One way to do this is to pay attention to the behavior of larger or smaller values. This means that the given columns may look very similar, but differ by a very minute aspect and your task will be to find out what that ultimately means as to which column is greater. Lets look at an example.

Notice these two columns are very similar. The only difference between them is the number in the denominator. While on the left we have 2 in the denominator, on the right we have something slightly larger 2.01. Now, if you saw this problem on test day, remember our tip: compare rather than calculate. It would be silly and time consuming to try to square the quantity in column B, but we know it is very similar to column A. If we have a slightly larger denominator, is the entire number slightly larger or slightly smaller?

Slightly smaller. Thus in column B we have a slightly smaller number being squared than column A. Thus Column B would end up being smaller when squared. So column A will always be bigger. Thus our answer is A.

This question required you to think about the behavior of numbers– what happens when a number is slightly bigger or smaller than a comparable value. Many quantitative comparisons test this, and that is why it is good to get in the habit of comparing rather than calculating.

In addition to paying attention to slight differences in the columns, it is helpful to simplify the columns as much as possible so that they look alike. This means that you use your arithmetic and algebra skills much like any other math problem, and consolidate the columns until you can compare them.

Lets say we have this as our quantitative comparison problem:

Now, initially it looks like the values would depend on what x and y are, so we would be tempted to choose D. But, if we simplify each column we may discover that we can compare them more accurately.

On the left hand side, if we remember our associative property rules, we know that we can simply drop the parentheses here and combine like terms. 3x and 5x gives us 8x, and we have a minus 5y.

On the right hand side, we need to be more careful with our parentheses, making sure to distribute the negative to each term of the parentheses. Thus we have 10x-7y-2x+2y. Combining like terms give us 8x minus 5 y.

So, lo and behold, they are exactly the same expression. Thus they are equal and our answer is C.

So you see that even if we can’t compare the columns initially, we can work with them until we can compare them. And of course, you will need to utilize your algebra and arithmetic skills here.

Another way to be able to compare the columns quickly and easily is to do the same thing to both columns. Many times, the columns cannot be directly compared unless you perform a mathematical operation on them to make them look similar.

Take this quantitative comparison question for example:

Now, to some viewers this may look daunting. For others, it may look simple. The key thing is to remember the tip of doing the same thing to both columns. Both columns have a radical: the cube root as their form. Thus, if we raised both columns to the third power, the cubed root radical would simply disappear, and our comparison would be much more simplified. So, lets do that. Cubing both sides, I am left with what was underneath the cube root sign.

We can then see that Column B is the product of two terms: the first term 3x, and the second term y squared minus 1. Perhaps we could get the same form in Column A? Let’s see how we do it:

Indeed, if we factor out an x from column A, we are left with x times y squared minus 1. This is very close to column B. Since they both have y squared minus 1, we can divide by them. Thus we have x for column A and 3x for column B. Now this is a much easier problem to handle!

At this point we do not want to divide by x because we need to consider the possible values of x. If x is negative, then column A would be larger, but if x is positive, column B is larger. Thus our answer is still D: not enough information to determine the relationship. This answer was much easier to arrive at once we simplified the problem. We did the same thing to both columns and factored until the columns were much more easily compared.

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Now, this problem is not hard algebraically if you want to do it that way, but plugging in numbers will definitely be simpler and is especially helpful if you don’t have a clue how to set up this problem.

So, we only have one variable in this problem: f, so lets pick a value that we could use for the length of the string. An easy value would be 10 or 100, but here is an important step. If we look at the answer choices, we can see that if we are going to test them, we need a nice number divisible by 4 if we wanted to work more quickly on choices B and E. So it would be good to pick a number like 40. (If you don’t see this initially, it’s fine… The technique will work if you choose any number, but it is helpful if you look ahead.)

So, lets say this string is 40 feet long. If we cut it according to the problem, we will have one piece at 10 feet and the other at 30 feet. Now, the question asks what is the length of the longer piece. Well, with the number that we picked, the longer piece is 30?

