MCAT - CARS

The CARS Section

90 minutes to answer 53 questions divided among 9 passages (ranging from 500 - 600 words)

Each passages has 5 - 7 questions

You must analyze a passage's rhetorical and logical structure and be able to assess relationships between information given in the passage and new outside information.

Passages

Half the passages will be in the humanities and half will be in the social sciences

Humanities: architecture, art, dance, ethics, literature, music, philosophy, pop culture, religion, studies of diverse cultures, theater

Social sciences: Anthropology, archaeology, economics, education, geography, history, linguistics, political science, population health, psychology, sociology, studies of diverse cultures

3 Question Categories

1.) Foundations of Comprehension

2.) Reasoning Within the Text

3.) Reasoning Beyond the Text

Foundations of Comprehension Questions

Straightforward questions that will ask about:

-The main idea of the passage

-Specific details from within the passage

-Inferences that can be drawn form the passage

-The likely meaning of a word or phrase based on context

Similar to questions seen on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT because they only ask for reading comprehension

Make up about 30% of questions in CARS (~16 questions)

Reasoning Beyond the Text Questions

Questions that focus on two specific skills:

-The capacity to extrapolate information from the passage and place it within new contexts → Apply

-The ability to ascertain how new information would relate to and affect the concepts in the passage → Strengthen-Weaken (Beyond the Passage)

Make up about 40% of questions in CARS (~21 questions)

Reasoning Within the Text Questions

Questions that ask you to:

-Identify the purpose of a particular piece of information in the context of the passage → Function

-How one piece of information relates to another (as a piece of evidence supporting a conclusion) → Strengthen-Weaken (Within the Passage)

Make up about 30% of questions in CARS (~16 questions)

Hotkeys

More efficient than onscreen controls

Alt + N → Advance to Next/Answer No

Alt + P → Return to Previous

Alt + V → Open Navigation

Alt + H → Highlight/Remove Highlight

Alt + S → Strikethrough/Remove Strikethrough

Alt + T → Open Periodic Table

Alt + C → Close Navigation/Close Periodic Table

Alt + F → Flag for Review

Alt + E → End Review of Section/Exam

Alt + W → Return to Section Review

Alt + A → Review All Questions

Alt + I → Review Incomplete

Alt + R → Review Flagged

Alt + Y → Answer Yes

Alt + O → Answer OK

How can you select an answer on the MCAT?

Clicking on the answer choice (letter or answer)

Pressing the A, B, C, or D key for the corresponding answer choice

To deselect, select the same choice again or another answer choice

When is it best to exchange noteboard booklets?

During breaks, in order to avoid losing previous scratch work and test time

Where should you do any scratch work when practicing for the MCAT? Why?

Scratch work should be done on the noteboard booklet provided.

This is to familiarize you with the system and prevent any unanticipated frustrations on Test Day.

Section interface

The main interface to be used on Test Day, which displays a passage and one associated question.

Allows efficient navigation between questions and passages as you work through the section.

Useful shortcuts for navigating the section

Alt + N → Next question

Alt + P → Previous question

Alt + V → Open navigator window

Navigator window

To open → Alt + V

To close → Alt + C

Format:

Lists questions in the left column → you can click on a question number to navigate to it

Lists question status in the center column → completed, incomplete, unseen

Lists question's flagged status in the right column

How can one skip passages using the Navigator window?

To skip difficult passages (saving them for last):

-The title of the passage will indicate the question numbers pertaining to that passage.

-Open the navigator window (Alt + V) and click on the first question of the following section

How can one return to passages using the Navigator window?

Reserve a space in your noteboard booklet to jot down the passage number and the number of the first question of each passage (ex. P6Q31)

To return to the window, bring up the Navigator window (Alt + V) and click on the first question of the passage.

Section Review Tool

Opens when the "Next" button is clicked on the last question of the section.

Provides 3 ways to review the section:

1.) Review All (Alt + A) → brings up Question 1 and allows for navigation to every question with the next/previous buttons

2.) Review Incomplete (Alt + I) → Allows for review of incomplete questions only. The next/previous buttons skip completed questions

3.) Review Flagged (Alt + R) → Allows for review of flagged questions only. The next/previous buttons skip unflagged questions.

You can review individual questions by clicking the question number on the screen.

