Tips and Strategies for the Verbal Section

The following section offers specific tips and strategies to use on the Verbal section during the exam. Prac- tice these strategies as you complete the practice exercises in the next chapter. Remember that the different types of questions will be interspersed throughout the Verbal section. For example, you may start with a set of reading comprehension questions based on a passage, then have a sen- tence correction question, then have two critical reasoning questions, and then have another reading com- prehension passage. Try not to let this distract you. Be prepared to shift gears frequently throughout the exam. To help you focus on each type of question, jot a few notes about key things to remember for each type of question on a piece of scrap paper. It is important to keep moving, but at the same time, don’t sacrifice too much for the sake of speed. If you need to reread a reading comprehension passage in order to answer the questions about it correctly, do so. The extra minute you spend rereading will increase your chance of answering those questions correctly and, therefore, of setting the level of difficulty of your exam at a higher level. Even if you answer fewer ques- tions in the end, the questions that you did answer correctly will carry more weight. CHAPTER Tips and Strategies for the Verbal Section 8 137 The First Five Questions Remember that on this CAT your answers to the first five questions in each category will largely determine the level of difficulty of your exam. Take some extra time to make sure you answer these questions correctly. 138  Reading Comprehension Questions Smart Approach Remember that active reading is your best strategy for comprehension. On the exam, read each passage three times: 1. First, preview. Scan the passage quickly to get a general sense of the argument and context. This should take less than a minute. Use your finger to guide you down the screen so your eyes keep mov- ing. Do not slip into reading mode if a word or sentence catches your attention. Keep skimming. 2. Second, read carefully and actively. Use your scratch paper to take notes about main ideas, connec- tions within the text, key terms, and support. As you read, try to outline the passage. 3. Third, review the passage. Scan it again to get a better sense of the whole: the whole argument and the overall organization of the text. This review will also help you better understand key ideas and terms. You can preview the question stem if you like, but don’t try to memorize it. More important, don’t waste time reading the question options before you read the passage. Four of the five are incorrect, and the distracters may actually confuse you as you read. Other Tips ■ Most questions will be about key ideas and issues in a passage, not about minor details. Don’t focus on trying to remember specific facts or details as you read. If you outline the passage as you read, you should know where to find specific details if you happen to get such a question. ■ Remember that your notes are for your use only. They don’t have to be neat, and they don’t have to make sense to anyone else except you. Use whatever shorthand or note-taking method you feel com- fortable with. ■ Read all options carefully. Several of the options may state information that is true based on the pas- sage, but those statements may not answer the question or may not be the best answer to the question. Beware of distracters that are true statements drawn from other parts of the text. Because they look familiar, they may seem like the correct answer, but they may not provide the best answer to the question. ■ Base your answers only on the information provided in the passage. Don’t answer based upon your own reactions, ideas, or knowledge. 139 ■ Refer to the passage as often as you need to; reread sections or the entire passage if you have to. It is better to take the time to understand a passage so you can answer the questions correctly than to just guess so you can move on to the next passage or question. Remember, the more correct answers you provide at the beginning of the test, the higher the level the CAT will establish for you and the better your potential for a higher score. ■ Context clues can help you determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. At a minimum, try to deter- mine whether the unfamiliar word is something positive or negative. ■ In a long text, the main idea (if stated) is often located in the first paragraph. Within one paragraph, the main idea (if stated in a topic sentence) is often the first sentence in that paragraph. ■ Remember that the main idea must be general enough to encompass (hold together) all of the ideas in the passage. ■ Remember to distinguish between facts (things known to be true) and opinions (things believed to be true). ■ Use key words and the structure of the passage to locate specific facts and details. ■ Remember that a writer’s purpose drives every decision a writer makes, including how to organize the text. The overall organizing principle of a passage will reflect the writer’s purpose. ■ Watch for transitions that suggest the organizational pattern and show the relationships between ideas. ■ Make sure your inferences are logical and based only on the evidence in the text. If you cannot point to evidence in the text itself, your inference may not be valid. ■ Look carefully at word choice for clues to the writer’s feelings.  