All we have to do now is plug in our chosen value of 40 for f into the answer choices and see which one produces 30.

In choice A, we get 80. That’s not 30, so it’s out. In choice B we get 10. So that’s out. Choice C we get 78, no good. Choice D we get 120, way to high. So hopefully its going to work out for E! Indeed it does… We get 30 for choice E. This matches our scenario so it is the answer. The length of the longest side is 30.

What’s good about this strategy is that you don’t have to spend time trying to come up with an algebraic equation to express the problem. All you have to do is pick a workable number and plug in. From there it’s just arithmetic to match your prediction. So, remember this tip for test day. When you see variables in the answer choices, try to plug in a workable number.

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This is the basic set up you will see on Test Day. On the left hand side of the screen you will see the passage, with about every 5th line numbered. And on the right you will see the question. Now, don’t read this passage just yet we just want to cover the setup as it appears on the GRE.

Very often you will have a scrolling feature on the right hand side of the passage box so that you can scroll up and down to see the entirety of the passage. This passage is short, so it doesn’t need a scroller. Because the GRE is a computer-based test, we are only able to see one question at a time, and once we have confirmed our answer to a question, there is no way to go back and change it. Thus, we must carefully consider the question we have at hand and not be in a rush.

Now, before we answer this particular question, lets consider the key steps to answering these questions effectively…

Step 1: Read the question first, so you know what you are looking for. This is an important step because it orients us to find relevant information in the passage. It is the case that we will have to read the passage as a whole, but since a question is right there on the screen and you know you’ll have to answer it, it is best to read it first to know what you are looking for. Simply read the question stem to get a feel for it.

Try not to look at the answer choices as all but one of them will be inaccurate or incomplete. We do not want our minds to be clogged up with wrong answers.

So, if we return to our passage, our first step is to look at the question, and we read “The main purpose of this passage is to _________.” As we will talk about in a few moments, this is a tip off to a global question, which means we want to keep in mind the passage as a whole and not a certain sentence or detail within the passage. So now we can read the passage knowing that we are interested in the whole passage and to discover the author’s intention rather than focusing on a detail or unfamiliar vocab word.

After we have taken a look at the question, the Step 2 is to read the passage CRITICALLY. The kind of reading we need to do on these questions is different from the kind of reading we may be use to. Instead of reading for information, we want to carefully consider why the author is writing and what he is doing with what he is saying.

If we were to read the newspaper with our morning coffee, for example, chances are we are reading passively. We are simply perusing the text for information, not critically examining it.  By contrast, on GRE Reading comprehension questions, we cannot simply read passively and without questioning, we must read analytically and ask lots of questions.

For example:

1. What is the author’s main point in this paragraph? We should always be able to restate the main point of a paragraph in a few words.
2. How does this main idea relate to other ideas in the passage? We want to be aware of the ordering and movement of the passage.
3. What transitional words show development in the author’s writing? We want to be aware of the structure of the passage.
4. What is the author’s tone? Is the author generally positive, generally negative or generally neutral?

For the passage as a whole, we want to identify very distinctly the subject matter, the aspect or scope of the subject matter, and the intention of the author.

Lets walk through our original passage to see how this works.

Wheat has been cultivated from time immemorial. At first it was roughly crushed and consumed in the form of a thick soup, or in cakes baked on an ordinary hearth. Many centuries before the Christian era, the Egyptians were acquainted with the means of making fermented or leavened bread; afterwards this practice spread into Greece, and it is found in esteem at Rome in the 2nd century B.C. From Rome the new method was introduced among the Gauls, and today, it is found to exist almost the same as it was practiced at that period, with the exception, of course, of the considerable improvements introduced in the baking and grinding.

Now, what is the main point of this passage? Well, as a general overview, it talks about how wheat was prepared at first, then how the Egyptians used it, then how the Greeks and Romans used it, and then how it is used today. This looks like a chronology, or a history of on the preparation of wheat.

So, we know the scope of the passage is a history on the preparation of wheat. (Notice how we simply took into account the paragraph as a whole to come up with this. We were not tied to one sentence or detail.)

