For the GMAT's Verbal Section: a breakdown of the different types of reading comprehension questions that can appear in the GMAT, and how to tackle them. It also covers how to identify wrong options. Collated from the Official Guide, Manhattan Guide, and Princeton's Cracking the GMAT. Notes are pre...
Verbal Reasoning (Reading Comprehension) Notes
GMAT Reading Comprehension Question types:
● Main idea
○ Recognise a correct restatement/ paraphrasing of the main idea in the passage
○ Purpose: Identify the author’s primary purpose/ objective
○ Topic: Assign a title that summarises the main idea developed in the passage
● Supporting idea (basic comprehension). Asked about:
○ Facts cited, specific content of arguments and descriptive details used to support
or elaborate on the main idea
● Inferences (ideas that are not explicitly stated but are implied)
● Application (apply ideas in the passage to another context)
○ Identify a situation/example comparable to the situation/example in the passage
○ Recognise if the author would agree/ disagree with other ideas
● Logical structure (what role does a certain element of the passage play)
○ How the author persuades readers
○ The reason behind the author’s use of a supporting detail
○ Identify assumptions, strengths/ weaknesses of the author’s argument
○ Recognise appropriate counterarguments
● Identify attitude/ perspectives (of author/ people in the passage)
○ Style and tone (take notice of diction)
Reading strategy
● Do not keep rereading sentences you don’t quite get. It’ll waste time and distract you
from the big picture
● Skimming is NOT reading everything faster. It is selective reading. Read important
sections slower, and glance less important ones
○ Important sections: intro, conclusion, first/last sentences of paragraphs,
transitions, strong language (must, should)
● Annotate:
○ +: author supporting an idea
○ -: author rejecting an idea
○ Circle contrast words like but, although: signals change in argument
○ Circle continuation words like and: restating point
● Interpret ideas as you read (mentally summarise sections/paragraphs after reading)
● Identify the purpose, main ideas, passage structure, tone/attitude while reading. Don’t
get distracted by unimportant details
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