Critical Reasoning Questions Smart Approach Critical reasoning passages are short, but you need to read the passages very carefully to answer the questions correctly: 1. First, skim through each passage. Then reread the passage at a slow, careful pace. 2. Read the question stem. This will tell you what sort of argument you are dealing with. For example, say the stem asks “Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the previous passage?” You know you do not need to spend any time searching the passage for the conclusion of the argument. Rather, the question is asking you to pick the best conclusion offered through inference. Use Scrap Paper Use as much scrap paper as you need for notes, outlines, and calculations—whatever you need to do to help you determine the correct answer. If you run out of scrap paper, you can always ask for more. Educated Guessing If you need to guess, make sure it’s an educated guess. You should be able to eliminate at least one or two answer choices. 140 3. Use the question stem as your guide to identify the elements of the argument. For example, if the stem asks about a flaw in the argument, search for a fallacy; if the stem asks about assumptions upon which the argument is based, try to identify in your mind what assumption(s) would make the argument valid. It helps to do this before reading the answer choices because the wording of the choices can be confusing. This way, you will know what you are looking for when you read the options. 4. Read each answer choice carefully. Which one seems to best provide you with the correct answer? Other Tips ■ Remember that an argument must have a premise and a conclusion, but the premise or conclusion may be unstated. ■ If the premise is missing, ask yourself if any assumptions must be true in order for the argument to be valid. Find the missing link between premise and conclusion. ■ Remember that a premise for one conclusion can be the conclusion of another argument. ■ Conclusions must be based on the evidence in the passage. If an answer choice does not have relevant evidence, it cannot be the correct answer. ■ Do not let your opinion on the matter influence your answer selection. Stick to the statements and claims in the argument that has been presented. ■ Pay extra attention to the question stem. Make sure you are looking for the right kind of answer. Remember, many questions will ask you for the exception. ■ You do not need to name the fallacy — you just need to be able to recognize that something is wrong with the argument. Do not worry about classifying the flaw; just identify the problem with the argu- ment’s logic. ■ Remember that qualifiers strengthen arguments by limiting their scope. For example, stating that “most students would benefit from more individualized instruction” is a more accurate (and therefore stronger) statement than “all students would benefit from more individualized instruction.” ■ Keep in mind the four characteristics of good evidence: sufficient, relevant, unbiased, and logical. ■ Whenever an argument makes a comparison, check to see if it is an apples-to-oranges comparison. ■ Whenever an argument asks you to reject a claim, check to see if it is an ad hominem argument (reject- ing a claim because of who makes the claim, not because of the merits of the claim). ■ Watch for arguments that bring in irrelevant issues (red herrings). Premises must be directly related to their conclusions to be logical. ■ Whenever a passage offers an explanation, make sure it is a good one: testable, noncircular, precise, reli- able, relevant, consistent with established theories, and convincing. ■ Whenever you are presented with a causal argument, check for the fallacies of causal reasoning: post hoc, reversing causation, ignoring a common cause, and assuming a common cause.  Sentence Correction Questions Smart Approach With sentence correction questions, it can be time consuming to read each answer choice to determine which one is best. Use the following steps instead: 1. Reread the original version carefully and listen to the sentence in your head. Make sure you hear how it sounds; this will often help you identify the error. Even if you do not know the grammar rule or can- not name the grammatical or stylistic problem, you can often tell if something is wrong. 2. Identify the error(s) that is made in that sentence. Is it grammatical or stylistic? 3. Quickly scan the other versions to rule out sentences that make the same mistake. 4. Of the versions that remain, which one most effectively corrects the sentence? 5. Make sure the versions that correct the original error do not insert additional errors. Seven-Step Checklist 1. Check sentence basics. Locate the subject(s) and verb(s). Is the sentence complete? Are verbs properly formed? Are sentence elements in the proper order (subject, verb, indirect object, and object)? 2. Check for agreement. Do the subject(s) and verb(s) agree? Do pronouns agree with their antecedents? 3. Check for consistency. Are verbs consistent in tense? Is pronoun use consistent? 4. Check for structure. Are items parallel? Are modifiers as close as possible to what they modify? 5. Check for clarity. Are words precise? Are ideas direct (expressed in the active voice, with subject first and then verb)? 