Next, we want to ask ourselves, “What was the intention of the author? Why did the author write this? In other words, what was the author DOING with this history on the preparation of wheat?”

It is helpful to think it terms of tone: positive(+), negative(-), or neutral(=). If the tone is positive, we would say the author is praising, promoting, or encouraging. If the tone is negative, the author would be undermining, criticizing, or disparaging. If the tone is neutral, the author would be describing, explaining, or reporting. Which is the author doing here?

The is simply reporting (=) or describing (=). There is little indication that he is overtly positive or negative. Thus, we have a good summary of this paragraph. The author is reporting a brief history on the preparation of wheat. This is a delightful summary of the passage, and will serve us well when we get to the questions.

Note that we are not interested in minor details. If a question later on asks us about what the Egyptians did to wheat specifically, we would know where to look, but as we read through, we are not concerned with such details.

Always, always, always determine the intention or purpose of the author while you read the passage. It is the best way to read critically and will help you immensely on the questions.

The third step in reading comprehension is to read the question and predict the answer based WITHOUT looking at the answer choices. You will base your answer on your critical analysis of the passage and your discerning of its structure. Thus you will be in a good position to predict. Also, you do not want to fill your head with a bunch of wrong answer choices without a filter. Use the critical reading you did previously to sift through untenable answers.

Finally, read each answer choice and test them against your prediction. Again, the directions are to choose the best answer, so you need to make sure you look at every answer choice before confirming it and moving on.

Fortunately, we already have our prediction on hand from our critical reading: to describe the history of the preparation of wheat. Thus, this should be an easy question. Which answer choice matches our prediction?

The correct answer is Choice D: chart some of the history of wheat as a food.

Notice that none of the other answer choices fit the purpose of the passage as a whole, and some are way off. Choice C for example, has a negative tone exhibited by the word “undermine” but we knew that the passage did not have a negative tone to it. Choice B indicates a positive with the word “credit”, so we can eliminate it as well. Choices A and E are outside the scope of the passage.

So you see how easily the best answer choice pops out at us if we have critically analyzed the passage first. Use this strategy as you are practicing, and answering the reading comprehension questions won’t be nearly as intimidating!

Lets say we had this question:

First the context clues. We have a “rusted swing-set” and a “worn-down sandbox” that SUDDENLY appears as _________ . Suddenly is a structural clue indicating contrast. In other words, while initially the swingset and sandbox looked worn down, suddenly they appeared as… we would expect something positive in the blank.

Now, looking at the answer choices, lets see if there is a positive sounding word. A says tarnished, which is definitely a negative word meaning dirtied or marred. So eliminate A. Choice B has immaculate, if you’re not sure what it means, keep it. But you might know that it has a positive connotation. Choice C says mundane… this is a neutral to negative word meaning ordinary or commonplace, so that can’t be the answer. Eliminate C. Choice D says sullied. If you’ve never heard this word before, keep it. And choice E says formidable, like in the phrase “formidable opponent.” This is definitely not a positive word as it means threatening or menacing. Eliminate E.

So just going by the words charge we can eliminate the majority of the answer choices! Now we are in a much better position to get this question right. Let’s say you were down to B and D but you really didn’t know the meanings of the words….Which word do you think has a positive connotation “immaculate” or “sullied”?

Immaculate does. Immaculate means perfectly clean or spotless… this fits our sentence very well as it contrasts with the worn down playground equipment. So choice B is our answer.

Sullied might remind you of the phrase “sullied his sheets” or “sullied his pants” , or it might call to mind the verb “soil” which means to make dirty. Sullied means dirtied or defiled. It has a definite negative connotation so it cannot be our answer.

So, keep this tip in mind if you are having trouble predicting or just want to eliminate answer choices– use word charge to help you.

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The graders of your essay are not looking for any one particular way to arrange your thoughts in writing. There are any number of templates you can use, and any number of ways you might clearly and logically express yourself. The template offered here is simply one version of what you can use. It is simple, straightforward, and easy to remember.

