GMAT Verbal Success

1. GMAT Verbal Success Critical Reasoning – or When Philosophy Meets Language… GMAT Verbal Success

2. Types of Questions • Using language to justify / analyze statements or situations logically. • Questions deal typically with: • Assumption • Strengthen / Weaken • Flaw • Inference • Explain GMAT Verbal Success

3. Assumption Questions—Wrong Answers • Go beyond scope of argument • Use language too extreme • Do not support argument GMAT Verbal Success

4. Assumption Question—Phrasing • Which of the following is assumed by author? • Which of the following, if added, would make the conclusion valid? • The validity of the argument depends on which of the following? • Which one does the argument presuppose? GMAT Verbal Success

5. Assumption Questions—Method • Identify the conclusion & evidence in stimulus • Spot the author’s key assumptions • Denial Test: • Deny / Negate Statement • Does the argument fall apart? GMAT Verbal Success

6. Strengthen / Weaken Questions • Most common type of questioning • Phrasing: • Which most strengthens/weakens? • Which would provide the most support for / most seriously damage the argument? GMAT Verbal Success

7. Strengthen / Weaken Questions • Phrasing: • Which, if true, would make the argument more persuasive? • Which, if true, would cast the most doubt on the argument? GMAT Verbal Success

8. Strengthen / Weaken Questions—Method • Identify evidence & conclusion • Find author’s key assumptions •  Look for answer that reinforces or underminesthevalidity of the author’s conclusion. GMAT Verbal Success

9. Strengthen / Weaken Questions—Method • S/W questions commonly: • Go outside the scope of the argument. • Introduce irrelevant comparisons. • Do the opposite of what they’re supposed to do. • Look for qualifying modifiers (some, occasionally, possibly) which might not make the argument strong enough. GMAT Verbal Success

10. Flaw Questions • Less common • Which statement corrects the flaw (absurdity, defect, mistake, etc.) in the stimulus? GMAT Verbal Success

11. Flaw Questions • Resemble “weaken” questions: • Weaken: find information that, if true, would weaken the argument. • Flaw: you know the argument or stimulus is flawed (= is weak); you don’t have to prove it. • Method: process of elimination GMAT Verbal Success

12. Inference Questions • Use the entire stimulus as evidence and draw your own conclusions. • Remember on GMAT: inference = reading between the lines • Rely on the TRUTH: If a choice needs any assumptions, throw it out! GMAT Verbal Success

13. Inference Questions • Wording—many different ways, among which: • Do the stimulus facts support the following conclusions? • What conclusions can be properly drawn from the stimulus? • If the stimulus is true, which statement must be true? GMAT Verbal Success

14. Inference Questions • Wrong answers: • Outside scope of passage • Too extreme (exclusive adverbs: never, always, must, etc.) • Could be true, but could also not be true (= aren’t necessarily true) GMAT Verbal Success

15. Explain Questions • Do not present an argument • Describe a situation with 2 (or more) apparently contradictory facts • Wording: • Which, if true, would explain…? / contributes most to…? / best helps to…? GMAT Verbal Success

16. Explain Questions • Wrong Answers: • Touch upon only one fact / side in the argument • Deepen the incomprehension • Make an irrelevant comparison • Misrepresent the situation’s scope • Method: get a good grasp of the situation that needs to be explained GMAT Verbal Success

17. How ETS builds arguments? Conclusion Premise Assumption GMAT Verbal Success