1. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success GMAT Reading Comprehension Section Or how to read the GMAT way…

2. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Passages Business Social Science –The most diverse –From (American) history to biography Science –Very straightforward (facts) –Don’t let big words get to you

3. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Paragraph Subject => Who / What is being talked about Topic Sentence => Aspect focused on Restate it More Concisely => If you can explain it, you understand it! Support Material => Which parts help you support what the main idea is?

4. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember SubjectTopicMain Idea Details S: Children T: Children’s learning styles MI: Children have several different learning styles D: They can repeat and imitate, they can do the opposite, they can pretend

5. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Transition Words But wait! There’s more!And, moreover, also, in addition, next, a final reason, similarly, furthermore Hold on, what’s next is different.Although, however, rather, but, nevertheless, conversely, yet Sequence signalsNext, now, first, after, later Don’t understand? Let me explain… For example, for instance, such as, similarly, as an illustration Heads up! This is important!Major, vital, primary, central – any word meaning the most important

6. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Transition Words, cont. Reasons & Results => Why? Because. Since, because, as a result, cause (-s, -ed, -ing), consequently, therefore Sometimes they come without transition words too. Heads up! I’m making an example. Like, similarly, more, less, fewer Yeah right, don’t be so sure.Apparently, maybe, almost, seems, could, might (and other modals), was reported / alleged to… This is what I mean.Is, is called, can be referred to as, is known as

7. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Illustrations & Examples –One long or several shorter illustration(s) –Order makes little difference Cause & Effect –With or without transition words –Explicit or implicit –Perceiving these differences => Higher level!

8. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Definition –Explaining technical terms Comparisons & Contrasts –Presenting likenesses, differences or both –Similar to cause & effect

9. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Sequence of Events –Events presented chronologically –What the sequence of events means to you => Higher level!

10. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember The Author’s Craft –Why the author included certain information –Transition words –Organizational patters –All on different levels—sentences, paragraphs & passages

11. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember The Author’s Use of Language –Individual adjectives & modifiers –Choice of verbs is equally important: An inquisitive child vs. a nosy child A personinto a room. walks saunters slithers

12. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember The Author’s Use of Language –Choice of words includes absence of words: Persuasive documents => subjective language Technical documents => objective language

13. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Things to Remember Reality Check—Common Sense! –Read for meaning, yes, but also… –Read between the lines! Specific details Tone Volume (!) Context

14. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Global Questions (1/4 of all questions) –Main Idea –How it’s put together – structure –Global Question Decoys Too specific Too broad Contradictory Too strongly worded

15. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Detail Questions –Look for a paraphrase of what you’ve found –And now for some practiceAnd now for some practice

16. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Detail Questions –Detail Question Decoys: Contradict Similar but distorted wording Go beyond the scope of the passage (in FR: H.S.) Paraphrase from the wrong part Extreme wording

17. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Look for TheseAvoid these Some, manyAll OftenAlways Sometimes, rarely, usuallyNever Can, could, may, mightWill Some peopleEveryone, everybody Few peopleNo one, nobody More, less (or other comparative –er words) Most, least (or other superlative –est words) Likely, possiblyAbsolutely Doubtful, unlikelyImpossible, never

18. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions –Occasionally: Line Reference Questions The author mentions the researchers’ experiment in lines 26-33 for which of the following reasons? –Lead Words: Yes! Yes! Yes! Jump directly to the words. The passages suggests that the author has which of the following opinions toward Thursday evening Foy’s parties?

19. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Inference Questions –Both Global & Detail –What a passage suggests or what can be inferred => implicit and not explicit –Inference Question Decoys Contradictory Extreme Wording Go beyond the scope of the passage

20. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Weakening & Strengthening –A new trend –Watch out for distractors & decoys! –What wrong answers do: Out of scope (H.S.) Weaken instead of strengthen Strengthen instead of weaken Subjective / emotional choices => not in passage

21. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Special Question Formats –Roman Numeral Questions Considered “harder” than others => More combinations of choices available Spend time on each Example

22. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success Types of Questions Special Question Formats – “Except” Questions Considered the toughest… …but hey, this is ESSEC, OK? Require you to identify the wrong answer (sound familiar?) If you’re taking the CAT, this type of question is probably a good sign.

23. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? Overview the task => skimming: –Read the first few sentences of the passage. –Read the first & last sentences of each paragraph. –Glance through each paragraph for exceptional words or items.

24. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? Overview the task => skimming: –Read the last few sentences of the passage. –Read the question stems. –Glance through the possible answers for exceptional words or items.

25. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? Why overview? –Identify the topic –What information will be asked –Evaluate your level of comfort / ease –Get the overall content of each paragraph

26. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? Don’t be compulsive. Some paragraphs have main ideas or thesis statements. “Steal” information as quickly as possible. Determine the general sense of direction. Take about a minute for this for each passage.

27. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? Summarize to yourself: –Clear – any person above 10 can understand –Concise – short & sweet! –Conversational – try explaining it to an imaginary friend Look for dead giveaways

28. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? “Get your goodies & go!” –Skim, don’t dawdle. –ETS wants you to read everything—that’s part of the stuff they’re measuring.

29. Centre de Ressources Linguistiques Sessions 3/4GMAT Verbal Success How to do it then? “Map Out Your Grocery Store” –Structure! Structure! Structure! –Where are the different points? Take Notes –Duh!