In paragraph 1, you want to restate the argument in your own words– This demonstrates that you understand the prompt– and you want to outline your points of critique. In other words, list the assumptions that the author fails to delineate which make his argument weak. This will be the outline of your critique and will show the reader where you are going.

So, for our original prompt, we would say something like this for our first paragraph. We restate the argument:

“The author makes the claim that the citizens of Lakota should utilize both heating fans and central heating systems to save money on electricity.”

Then, we state that the author has made assumptions that undermine his argument, and we list them:

“First, he assumes that the sample population from the study is representative of Lakota as a whole. Second, he assumes that heating is the biggest factor in electricity usage. Finally, he assumes that employing these heating appliances would save an appreciable amount of money.”

These are exactly the assumptions we identified a previously in our analysis.

This is an excellent example of an opening paragraph because it demonstrates that we have understood the argument and it outlines the points of critique that our essay will discuss.

After we have composed our first paragraph, we want to develop in the next few paragraphs the various points of critique we just named. To do this, we want to use concrete, relevant counterexamples. This is just a simple way of supporting your critique with specific scenarios that call into question the assumptions the author has made.

If you will recall, one of the assumptions we pointed out in the argument was that the sample population from the study is representative of all of Lakota. In other words, the author assumes that what is the case for the sample population can be generalized to cover all of Lakota.

So, in developing our 2nd paragraph, we want to think of counterexamples, or scenarios which would question the assumption. In what scenarios might the sample population cited in the study not be representative of Lakota?

Well, for one, Lakota may have a diverse geographical layout. There may be people living in the mountains and people living on the beach. There may be people living on the sunny side of a hill or within a shaded forest. The study does not indicate where the sample population was taken from, so it may not have been a cross-section of geographical climates.

Also, people in the study may have lived in older, less efficient houses which would cause them to need these heating appliances more than the average citizen of Lakota. If the rest of Lakota rarely uses heaters in the first place, why should the recommendation be applied to everyone?

Lastly, the study in the original prompt mentioned “families” as the subjects of study. We are not told what this amounts to. Presumably, it excludes singles, and perhaps assisted living facilities or non-family communal homes. Thus, it cannot be applied to all of Lakota because it is probable that whole demographical categories were left out.

So these are three counter examples which question an assumption made in the prompt. We simply put this information into paragraph form for our second paragraph. And at the end of the paragraph, we restate the fact that we are calling into question the central assumption about the validity of the sample population. You don’t need to have 3 counterexamples as we did in this paragraph, but it is important to have at least 1 or 2 for each assumption you call into question.

So, essentially, you repeat the process of critiquing the assumptions by use of counterexamples in paragraphs 2-4. Simply address the assumptions one at a time and you will have PLENTY to write about. Remember, this essay is only 30 minutes long, so you need to address the assumptions simply, directly, and forcefully.

In your final paragraph, which you should get to only if you have sufficiently addressed the assumptions in the previous paragraphs, you simply restate the argument, recap your points of critique, and briefly mention the strengtheners you identified in your analysis step. This shows the reader that you really entered into the meat and potatoes of the argument and have considered it fully.

In conclusion, the author unjustifiably assumes that the sample population from the study is representative of Lakota as a whole, that heating is the biggest factor in electricity usage, and that employing these heating appliances would save an appreciable amount of money. This argument would have been strengthened if the author would have provided data showing the study to be generally representative of Lakota, and showing heating to be the biggest electricity usage. He might also have strengthened his argument by showing that his recommendation has been implemented and proven effective on a small scale for a notable reduction of electricity costs. Without these, however, we can remain unconvinced at the author’s recommendation.

So in the step by step process, we are almost finished. Once we have analyzed the argument, and we have organized the essay according to a template, the only thing left to do is to write and then proofread our essay. Don’t skip this last step, as the graders are looking for a good, polished essay. We want to leave a couple minutes at the end so we can fix any careless errors or grammar mistakes.

Lets review a pacing guide we can use to completing these steps in proper fashion.