When reviewing questions through this interface, the "Navigation" button is replaced by the "Review Section" button (Alt + V), which returns to the Section Review screen.

To end the section, click the "End Review" (Alt +E) button at the bottom right.

How should the Section Review tool be used when remaining time is limited?

If time is limited when entering the Section Review interface, it is best to use the "Review Incomplete" function to ensure no questions remain unanswered

Then use the "Review Flagged" function to return to questions you've marked for further review.

Where can the timer and question progress displays be found?

The timer and question progress displays can be found at the top right of all interfaces within section of the MCAT

Keep these visible to help manage your section pacing.

Highlight function

To highlight text:

1.) Ensure the Highlight option is selected in the top left corner, indicated by a yellow box

2.) Use the cursor to left-click and hold while dragging over the desired text

3.) Press Alt + H

Use this tool carefully, as the process of remove highlight function is a bit tedious.

Remove highlight function

To remove highlighting:

1.) Click the box beside the word "Highlight" in the top left corner to select the "Remove Highlight" option

2.) Click and hold while dragging over the highlighted text using the cursor

3.) Press Alt + H to ensure that the remove highlight option is selected.

This is a tedious process, so consider leaving the unintended highlight on screen if it won't distract you too much

Highlighting in Passages

"Less is more" → highlight sparingly within passages to a void creating more work for yourself when referring back to the passage later

Highlight key terms or given values within passages.

Highlighting in Questions

Use in question stems as needed; unnecessary for some, while useful for others (avoiding careless mistakes)

Strikethrough function

Crosses out selected text and is typically used to indicate that the text is not important

To strikethrough text:

1.) Left-click and hold while dragging over the desired text using the cursor

2.) Press Alt + S

To remove strikethrough, click and drag to select the strikethrough text and press Alt + S (if any non strikethrough text is selected, the function will strikethrough all selected text.

Strikethrough in Passages

Limited use of the strikethrough tool during passage reading is best; it is better to read past the fluff than to stop and strikethrough it.

It's better to use the tool more on passages in the science sections; avoid doing passage strikethrough in the CARS section

Strikethrough in Questions

Use as needed for eliminating answer choices

Useful if you need to move on to another question but want to not any choices you managed to eliminate.

Question flagging

Allows testers to return to specific questions at the end of section

Can be seen at a glance in the Navigator window and Section Review screen

Alt + F flags a specific question

Use sparingly; don't flag every difficult question or every question you guess on. Rather, flag questions that you know you could answer correctly with more time.

Why is question flagging less useful in the CARS section?

The flag function loses much of its usefulness in the CARS section because these questions are completely passage-based and are therefore best answered shortly after analyzing the passage.

Thus, you should aim to answer every question in the CARS section before moving onto the next one and save the Flag function for science sections

Periodic table function

The periodic table is made available in the Chem/Phys and Bio/Biochem sections of the MCAT

Provides each element, its symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight.

To open: Alt + T (he window can be manipulated by clicking and dragging the top bar and window borders).

Should only be used when specific information is needed as it obscures the view of the question and passage.

Open only when you know exactly what you are looking for

How is the CARS section standardized? How should you use this knowledge to prepare for it?

The CARS section is standardized by means of how the passages are written and through the common types of questions accompanying each passage.

You should be able to recognize the common patterns authors use to construct their passages using basic rhetorical and argumentative components

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication in speech and text

Tends to focus on persuasion (attempting to influence others to adopt particular beliefs or engage in certain behaviors)

Rhetorical question

Although it ends in a question mark, this type of question tends to only have one plausible and obvious answer.

Why are rhetorical questions effective?

These questions are rhetorically effective because they force the reader to reach the conclusion on their own.

As a result, they are more convinced of the intended conclusion than if the author had simply stated it.

Rhetorical analysis

An examination of speech or writing that goes beyond what the author is saying (content) to consider how and why the author is saying it.

The MCAT will ask you to use the text to infer characteristics about the author, the audience, and the goal of the passage.

Author

The individual or group that wrote a given text.

Can be distinguished by how much expertise they have on a topic and by how passionate or vested in the topic they are

Expert authors use jargon

Authors who are less expert use common terminology and provide more explicitly detailed descriptions of their ideas. They also use an abundance of moderating keywords

How can one distinguish between an author that is an expert in their topic and an author that is not?