6. Check for concision. Are unnecessary words crowding the sentence? Is anything repeated unnecessarily? 7. Check for style. Are idioms used correctly? Does anything else just sound wrong? Other Tips ■ Remember, don’t worry about vocabulary or mechanics (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization). These kinds of errors are not tested on the exam. If you think that a sentence has one of these errors, ignore it and look for another mistake in the sentence. ■ Don’t bother reading choice a on sentence correction questions. It repeats the original version, giving you a correct as is choice. ■ Remember that some of the original sentences will be correct as is. If you read the sentence and it sounds correct, a might be the right answer. If you suspect this is the case, quickly scan choices b through e to see if any other version expresses the idea more effectively. – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE VERBAL SECTION – 141 ■ Focus only on the underlined portion because that’s where the error lies. Don’t get caught up trying to understand the whole sentence, especially if it is long, if only a portion of that sentence is underlined. ■ Be wary of long versions. The longer versions are often (but not always) ineffective; they may be redun- dant, wordy, or poorly constructed. ■ Look for words that signal relationships and make connections: subordinating conjunctions, coordi- nating conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs. These words help describe the relationship between ideas and determine sentence boundaries and punctuation. ■ Incorrect idioms are among the most common errors on the GMAT exam. Be sure not to skip over small words such as prepositions (to,for,in,of .) as you read.Prepositions are particularly important in idioms, and if you read too quickly, you might not pick up an idiomatic error. – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE VERBAL SECTION – 142 Verbs are the heart of a sentence. They express the action or state of being of the subject and indicate what the subject is doing, thinking, or feeling: She y elled out the window. (action) I am happy to be here. (state of being) We f eel very lucky to be alive. (state of being) I sho uld ask Winston what he thinks. (action) Verbs have five basic forms: infinitive, present tense, present participle, past tense, and past participle. These five forms are used with other helping verbs to form other verb tenses, including the future, conditional, and subjunctive mood (see pages 150 — 151). ■ Infinitive base: the base form of the verb plus the word to. to go to be to dream to admire CHAPTER Ver b Forms 9 143 To indicate tenses of regular verbs (when the action of the verb did occur, is occurring, or will occur), use the base form of the verb and add the appropriate tense endings. ■ Present tense: the verb form that expresses what is happening now. I am sorry you do not play tennis. Jessica e njoys yoga every morning. The present tense of regular verbs is formed as follows: SINGULAR PLURAL first person (I/we) base form (believe) base form (believe) I believe we believe second person (you) base form (believe) base form (believe) you believe you believe third person (he/she/it, they) base form ؉ -s/-es (believes) base form (believe) she believes/he believes they believe ■ Present participle: the verb form that describes what is happening now. It ends in -ing and is accompa- nied by a helping verb, such as is. Jessica is doing a difficult yoga pose. The leaves ar e falling from the trees. NOTE: Words that end in -ing don’t always function as verbs. Sometimes they act as nouns called gerunds. They can also function as adjectives called participial phrases. Present participle (verb): He is loading the boxes into the car. Gerund (noun): This parking area is for loading only. Participial phrase (adjective): The loading dock is littered with paper. You will learn more about gerunds later in this section. ■ Past tense: the verb form that expresses what happened in the past. It sno wed yesterday in the mountains. I f elt better after I stretched and did some deep breathing. ■ Past participle: the verb form that describes an action that happened in the past and is used with a helping verb, such as has, have, or had. It has not snowed all winter. I ha ve waited as long as I can. – VERB FORMS – 144  Regular Verbs Most English verbs are regular — they follow a standard set of rules for forming the present participle, past tense, and past participle: ■ The present participle is formed by adding -ing. ■ The past and past participle are formed by adding -ed. ■ If the verb ends with the letter e, just add d. ■ If the verb ends with the letter y, for the past tense, change the y to an i and add -ed. Here are some examples: PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE ask asking asked asked dream dreaming dreamed dreamed protect protecting protected protected spell spelling spelled spelled whistle whistling whistled whistled A handful of English verbs have the same present, past, and past participle form. Here is a partial list of those verbs and two examples: SAME PRESENT, PAST, AND PAST PARTICIPLE FORM bet hit set bid hurt shut burst put pread cost quit upset cut read Present: I read the newspaper every morning. Past: I r ead the newspaper yesterday morning. Past participle: I ha ve read the newspaper every morning since 1992. Present: Please s et the