GRE Verbal Class

Covering: Critical Reasoning

(June 2011 Session; repeat possible in July also) By: Satyadhar Joshi
shivgan3@yahoo.com
http://www.freegregmatclass.com/ http://onlineclasses.nanotechbiz.org/

Revelations
y CRs (page 310, 313, 321, 327 on Official Guide) y CRs (page 55 and 63, 67 in the practice test available on ETS

website) y Singlet RCs

y CRs will play an important role now in GRE as well, the

database seems to be from the GMAT (opinion)

GMAT Verbal Classes (100 hours online Course)

y Introduction y Importance of Grammar & Punctuation y Critical Reasoning & Sentence Correction y Reading comprehension Strategies y Level 1-2-3 y LSAT CR for GMAT CR y Mock Exams for the GMAT y More

Level 1 (Week 1)
y Review of all three sections of GMAT y Discussions & Strategies y 7 Class (7 hours) y 10-20 Examples y First Week

y Text Book: Verbal Workout by GMAT by Princeton y Text: Cracking the GMAT by Princeton

GMAT English
y Its own logic y Different from what you hear and speak sometimes y Remember its not English its GMAT English y So Learn GMAT English!

Good things about the Exam

y GMAT board sticks to basics y No controversy allowed y If you try to understand the rules things are easy

How to crack it
y Read to get the type of question vs not to read (depends on y y y y y

concentration level and time saving) Diplomatic language Limitation of the exam makers Order difficulty Process of Elimination Use of Scratch paper

Elimination
y Self contradictory and politically and logically incoherent y 1/5 Choices are no change y Almost right y Three down, two to go

y Refer the T

How to attack the critical reasoning question

y Use clues in the question to anticipate the kind of answer y y y y

you're looking in a passage Analyze and attach the passages in an organized fashion Understand basic structure of passages Use process of elimination Dont read option, they may corrupt your mind

GMAT logic
y CR are in the form of arguments y It has three parts:

1.

Conclusion 2. Premise / Evidences 3. Assumption

y Important triggers / counter evidence words

This is not like RCs

y Concise y Single words can change meaning

Understanding Scope
y This answer goes too far y This choice is out of scope of the argument y ETS rewards narrow mind y Example of scope

Deciding on the scope

y Best choice E y D is doing too much y B goes far and so does C y A is tentative

Eight Questions types

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Passage assumes that Strengthen the conclusion Weaken the conclusion Best inferred Resembles the methodology used by author / Parallel reasoning Resolves the apparent contradiction Bolded phrase plays which of the roles Most useful in evaluating a logic

Assumption Question
y

Casual assumption Ever time I wear green, people like me. Therefore, it is my green suit that makes people like me. Analogy assumption Studies indicate that use of this product causes cancer in laboratory animals. Therefore, you should stop using this product. Statistical assumption (unrepresentative) Four out of five doctors agree: The pain reliever in Sintol is the most effective analgesic on the market.You should try Sintol.

y Assumption is the presupposition y Argument relies on the assumption y As with yourself, is there another cause?

Strengthen the argument

y Filling the gap y If something comes out of passage directly it might not be the

best y It may talk about more cause, improve statistics, improve analogy
y Which of following, if true, most strongly support the

author's hypotheses?

Answer
y Conclusion: All volunteered army should not be

implemented y Analogy case: the idea didnt work then, so it wont work now y Best answer is C y We need an answer that supports and removes the flaws and give a reason and new information

Weaken the argument

y In a way it implies that argument can be weakened y As always we need to find unstated premise and a logic gap

y Which of following, if true, most seriously weakens the

conclusion drawn in the passage? y Which of the following indicates a flaw in the reasoning above? y Which of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the argument above?

y Best answer is A y B this statement doesnt point out a flaw in the reasoning of

the passage y C also doesnt point a flaw y D is also not good (term profitability) y E doesnt effect the reasoning

Answer
y A (hold) y B (best and correct) y C y D y E (nitpicking)

Inference questions
y Which must be true on the basis of statement y Best support by the statement y It should be the heart and soul

y A infers too much, goes out of scope y B goes too far y C (Right answer); passage says that audience projects its own

character on the screen. If audience believe that womans face reflect happiness, then that must have been their own reaction y D goes beyond scope y E also goes out of scope

Conclusion
y We need to find something which goes in accord with y y y y y

premise and conclusion. A ignores the premise (eliminate) B also goes out of scope C though this is right but goes out of premise D this goes too far; as well as ignores last premise E (is the best answer)

Parallel the reasoning

y We need to find parallel reasoning y Supports the conclusion is the very same manner y Most similar to argument in its logical structure y If A, then B is the way of deduction

Mimic the reasoning

y If A then B, if not A the not B. y A is a trap, as it is trying to talk about sprinter; whereas we y y y y

need to focus on logic Best answer is B C , the reasoning here is totally different D, this is: if A then B; if always A then always B E, different reasoning

Resolve the paradox

y Its about explaining a discrepancy y We will have 2 seemingly contradictory fact; we need to find

answer that allows both facts to be true

y Look for some reasons that resolves the dilemma y A does not explain both facts (eliminate) y B, loss of revenue couldnt have happened y C, no bearing with argument y Ans is D; this is best, but we need to read all options y E, non relevant

Evaluate the argument

y Evaluate or asses the argument y The answer to which of the following questions would be

most useful in evaluating the significance of the authors claim y These questions are quite good as they check a lot of things, example knowledge about business terms like inventory, warehouse, markets etc. Hence these questions are really the GMAT questions!

y A, its about companies claim and its relation with the

y y y y

inventory. Its not about the length but in reality about the inventory Best answer is B C, It helps us to calculate the extend of upturn, but doesnt solves our problem D, this doesnt explain the reason for upturn, eliminate E, goes out of scope

Identify the reasoning

y Indentify a method, technique, or strategy used in the

passage y Role of bolded phrase y Which part is played by the bolded phrase

y A, first part is the conclusion, so they are not contradicting y B, 2nd is supporting not undermining y C, premise is the evidence. 2nd is not conclusion rather it is

support. y D, 2nd bolded phrase doesnt refute y Best answer is E

Assumptions List in Medical Science

Assumption list
y Medical y Evolution y Pollution y Genetic modification y Pesticides vs pollution y Sustainability y History y Wars y News

Text Books for the Course

y GMAT Books by Princeton (General and Verbal Specific) y GMAT Manhattan y GMAT Kaplan y GMAT Verbal Official Review y Conquering GMAT Verbal by McGraw Hills y GMAT Critical Reasoning bible y LSAT: ones much tougher than GMAT

Conclusion
y 30 Days y 30 hours online live class y More questions might be done in the month of July

For More see

y http://freegregmatclass.com/ y http://onlineclasses.nanotechbiz.org/

y Email: shivgan3@yahoo.com