Expert authors who know that their audience is also knowledgeable in their topic will use a lot of jargon in their writing

Authors who are less expert than their audiences may use common terminology, provide more explicitly detailed descriptions of their ideas, and use an abundance of moderating keywords

Tone

Reflects the author's attitude toward the subject matter.

When the author is passionate/emotionally invested, they often use strong language (extreme keywords)

When the author is less-invested, they may use emotionally neutral words to describe ideas.

What the author chooses to discuss about a given subject matter may also reveal their tone; if an author discusses the disadvantages of a particular activity and lists suitable alternatives using neutral language, you can still infer their negative attitude toward the subject.

How can one differentiate between an author who is emotionally invested in their topic and an author who isn't?

When the author is passionate/emotionally invested, they often use strong language (extreme keywords)

When the author is less-invested, they may use emotionally neutral words to describe ideas.

How can one infer the tone of an author when they write about their topic using neutral language?

What the author chooses to discuss about a given subject matter may also reveal their tone.

For example, if an author discusses the disadvantages of a particular activity and lists suitable alternatives using neutral language, you can still infer their negative attitude toward the subject.

How should one tackle passages written by expert authors?

The more knowledgeable authors are in a topic, the more jargon may appear in their writing.

This may make the passage challenging to read, but the MCAT does not expect you to know any field-specific terminology in CARS.

Any important jargon will either be defined in the passage or the definition will be strongly implied.

Why is it important to determine the author's tone in a passage?

Identifying the author's tone can help you keep track of the author's opinions while reading the passage and will pay off when answering questions.

You will be asked questions directly focused on the author's attitudes and opinions as well as questions where simply knowing the author's tone will allow you to narrow down the answer choices.

How can one identify the author's tone in a passage?

What imagery of feelings do these words convey?

Be on the lookout for descriptive words (adjectives + adverbs). These were specifically chosen by the authored can convey tone.

Boil these words down to a core idea/statement and apply it to the questions

Audience

The individual(s) for whom the text is intended.

In CARS, you will rarely be a member of the passage's intended audience, but you can still recognize the audience that the passage was originally written for.

The genre of the passage may be a potential source of information about the author's intended audience

Most CARS passages address an academic audience, but even when writing for the general public, authors may draw upon idioms, cliches, symbols, and references that may have been recognizable to people of another time or place.

Will you often be a member of a CARS passage's intended audience?

No

How can you determine the audience of a passage?

To determine the audience of a passage:

1.) Identify the topic of the passage

2.) Consider how the author presents the major ideas in the passage:

→ Does the author define concepts and use simple terms? If so, they aim for a general audience

→ Does the author use jargon and assume the meaning is already understood? If so, they aim for an expert/specialized audience

How can you determine the genre of a passage?

Most passages will be nonfiction prose, excerpted from books or articles.

→ A piece for a general audience is likely to be taken from a popular magazine or book

→ A piece for an expert/specialized audience is likely to be taken fro journal audiences and other scholarly publications

Goal

The purpose of the passage; what the author's hoping to accomplish with their writing.

Passages with informational goals provide detailed descriptions that are nearly devoid of the author's opinion.

Passages with goals of persuasion aim to influence the audience to adopt new beliefs or take action (often using a set of recommendations to solve a problem)

How can one differentiate an informational passage from a persuasive passage?

Informational passages:

→ Provide detailed descriptions that are nearly devoid of the author's opinion.

Persuasive passages:

→ More common in CARS

→ Have goals of influencing the audience to adopt new beliefs

→ May try to inspire the audience to take action, often by listing a set of recommendations for solving a particular problem.

How can one determine the goal of a passage?

Consider the major ideas of the passage while keeping the author's tone in mind

How do the major ideas connect to serve the purpose of the passage?

Why did the author write this passage?

→ Answer this question beginning with an infinitive verb ("to X"), such as "to explain/argue/compare"

Argument

A specific kind of logical structure that authors use for persuasive purposes

The combination of evidence, a conclusion, and a one-way connection between them

Evidence

One or more assertions explicitly used to support a conclusion.

A claim cannot be a supported conclusion without it.

Answers the question, "Why should I believe that conclusion?"

Conclusion

The part of the if-then statement of a hypothesis/argument directly following the word "then"

How can one determine the relationship between two statements in an argument?