As we have stated before, on the Argument Essay, you only have 30 minutes. Remember though, the graders are looking for the specific demonstration that you can understand an argument, take it apart, and critique it. That is why first of all you want to spend at least 8 minutes analyzing the argument and identifying its major features. This is the most crucial step in the process as it will dictate what you will write.

Then, spend 20 minutes writing according to your template.

Then, leave the last 2 minutes to proofread what you have written and make sure that paragraphs are properly divided, that you have written in complete sentences, and that you have fixed any typos.

The 30 minutes goes by very fast, especially since you will be writing this essay right on top of having written a 45 minute essay in the previous section.

The biggest thing to remember in the argument essay is to identify and critique the assumptions! This is simply the key to the entire essay. Getting a decent score on the essay is relatively straightforward if you do this, but is next to impossible if you don’t. Make sure you take time to practice on the prompts listed on the gre.org webite. Train yourself to analyzing the arguments until you can identify conclusion, evidence, and assumptions quickly and easily. It is a simple skill but one that is crucial for your success on this essay.

And also, keep in mind that you will always be undermining and criticizing the argument, not agreeing with it or endorsing it. You know you are going wrong on this essay if you think the argument is well-written and sound.

On Text completions, instead of having a single list of answer choices, you will see independent columns of choices, and there will be three options per blank. Your task will be to click on one correct answer from each column, mixing and matching until you have a combination that makes the best sense within the sentence. Again, you must pick a choice from each column, not a row.

There is no partial credit on this question: in order to get the points for this question, you must fill in every blank of the sentence correctly.

The keys to doing well on these question are simply to think about the structure of the sentence, predict blanks, and read your selections back into the sentence to make sure they make sense.

Lets say we have this sentence:

Following the logic from sentence completions, let’s try to predict the first blank. According to the sentence, Babe Ruth had a spectacular baseball career, and all the sportswriters are talking about him, so probably we are talking about the height of his career. Is there a word in the column for blank 1 that means height?

Lets look at the three words. (It would be easy if they just included the word “height” as one of the three words, but this is the GRE exam!) If you don’t know the meaning of any of the three choices, just leave your prediction as “height” and try to predict the other blanks.

So when he was at the height of his career, sportswriters universally did …what? Well they probably praised him. Theres no indication of any reason why they wouldn’t praise him for this spectacular career, so we would look for a word like praised for the second blank. Lauded fits perfectly as it means praised. Lambasted and decried both have a negative connotation, and mean to denounce or criticize.

So, they praised the man as what not only to the sport but to American culture in general? Well, probably they praised him for being a benefit or blessing to the sport. So for blank three, we want to choose a word that means blessing or something positive. Boon means blessing. Handicap means a hindrance, and bane means a plague, curse, or cause of distress, which obviously doesn’t fit.

So, we are in a good position now… except that first blank. We need a word that means height or pinnacle of his career.

Perhaps you already knew, but zenith is the correct answer there. Zenith is something’s high point. Nadir, on the other hand, is the lowest point, and perigee refers to the lowest point of an orbiting body.

So lets read our answer choices back into the sentence and make sure they make sense.

When Babe Ruth was at the zenith of his spectacular baseball career, sportswriters universally lauded the man as a boon not only to the sport, but to American culture in general. This fits nicely.

So, the process for Text Completions is roughly the same as it is for sentence completions. You will just have to click on one answer per column.

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Many citizens of Lakota are experiencing rising costs of electricity. A recent study of household electric costs in Lakota found that families who heated their houses with free-standing heating fans alone spent more on electricity than did families using central heating systems alone for heating. However, those households that reported using both heating fans and heating systems spent less on electricity than those households that used either heating fans or heating systems alone. Thus, the citizens of Lakota should follow the study’s recommendation and use both heating fans and central heating systems in order to save money on electricity.

First, we always want to identify the conclusion. What is it that the author wants us to believe or what course of action is he recommending? It should be fairly obvious. His conclusion comes at the end of the paragraph: “Thus the citizens of Lakota should follow the study’s recommendation and use both heating fans and central heating systems in order to save money on electricity.” A word like “Thus” or “Therefore” nearly always indicates a conclusion. And the verb “should” nearly always indicates a conclusion, as it indicates something that the author wants us to believe or do. So be on the lookout for word cues if you are having trouble identifying the conclusion.

