Verbal Reasoning: Answer Only What the Text Supports
Read for exactly what is written
Verbal reasoning items test whether you can state the main idea, locate a supporting detail, define a word from its context, and decide what a passage implies without going beyond it. Most items give a short paragraph followed by four or five candidate conclusions.
The reliable method is to answer from the text, not from your own knowledge. Mentally tag the sentence that supports your choice. If you cannot point to that sentence, the choice is probably a distractor.
Traps to expect:
- True but unstated. A choice that is factually correct in the real world but absent from the paragraph.
- Quantifier swaps. The passage says some or many; the choice says all, always, or none.
- Reversed relationships. The passage says errors fell after a change; the choice claims the change caused output to rise.
- Extreme language. Only, never, proves - usually wrong unless the passage says so.
- EXCEPT and NOT questions. You are hunting the odd one out, so three choices will be supported.
Worked example. After the depot switched to preprinted labels, mislabeled parcels dropped by half, though the number of parcels handled stayed the same. Which statement is supported? (A) The new labels made workers faster. (B) Fewer parcels were mislabeled. (C) The depot now handles fewer parcels. (D) Workers dislike the new labels. Answer: B. A adds a cause the passage never gives, C contradicts the text, and D is never mentioned.
Rule of thumb: paraphrase the passage in one sentence before you look at the choices, then reject anything that adds a cause, a number, or an opinion.