Use the One Sentence Test to determine the relationship between two statements in an argument:

→ Place a sentence in the following form " because "

→ The order that makes more sense will reveal which statement is evidence and which statement is the conclusion.

Use textual clues (like Evidence and Conclusion keywords)

When can the exact same statement be both evidence and a conclusion?

The exact same statement can be both evidence and a conclusion when in relation to two different claims.

Sometimes authors build layers of support for their arguments by providing additional evidence to support the original evidence.

→ In this scenario, the original piece of evidence becomes a conclusion to the new evidence

Subevidence:

Subconclusion/evidence:

Conclusion:

Is it necessary to identify the components of each argument in a Test Day passage?

On Test Day, you'll typically find it worthwhile to identify conclusions because they are more often features in questions

Often, it's enough to just not the location of evidence without spelling out exactly what it says (until prompted by a question)

Rhetorical analysis and argumentative analysis can both be used to aid us in better understanding the passage.

Implication

An unstated conclusion to an argument

Assumption

Unstated evidence used in an argument

Inference

Any unstated part of an argument, whether an implication (conclusion) or assumption (evidence)

Must be the most likely option among the alternative claims

Can be recognized by understanding the negative effect it would have on the argument if it were denied

conclusion or educated guess reached using evidence, reasoning, and background knowledge

How can one recognize an inference?

For a connection between evidence and conclusion that seems unclear, another piece of information that connects them is needed (assumption, an evidential type of inference)

We can be sure that we have correctly identified an assumption by considering what would happen to the conclusion if we negated that suspected assumption.

If the conclusion doesn't make sense without it, we can recognize the assumption.

When should you identify an argument's assumptions and implications?

A common question type in the CARS section is the Inference question type, so you should have the ability to identify an argument's assumptions and implications as necessary.

However, spelling out the inferences of every argument that appears in the passage is generally not a good use of time

Instead, only consider the inferences of an argument when a question demands it of you.

Validity

The strength of an argument that lies along a continuum between certain proof and complete refutation

Most arguments on the MCAT fall somewhere short of either extreme

→ Often assessed in CARS with Strengthen-Weaken questions which require you to imagine how an argument's validity might be modified.

Supporting evidence:

→ Makes conclusions more probable

→ Strengthen, bolster, or further the argument

→ Comes in many forms

Refutations/counterarguments:

→ Make conclusions less probable

→ Weaken, challenge, or undermine an argument when the claim's truth would make the conclusion more likely to be false

→ Rarely come in the form of outright contradictions of the original conclusion

Arguments are evaluated on the basis of their _________________, which varies along a spectrum. An argument is strengthened when it's _________________ is made more probable, and weakened when it is made less probable

Validity, conclusion

Supporting evidence

Evidence which makes conclusions more probable

Strengthens, bolsters, or furthers an argument

Refutations

Evidence which makes a conclusion less probable when the claim is true

Weakens, challenges, or undermines an argument

Rarely come in the form of outright contradictions of the original conclusion.

In what ways can a conclusion be attacked?

While directly attacking a conclusion will definitely weaken an argument, there are many ways to challenge it other than stating the opposite conclusion.

You can also attack the evidence that the conclusion stands on

→ Ex. Claiming that a survey used to support an authors argument had an unrepresentative sample would undermine the argument.

Weakening an argument

Directly attacking a conclusion or the evidence that it stands on

Introducing a claim or piece of evidence that undermines an assumption

When should you determine how an argument is strengthened/weakened on the MCAT?

Don't bother trying to figure out all the ways an argument could be hindered as you read the passage.

Only make these judgments when a particular Strengthen-Weaken question requires it.

Counterarguments

Claims that weaken a particular conclusion

→ aka. refutations, objections, or challenges

Often worth noting when they appear in passages because they're high yield for questions

→ When you encounter one, consider it's relative strength compared to the original argument and the author's tone

→ Ask yourself, "Why did the author include this?"

Sometimes indicated through the use of Refutation keywords.

Can take aim at any component of an argument

When should counterarguments be identified in a passage?

Counterarguments are worth noting whenever they appear in passages because they're high yield for questions

What should you do when you encounter a counterarguments in a passage?

Consider the relative strength of the counterargument compared to the original argument and the author's tone.

"Why did the author include this?"

→ To construct a counterargument to shoot down an opposing argument

→ To describe someone else's counterargument and then refute it

Usually used as an indirect way of supporting the author's view.