Now, what evidence does the author use to support his conclusion? Basically, the remainder of the paragraph. He states that many citizens of Lakota are experiencing rising costs of electricity, and then he cites the study indicating that those who heated their houses with free-standing heating fans alone spent more on electricity than those who used central heating systems. And those that used both spent less than those who used one or the other. So this is the evidence he uses for his argument.

Now what are the things the author assumes to be true?

For one, he assumes that the sample population in the study is representative of all of Lakota. The study may have been sampled from only one subset of the population in one geographical area, and thus may not be representative of the whole. The study may have sampled an older part of town, in which the population owned old, inefficient heating fans, which would affect their ability to heat a home. Furthermore, the study looked at “families” household electric costs. We are not told what constitutes a “family” and whether or not it includes single citizens of Lakota.

Second, the author assumes that heating is the biggest factor in electricity usage. What about electricity used for refrigeration and lighting of homes? He gives no data to suppose that heating costs would trump other electricity costs and therefore be a high priority for Lakota citizens. Furthermore, what if heating is only needed 2 months out of the year? The author does not give an indication as to how often the citizens of Lakota need to have their homes heated.

Third, the author assumes, even if heating were the highest electricity cost, that using both heating fans and central heating systems would save an appreciable amount of money. Perhaps the problem lies elsewhere– like in the insulation in the citizens homes. Heating of a house is affected by poor or inconsistent insulation. Perhaps proper insulation would save more money on electricity than using both either heating apparatuses, and would cost less to purchase. The author does not seem to take into account other ways for reducing heat-related electricity costs.

We could also mention the fact that the evidence offered gives no indication as to the position and placement of the free standing heating fans. An improper placement of these fans (like pointing them towards a window) might lead to inefficient heating, while proper placement of the fans would encourage more efficient heating, and thus, lower costs. Similar things could be said with regard to variables such as home-wide fenestration and the electrical conductivity of the heating appliances.The author overlooks possibilities like these in his recommendation to the citizens of Lakota.

Now, these are just a few of the assumptions in this argument. We could probably identify more, but these are some of the things that the author of this argument assumed to be true in order for his argument to be sound.

Identifying assumptions is the most important skill to learn for this GRE question type.

First of all, know that you will see between 6 and 9 Reading Comprehension Questions on Test Day, and these will be spread through the course of 2 or 3 passages. If you end up having only 2 passages instead of three, it is most likely the case that one of the passages will be lengthy. There’s no need to worry about it though, as the principles we will cover will help you tackle even the longest passages.

Second, you should aim to answer all of the reading comprehension questions in an average of 1.5 minutes per question. This means that they take the longest out of all the verbal question types. This doesn’t mean that they are necessarily harder, though. It just means that you have to take some time to read the passage to find the answer.

Third, it is important to note that reading comprehension questions are NOT more subjective than any other verbal question. They are not more open to opinion than other questions, and they DO have correct answers. The answer to any reading comprehension question will be based on what is stated or implied by the passage. This is what makes them very susceptible to good reading techniques. If you can read well, you will be able to see the best answers very easily.

So, what do the reading comprehension questions require of you?

To put it simply, reading comp requires you to understand what you read– the content and the reasoning of the author. This means you must not jump to your opinion or your feelings about what the author has said, but to understand clearly what the author has in fact said. Many questions will inquire regarding what the author might agree with, so it is as if you have to get into the mind of the author. This requires a kind of active reading we need to learn.

The actual directions from ETS for the reading comprehension sections are as follows:

The passage is followed by questions based on its content. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions following the passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

These are fairly straightforward directions, the important thing to remember about them is that the answers to the questions will always come from what is stated or implied by the passage. This means that you will always have some indicator from the passage regarding the true answer to the question. So you need to understand what you read.

