to answer global question: taken note of the Topic and Scope, and read the passage for structure and the author' s Purpose, (paraphrase)