Using Rhetoric to Analyze Passages

Always be on the lookout for clues that reveal the author's tone and attitudes toward the subject matter

→"What is the author's feeling about this?"

→ Pay attention to opinions suggested by the author's use of adjectives and adverbs

Pay attention to the author's goal

→ "Why did the author write this?"

→ Identify the genre and audience to answer this question

Using Arguments to Analyze Passages

Conclusions should be explicitly identified because they most often appear in questions

→ Should be able to locate the evidence that supports it

Counterarguments are less common but should be identified as they are also likely to appear in questions

Complex arguments may have multiple layers of evidence or counterargument

→ Try to keep clear which particular conclusion is being supported/challenged by a specific claim

Inferences and strengthening-weakening conditions should only be considered when directly featured in questions.

How much time should you spend on each question in CARS?

The goal is to spend about 1 minute per question

90 minutes to read 9 passages and answer 53 questions = 10 mins/passage

Each passage will vary with the amount of time required and you'll decide your time a bit differently between distilling passage information and answering questions in each one.

3 Steps for Answering CARS Questions

1.) Preview for difficulty

→ Look for the big picture

→ Assess the relative difficulty

→ Decide to read now or later

2.) Choose your approach:

-Highlighting → best for high difficulty passages or if low on timing

-Outlining → gives a moderate understanding of the passage and allows for more time to work on the questions

-Interrogating → gives a strong understanding of passage but allows for less time to work on the questions

3.) Read and distill the meaning of each paragraph

→ Recognize keywords to identify the most important and testable content in each paragraph

→ Use approach from step to to extract major takeaways from each paragraph

→ Identify the reason the passage was written before moving onto the questions

How should passages be prioritized in the CARS section?

Complete passages that will take less time up front and leave the more involved passages for the end of the section.

Having quick points in the bag from tackling easy passages first boosts confidence and you'll have extra time as you work on the harder passages the remain.

Previewing CARS Passages

Previewing passages enables you to prioritize quick and easy passages over difficult and time-consuming ones

Consider a few specific factors that you an assess quickly to make a judgment about the passage's difficulty.

Consider the passage topic, sentence structure, writing style, length, and number of questions

Previewing CARS Passages: Passage Topic

Topic is the first indication of the difficulty of a CARS passage.

2 basic topics: social sciences and humanities

Social science passages:

→ Rely on empirical research and data

→ More likely to focus on cause and effect relationships

→ Often more logically rigorous than humanities

Humanities passages:

→ Rely on different types of evidence (quotations, thought experiments, interpretations of historical events)

→ Jargon is more daunting to pre-meds (obscure references and terminology) than social science

Identifying the specific discipline can also be useful, as you may find that some disciplines come more easy to you. Create a list of strong and weak topics as you practice

Previewing CARS Passages: Sentence Structure

Some sentences are short while others are needlessly wordy and repetitive. Get a gut feeling about where a given passage lies within a few seconds

Passages with more complex sentence structure tend to be harder; prioritize those with simpler structure.

The distance between periods is one good measure of complexity

A passage strewn with semicolons, dashes, parentheses or excessive commas may indicate a harder passage

Previewing CARS Passages: Writing Style

While most CARS passages are standard academic prose, some authors adopt distinctive writing styles that can make the passage easier or harder to read

Archaic writing styles can be a challenge

Take a gut-level check on this

Previewing CARS Sections: Length

Longer passages take more time to read.

Passages are typically 500-600 words but apparent length can be distorted based on the number and lengths of paragraphs.

A passage with a greater number of shorter paragraphs will seem longer than one with the same word count but fewer, longer paragraphs.

It's easier to get lost in the middle of a long paragraph

Previewing CARS Sections: Questions

You can determine the number of questions associated with a given passage because the passage will list the range of associated question numbers (Ex. "Question 32-39")

You may think that more question means a harder, more time-consuming passage, but more questions means more points

Take note of the question that starts each passage on your scratch paper to hop between passages.

Section order strategy

Order the entire section by difficulty at the start of the section

Find a place in your noteboard booklet to list the passage number, the number of its first question and your triaging decision.

Spending a couple minutes up front will allow you to move more quickly between passages and get all of the hard decisions out of the way.

What information should be included in your triaging decision when using the Section Order Strategy?