Now lets talk a little bit about the passages themselves.

The subject matter of each passage will come from one of three areas: the sciences, the humanities, or the social sciences.

The science passages will come from a branch of science like medicine or chemistry, and may be about the development and use of a new pharmaceutical drug, or the spread of disease, or some biological process like photosynthesis. It is important to follow the pattern of the passage to see exactly what the purpose of the author is in a science passage.

A passage on humanities will involve literature, art, or music… sometimes it will cover a new genre in music, for example, or the development of the work of a prominent artist or how his work changed over time, etc.

And a social science passage will be based on the claims of sociology, history, economics, or even psychology. Look for passages that describe the flow of ideas and traditions among a group of people, or a discussion about the economics of the business cycle, or perhaps a discussion of the context of a historical event.

The important thing for any of these subject matters is that you find out not so much what he is saying, but what the author is doing with what he is saying.

Consequently, it is vitally important to listen for the tone of the passage. Some passages are objective and have an explanatory of descriptive tone, while others may have a positive or negative point of view. Key words and phrases from the passage will help you discover the tone.

Lastly, you needn’t worry if any of these subject matters are unfamiliar to you. Test questions are designed so that they can be answered based on the passage by itself and you are not expected to rely on outside knowledge of a certain subject matter.

Sign-in to our GRE Course for an animated, in-depth walk through of classic reading comprehension questions!

Let’s attempt another question on this passage.

This is a vocab-in-context question. It is asking you about the meaning of a word, given the context of a passage. The strategy for answering this question is to locate the word in question and read the lines immediately before and immediately after the word to get a sense of what it means.

We can look back at line 14 and we see that it is mentioned in the paragraph about coffee’s universal appeal. The text reads:

Coffee has an important place in the rational diet of all the civilized peoples of earth. It is a democratic beverage. Not only is it the drink of fashionable society, but it is also a favorite beverage of the men and women who do the world’s work, whether they toil with brain or brawn.

So, in this context democratic means universal, or appealing to all people.

Now, looking at the answer choices, we see our prediction in choice D. It would be hard to choose against it, but lets consider the other answer choices just to practice our process.

Choice A says “voluntary.” Obviously, this is not the right answer. Nowhere in the passage is coffee connected with anything voluntary. Someone who picked this answer choice probably didn’t read the passage.

Choice B says “decided by vote.” While this is the classic definition of a democracy, it doesn’t fit our passage on coffee in the least. Absolutely nothing is stated about coffee being decided by a vote.

Choice C says “free.” While this would undoubtedly overjoy millions of coffee drinkers, democratic certainly doesn’t mean free in this context. Nowhere are the prices of coffee even mentioned.

Finally, choice E says “politically modern.” You might be tempted by this answer if you think of democratic in terms of modern political parties, but, again, the point of that paragraph is not that coffee is modern but that it is universal in its appeal. Everyone drinks it.

Thus, choice D was our answer, and this was relatively straightforward, provided you read the passage critically.

Lets do one more question while we’re at it!

This is a classic tone question. It is asking about the author’s attitude in the passage as a whole. Notice again, that if we have read the passage analytically and identified the tone, this question should be relatively straightforward.

Remember that the author was all about coffee. In our words, we said that the entire purpose of the passage was to affirm coffee as a world favorite beverage, universal in appeal, and triumphant in popularity. So we would look for something that means ravished, or clearly affirmative.

Moving to the answer choices, choice A says “cautiously positive.” The author isn’t cautious at all, so we can eliminate it.

Choice B says “reluctantly acquiescent.” Again, the author isn’t reluctant about anything… so even if you didn’t know what acquiescent means, you can eliminate this answer choice. (Acquiescent, by the way, means giving in.)

Choice C says “decidedly objective.” This offers a neutral (=) tone, and does not match our prediction of a positively charged (+) tone, so we can eliminate it.

Choice D says “gently encouraging.” OK, this might work, the author probably can’t be classified as gently encouraging, but we’ll keep it just in case.