table for dinner. Past: He s et the table for dinner. Past participle: He had already set the table for dinner. – VERB FORMS – 145  Irregular Verbs About 150 English verbs are irregular. They don’t follow the standard rules for changing tense. These irreg- ular verbs can be divided into three categories: ■ irregular verbs with the same past and past participle forms ■ irregular verbs with three distinct forms ■ irregular verbs with the same present and past participle forms The following table lists the most common irregular verbs. SAME PAST AND PAST PARTICIPLE FORMS PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE bite bit bit dig dug dug bleed bled bled hear heard heard hold held held light lit lit meet met met pay paid paid say said said sell sold sold tell told told shine shone shone shoot shot shot sit sat sat spin spun spun spit spat spat creep crept crept – VERB FORMS – 146 [...]... other is intransitive the subject itself receives or performs the action For example, lie is intransitive; the subject of the sentence performs the action on itself: I will lie down The transitive verb laid, on the other hand, is an action that the subject of the sentence performs upon an object: He lay the baby down in the crib In the following examples, the subjects are in bold and the objects are underlined:... place and suggest very specific meanings, such as the subject’s ability to perform an action or intention to do something Helping verbs are used to form the future (e.g., will call) and conditional tenses: Future: I will call you tomorrow with the results Conditional: If the results were promising, Jamal would have requested another The following table lists the helping verbs, their forms, and their... leave before the snow starts They should have known better necessity I must go to the dentist I had to draw two models should should ؉ have ؉ expectation past participle may, might might ؉ have ؉ They should be on the next train They should have been on that train possibility past participle They may be lost They might have gotten lost Subjunctive Mood The subjunctive mood is one of the verb forms that... broken speak spoke spoken fall fell fallen 148 – VERB FORMS – PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE shake shook shaken take took taken forget forgot forgotten get got gotten give gave given forgive forgave forgiven forsake forsook forsaken hide hid hidden ride rode ridden write wrote written freeze froze frozen steal stole stolen SAME PRESENT AND PAST PARTICIPLE FORMS PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE come came come... verb forms that is often forgotten in conversation and is therefore often neglected in writing Like helping verbs, the subjunctive is used to express a specific meaning, indicating 150 – VERB FORMS – something that is wished for or that is contrary to fact It is formed by using were instead of was as in the following examples: If she were a little more experienced, she would get the promotion (She is not... camping gear needs to be replaced before our trip This means is that you cannot count on word endings to determine a word’s part of speech; you must look instead at how the word is functioning in the sentence Infinitives are the base (unconjugated) form of the verb preceded by to: to be, to delay, to manage, and so on They are often part of a verb chain, but they are not the main verb (main action) of a... Infinitives Gerunds look like verbs because they end in -ing, but they actually function as nouns in sentences: Tracy loves camping Here, the action (verb) Tracy performs is loves The thing (noun) she enjoys is camping In the following sentence, however, camping is the action Tracy performs, so it is functioning as a verb, not as a gerund: Tracy is camping in the Pine Barrens next week Words ending in... helping verb can often significantly change the meaning of a sentence PRESENT AND FUTURE PAST MEANING EXAMPLES will, shall would intention She will meet us at the hotel They said they would call first can could I can be there in ten minutes ability Rose could only find one glove may, might, could, might permission can, could should Could we get together after the meeting? should ؉ have ؉ recommendation... VERB FORMS – The basic forms of these verbs can also be a bit tricky The following table shows how each verb is conjugated PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST (WITH AM, IS, AND ARE) PAST PARTICIPLE (WITH HAVE, HAS, AND HAD) lie, lies lying lay lain lay, lays laying laid laid sit, sits sitting sat sat set, sets setting set set rise, rises rising rose risen raise, raises raising raised raised Gerunds and. .. example, likes is the main verb; what Priya likes (the action she likes to take) is to write poems 152 – VERB FORMS – When to Use Infinitives and Gerunds In many situations, you may be uncertain whether to use an infinitive or a gerund Which is correct: I like to swim or I like swimming? In this case, both are correct; like, hate, and other verbs that express preference can be followed by either a gerund . The following section offers specific tips and strategies to use on the Verbal section during the exam. Prac- tice these strategies as you complete the. – TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE VERBAL SECTION – 142 Verbs are the heart of a sentence. They express the action or state of being of the subject and indicate