All posts tagged: GMAT Verbal Strategy

How To Increase Your Speed On Sentence Correction – 1

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Of the 41 questions on the Verbal section of the GMAT® approximately 15 will be Sentence Correction questions. Of these 15 questions around 7 questions will clearly have options that display a 3/2 split. This split is one of the fastest ways to solve SC questions under 1:49, which is average the time available per question on the GMAT®. Let us look at the example below to understand what we mean by a 3/2 split. Some psychiatric studies indicate that among distinguished artists the rates of manic depression and major depression are ten to thirteen times as prevalent as in the population at large. (A) the rates of manic depression and major depression are ten to thirteen times as prevalent as in (B) the rates of manic depression and major depression are ten to thirteen times more prevalent than in (C) the rates of manic depression and major depression are ten to thirteen times more prevalent when compared to (D) manic depression and major depression are ten to thirteen times as prevalent when compared to …

Critical Reasoning: Correlation-Causation 3

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In the previous two posts, we saw how Weaken-Type Critical Reasoning questions based on correlation-causation passages can be solved in under a minute. Just to summarize, X and Y are correlated does not mean X is causing Y since there is no evidence to prove that the direction of causation is from X to Y, it can also be from Y to X So based on arguments that conclude that X is causing Y since X and Y are correlated, Assumption and Strengthen questions can also be asked. Assumption Type: The assumption is that Y is not causing X. A researcher discovered that people who have low levels of immune-system activity tend to score much lower on tests of mental health than do people with normal or high immune-system activity. The researcher concluded from this experiment that the immune system protects against mental illness as well as against physical disease. The researcher’s conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions? (A) High immune-system activity protects against mental illness better than normal immune-system activity does (B) …

Critical Reasoning: Correlation-Causation — Weaken Question 2

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In the previous post, we saw how Critical Reasoning questions on the GMAT® are based on rules of formal logic. We took the specific case of the arguments that incorrectly assume that correlation implies causation. Just to summarize, X and Y are correlated does not mean X is causing Y since there is no evidence to prove that the direction of causation is from X to Y, it can also be from Y to X there can be a different reason, Z, for the occurrence of Y. So based on arguments that conclude that X is causing Y since X and Y are correlated, there can be three types of questions that can be asked — Weaken, Assumption and Strengthen. Weaken Type: Correct Option will always show that in fact Y is causing X (third cause Z is usually not given in the options since it will make the answer two obvious) Researchers have concluded from a survey of people aged 65 that emotional well-being in adulthood is closely related to intimacy with siblings earlier …

Sentence Correction – Comparatives 2

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In the previous Sentence Correction post, we saw how it is important to listen for structure in order to get SC questions on the GMAT right. We took one type of structure, which involves making the right comparison, and saw how it is tested on the GMAT. Let us look at a few more questions of the same type but varying difficulty levels. EASY Unlike Schoenberg’s 12-tone system that dominated the music of the postwar period, Bartok founded no school and left behind only a handful of disciples. (A) Schoenberg’s 12-tone system that dominated (B) Schoenberg and his 12-tone system which dominated (C) Schoenberg, whose 12-tone system dominated (D) the 12-tone system of Schoenberg that has dominated (E) Schoenberg and the 12-tone system, dominating In this question, the original sentence sentence incorrectly compares Schoenberg’s 12-tone system with Bartok; the correct option has to compare Schoenberg to Bartok, which only option (C) does. The sentence is relatively short and the comparison is easy to identify so this is an easy question that can be solved in …