Choice E says “freely positive.” Yes, this is exactly what we were looking for, and this is our answer. Freely positive is exactly what the author’s tone is, and matches our prediction. We can get rid of D, pick E and move on.

The takeaway from these examples from reading comprehension questions is that if you want to do well on these, you must learn to read actively and critically. For practice, write down the main point of each paragraph, the subject matter and scope, and the tone of the author throughout the passage. Write the intention of the author in a few words and use these to direct you when you turn to the questions. Do these things on scratch paper until they become habit and you can do them in your head.

If you learn to read actively in this way, the wrong answer choices will begin to be recognizable, and the correct answer choices will begin to be more obvious. This will lead to greater success on Test Day, and of course, a higher GRE Score.

Simply put, many schools felt that their applicants were not prepared for higher level academic writing. They could no longer rest on a simple college degree as proof that an applicant could write well.

Thus, while the verbal section of the GRE focuses heavily on vocabulary and reading comprehension, the writing section requires the test taker to produce something, namely, a strong sample of writing. So, the testmaker (ETS) requires this section to help graduate schools determine your writing abilities.

So, how exactly do schools take the writing section into account?

The answer is: it depends on your specific program.

Some programs do not even consider the essays you write on the GRE. They do not even care to look at the scores you receive. This is the case with math intensive programs, for example. So if you are applying to a graduate program in engineering or computer programming, you might want to double check on their policy to see if you even need to prepare for it!

Other graduate programs will look only at the score you receive on the section, from 0 to 6. Most of the time, these programs have a minimum required score for the essay, like a 4 or higher. If you receive the minimum score, the admissions officers really won’t consider your writing section any further. You simply get a check mark in the requirements for admissions list.

Lastly, programs that have an intensive writing component, journalism or English, for example, will look at both your numerical score AND your essay. They will read your essay and evaluate its merit in addition to the simple number score you receive. If you are applying to a writing intensive program, you should not be surprised by this as you will most likely have a great degree of reviewed writing assignments in graduate school.

So, the moral of the story is–as we said in the introductory module– make sure you check your program’s website, or email the program coordinator to find out the specific GRE scoring policy of your prospective school.

In case you were wondering, copies of your essay are not sent with your score report to the schools you designate… BUT, schools can obtain your essays very easily if they want to. So, you should avoid writing careless material that may be damaging to yourself or others.

Your prospective schools will not be the first ones to read your essay, however. They are not in charge of the score you receive; the GRE essay graders are. So lets talk about these nameless, faceless judges of your compositional abilities.

The people that read and actually grade your essays are generally grad school teacher assistants, sometimes professors, who have been hired to read essays on an hourly basis. They generally have a number of essays they have to read each day in order to get paid, and are not looking to reflectively absorb the ingenious philosophical musings suddenly striking your mind. They are not looking to be converted to any particular point of view… They are looking for several specific features of good writing that they will quickly recognize as they peruse your writing. They will generally spend no more than 2 minutes reading and grading it.

That’s an important point worth repeating: the essay graders will probably spend no more than 2 minutes reading and grading your essay. Thus, it is critical for you to properly display the features of good writing immediately. You do not have very long to demonstrate your writing skills, so you need to get to your points and stay focused. You cannot afford to waste words on test day.

Now, each essay you compose is read by two graders, who each give the essay a grade on a scale of 0 to 6. The average of these numbers is your score. If the two grades differ by more than one point, a third grader will grade the essay and the scores will be averaged.

The graders will grade your essay holistically. You do not lose a set number of points for misspelling a word, for example. They grade the entire essay as a whole, and from that, determine your score.

So what are the key components the graders are looking for in the two minutes they have for your essay?

According to ETS, your essay will be graded on its overall quality, based on how well you:

* consider the issue and its implications
* and organize, develop, and express your ideas about the implications of the issue
* support your ideas with relevant reasons and examples
* control the elements of standard written English

These are the aspects they will be grading, and you must learn to express all of them within a 45 minute span. They are what the graders are looking for in the brief period of time they are looking at your essay. So, you want to train yourself to include these elements in your essays.