4 Common Wrong Answers in Essence of the passage

4 Common Wrong Answers in Essence of the passage Essence of the passage question are now quite common in CAT. there are 3 questions every year from last 3 years but unfortunately no good source available on how to approach these questions. So we have come up with 2 must read articles on Essence of the passage. Related Articles 4 important Strategies for Essence of the passage questions 4 Common Wrong Answers in Essence of the passage   1. Too Narrow or Too Broad No main idea question is complete without one of these trap answer choices. ETS loves to craft answer choices that are too broad for the passage. That is, the answer choice will cover the ideas in the passage, but also include many others that are not in the passage. They also like answer choices that focus narrowly on one aspect of the passage. Sometimes these answer choices will pull details from the last part of the passage hoping to trap students who are not thinking about the big picture of the passage. 2. Distorting the Passage Another common wrong answer that we see in other question types, distorting the passage in main idea questions usually involves shifting the direction of an idea. ETS likes to take an idea from the passage and reverse it, making it imply the opposite of what the passage actually is saying. Also, this can take the form of distorting the tone and purpose of the passage. If the author was describing a phenomenon or informing the reader about a concept or theory, the answer choice will make it seem like the author was arguing a point or supporting one side over another. 3. Extreme Language “Always,” “any,” “all,” “never,” “none,”—these should be huge warning signs for a wrong answer when you see them. The passages on the CAT are well-reasoned and balanced. Even when the passage is arguing for some idea, the author will include concession points and balanced analysis of their position. So any answer choice that makes a bold claim, a broad generalization, or a simplified statement about the main idea of the passage will more often than not be wrong. 4. Unsupported or New Always be on the look out for new information in an answer choice. Whether it is something related but unsupported by the passage or related but not a part of the passage, these trap answers can be quite tempting, but wrong. Sometimes ETS includes an idea that might fit the general discussion, but is ultimately outside the scope of the passage. Sometimes they like to talk about actual numbers and values when the passage only mentions percentages. Don’t fall for this trap. Make sure that everything in the answer is actually in the passage. Related Articles 4 important Strategies for Essence of the passage questions 4 Common Wrong Answers in Essence of the passage Sample Essence of the passage question Parents usually do not insist that their children learn to walk by a certain age. Parents feel confident that the children will learn to walk within a reasonable period of time, when their bodies are ready for such an undertaking. Teachers should adopt the same attitude when teaching children in school how to read. If teachers did this, children might learn to read much more quickly and experience less anxiety while doing so. Which of the following best describes the Essence or structure of the passage? A. How children learn one kind of activity is described and then this method is recommended for teaching children another kind of activity. B. Two different views of how children should be taught to read are compared and contrasted. C. A view of how children should be taught is described and then criticized. D. Contrasting views of parents and teachers on how quickly children actually learn are described and then analyzed. E. The amount of time it take for children to learn one kind of activity is described and then used to predict how long it will take them to learn another kind of activity. This question asks you to choose the statement that best describes the Essence or structure of the passage. The first two sentences of the passage give you information about children and walking. In the third sentence, the author asserts that the idea of walking when the time is right should be applied to the activity of teaching children to read. The fourth sentence tells what might happen if the idea were applied. Choice A accurately describes the Essence of the paragraph. Related Articles 4 important Strategies for Essence of the passage questions 4 Common Wrong Answers in Essence of the passage