Estimated study time: 45 minutes
Content:
Reading Comprehension (RC) is the largest question type on the GRE Verbal sections, accounting for roughly half of all verbal questions. Passages range from approximately 100 to 450 words and cover topics in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and business. Each passage is followed by 1–4 questions. Question types include: main idea/primary purpose, specific detail, inference, function (why did the author include this?), strengthening/weakening an argument, and "select all that apply" (SATA) — where you must choose every correct answer from three options, with full credit only if all correct choices are selected.
The foundational RC strategy is active reading with a focus on structure, not facts. As you read, track: the main argument (what the author is ultimately claiming), the passage structure (introduction, counterargument, evidence, conclusion), the author's tone (positive, negative, neutral, cautious), and any pivot or contrast (a sentence beginning with "however," "yet," or "but" is high-priority — the author is about to say something important).
Do not try to memorize details during your first read. The passage will remain visible during the question, so you can return to it. What you must extract in your initial read are the argumentative skeleton: what is the passage ultimately arguing, and how does each paragraph contribute? Specific data points, dates, and names can be looked up — but if you don't understand the main argument, you cannot answer the majority of questions correctly.
For main idea questions, the correct answer must be both accurate (true based on the passage) and appropriately scoped (neither too narrow nor too broad). A common wrong answer describes a detail from one paragraph and incorrectly generalizes it as the main idea. Another common wrong answer correctly describes a point from the passage but overstates the scope ("the author claims X is always true" when the author said "in some cases").
For inference questions, the correct answer must follow necessarily from the passage — not merely be consistent with it or plausibly related to it. GRE inference is tighter than everyday inference: the answer should be something you would have to believe given the passage, not something you could reasonably believe. The word "must" is your guide. Wrong answers for inference include statements that are plausible but not required, and statements that go beyond what the passage actually supports.
Key Terms:
Quiz Questions:
Q1. In a passage arguing that behavioral economics has fundamentally changed policy design, the second paragraph describes three historical examples of traditional economic policy failures. The function of this paragraph is most likely to:
A) Provide the central evidence for the passage's main claim about behavioral economics B) Establish the contrast needed to show why traditional economic assumptions were inadequate and why behavioral approaches offer an improvement C) Argue that policymakers have always been aware of behavioral factors D) Demonstrate that economic policy never works as intended
Answer: B — The function of the paragraph is to set up the contrast: traditional economics failed (examples), therefore behavioral economics addresses those failures. This is the classic structure of a "problem-solution" passage. Answer A overstates — it's not the central evidence, it's the setup. Answer D is too extreme ("never works").
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Q2. The author states: "While proponents of the theory argue that genetic factors are determinative, the weight of recent longitudinal evidence suggests the relationship is considerably more complex." The author's attitude toward the theory's proponents can best be described as:
A) Strongly dismissive — the author believes the proponents are completely wrong B) Cautiously skeptical — the author believes the proponents' position is oversimplified, though not necessarily wrong in all respects C) Neutral — the author presents both sides without taking a position D) Supportive — the author agrees that genetics plays a significant role
Answer: B — "The weight of evidence suggests the relationship is considerably more complex" is skeptical (the proponents' deterministic claim is oversimplified) but cautious ("considerably more complex" doesn't mean genetics is irrelevant). The author hedges with "suggests" — not a strong dismissal. "Neutral" is wrong because the author does signal a directional view.
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Q3. A passage describes a scientific controversy where two competing theories explain the same phenomenon. Based on the passage, which of the following can be properly inferred?
(Assume the passage states: "Neither theory fully accounts for all observed data, though each has demonstrated predictive validity in specific experimental contexts.")
A) One of the two theories will eventually be proven correct B) The scientific community prefers Theory A over Theory B C) Both theories have been supported by at least some experimental evidence D) The phenomenon remains entirely unexplained
Answer: C — "Each has demonstrated predictive validity in specific experimental contexts" means both have been supported by some experimental evidence — this is a direct, necessary inference. Answer A ("will eventually") goes beyond the passage. Answer B about preference is not stated. Answer D ("entirely unexplained") directly contradicts the passage.
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Q4. For Select All That Apply questions, which of the following represent correct strategies? Select all that apply.
A) Evaluate each answer choice independently — do not let finding one correct answer stop you from checking the others B) Award yourself half credit if you find two of the three correct answers and one incorrect one C) Treat SATA questions as having exactly one correct answer to save time
Answer: A only — SATA questions require selecting every correct answer. You must evaluate all three choices independently. There is no partial credit — selecting two correct and one wrong earns zero. Never assume SATA has only one answer; it may have one, two, or three.
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Q5. A passage's final paragraph begins: "Critics of this interpretation have not gone unanswered, however." This sentence most likely signals:
A) The author is about to concede that the critics are correct B) The author is about to describe how proponents of the original interpretation have responded to criticism — suggesting the author may support the original view C) The passage is about to shift to an entirely new topic unrelated to the dispute D) The author believes the debate has been conclusively resolved
Answer: B — "Critics have not gone unanswered" means the original view's defenders have responded. "However" signals the author is pivoting from the criticism back to the defense. This typically signals the author leans toward the original interpretation and is closing the passage by restoring its credibility after presenting challenges to it.
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