Lecture Notes for Verbal Reasoning

1. Lecture Notes for Verbal Reasoning Lesson 3 Strategies, Tactics, and Tips for reading the VR Passages according to Kaplan

2. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Select a passage. • Skip passages if necessary, but avoid wasting time. • Don’t try to rank passages. • Keep in mind many test-takers make more mistakes with topics in which they are familiar. • Mistakenly rely on their own outside knowledge. • Passages typically move from less difficult to more difficult.

3. Strategies, Tactics, Tipsaccording to Kaplan • Critically read the passage. • Use keywords to help navigate the passage. • Conclusion keywords identify opinions, especially central claims or the primary argument. • Examples: therefore, wrong, must, conclude, perhaps, unhappy. • Evidence keywords identify rationale, support or premises. • Examples: because, illustrates, several reasons, due to. • Contrast keywords identify a reversal or opposing shift in thought or opinion. • Examples: but, rather, than, distinction, ironically, alternatively, in contrast, on the other hand, conversely, etc.

4. Strategies, Tactics, TipsAccording to Kaplan • Critically read the passage (cont’d.) • Emphasis keywords identify comparative importance or relevance. • Examples: most of all, especially, only, primarily, occasionally, sometimes, etc. • Sequence keywords identify an order at work. • Examples: first, then, finally, moreover, before/after.

5. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Paraphrasing—putting the content or idea of a passage into your own words. • Put the main idea of each paragraph in your own words. • Write this out in a short sentence or two. • Use keywords to help you.

6. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Topic, Scope, and Purpose • Quickly figure out the broad subject matter, the specific focus, and the purpose of the passage. • By the 1st third-to-half of the passage you should have a fairly good idea of topic, scope, and purpose. • Author’s purpose(s) includes(s) describing, analyzing, comparing, arguing, or rebutting. • Two-thirds of VR passages reveal the main idea in the last paragraph. • Half of VR passages involve main idea in the first paragraph.

7. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Structure • Look for a logical, consistent structure/organization to the writing based on author’s purpose. • Passages are typically organized much like college essays or academic writing. • Introduction—thesis—counter-thesis—synthesis—conclusion • Passages can be excerpts from published work • Might be missing an element of the pattern, which can make the passage more challenging.

8. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Critical analysis of arguments. • Break down the argument to better comprehend the passage. • Conclusion, premises, evidence, counter-arguments, refutations. • Identify assumptions or warrants. • What’s assumed? • Deduction or unstated evidence. • The connection between facts and opinion. • Toulmin Argument • A schema for analyzing argument

9. Strategies, Tactics, Tips according to Kaplan • Critical Analysis of Arguments (Cont’d.) • Be able to restate the argument in your own words. • Determine facts from opinion first. • Do not impose outside information on the argument. • Avoid letting biases determine your analysis. • Use keywords to separate fact from opinion. • Use context to separate fact from opinion. • An Example. • My apartment is a mess. My refrigerator is empty. I haven’t done laundry in a month. I’m the world’s worst housekeeper. • My apartment is a mess. The living room needs to be vacuumed. The sink is full of dishes. Dust clings to everything.