Preview each passage and record perception of its difficulty → Easy, (Medium,) or Hard

Choose the approach you want to use for each passage → Highlight, Outline, or Interrogate (some prefer to make this decision when they have committed to the passage)

Write this information down in your noteboard booklet for each passage.

Tackle sections in order of increasing difficulty starting with easier passages manages stress, maximizes the number of questions you answer, and ensures you reach the harder passages while still full of energy.

Scratch out each passage as you complete it to have a visual representation of how much is left to do.

Now vs. Later Strategy

Triaging as you work through the section, instead of doing it all upfront.

Perform the Preview step (perhaps combined with the Choose step) when you first encounter the passage.

Record the passage number ,difficulty, first question number, and other important details

In this strategy, you'll immediately complete any passage you decide is Easy before moving on to the next passage; any Medium or Hard passage will be saved for Later

Modified Now vs. Later Strategy

In this modified version of the Now vs. Later Strategy, work with both the Easy and Medium difficulty passages Now and save the Hard passages for a second pass.

Scratch work will be minimal because you'll only need to make note of Hard passages that you're saving for the end.

This may decrease efficiency and increased stress for some when working through passages of moderate difficulty too early in the section.

Keywords

Words and phrases that reveal a passage's structure and its author's intentions

Commonly employed in CARS passages and serve as valuable clues for answering questions

3 categories: Relation, Logic, and Author

3 Levels to Reading Academic Prose

1.) Content

2.) Purpose

3.) Reasoning

Reading for Content

Focuses on extracting information from the text to discover precisely what the author is saying

All information necessary to answer the questions is contained within the passage itself.

Why does reading for content sometimes fall short on the CARS section?

In the CARS section, it is unlikely that you will be a member of the passage's intended audience, so when you do not have the content background to fully understand concepts in the harder passages, turn your attention toward rhetoric and arguments by reading for purpose and reasoning

Reading for Purpose

Seeks to answer the main question, "Why did the author do that?" at varying levels of specificity;

→ Why did the author use a particular word/phrase?

→ Why did the author include this sentence? What does it do?

→ Why did the author include this paragraph? What does it do?

→ Why did the author write this passage?

This provides great insight but answering each of these questions requires substantial amounts of time.

How should one Read for Purpose efficiently on the CARS section?

Always determine the purpose of paragraphs and the passage as a whole.

Determining the purpose and specific terms and sentences should be done when they are major parts of the argument being built. Keywords will help identify when this should be done.

Determine the Purpose of a Word/Phrase

Only focus on a particular term when the questions require it

Think of how the specific sentence containing the term functions in the larger paragraph and how the paragraph functions in the passage.

If the term is consistent with these larger purposes, you only need to look for the answer choice that best reflects the main themes of the passage

If the term is unexpected, ask why the author goes in a different direction. Pay attention to emotional language to help eliminate answer choices containing the wrong sentiments.

What kinds of questions in the CARS section will require you to determine the purpose of a word/phrase?

Definition-in-Context questions → require you to identify the meanings of terms (content)

Function questions → require you to focus on the author's intentions and assess the purpose of a term

Determine the Purpose of a Particular Sentence

Some question types (Function questions) will sometimes ask about specific sentences

If you know the larger purpose of the paragraph that contains the sentence as well as how the paragraph functions to accomplish the author's purpose in the passage, the question will be more straightforward

When you're confused about the author's larger purposes you can still use context to infer their intentions

→ Relation keywords (transition words) may be used to emphasize the relationships between sentences

How is the amount of time spent Reading with Purpose dependent on the Distill method chosen?

The amount of time you spend Reading with Purpose depends on the Distill method you've chosen

Distilling by Highlighting → very little Reading for Purpose, largely reliant on keywords to identify components to highlight

Distilling by Outlining → determine the purpose of each paragraph and write it down as part fo your outline.

Distilling by Interrogating → focus on the purpose of separate chunks throughout the passage on a more granular level.

Determine the Purpose of a Paragraph

Reading for Purpose is particularly high-yield at the paragraph level.

Try to get a sense of a paragraph's purpose from the opening sentence.

→ If the paragraph goes as expected, your initial guess at its purpose is likely accurate

Pay attention to:

-Keywords that suggest a particular transition from the previous paragraph

-Changes in direction that the sentences follow

-The concluding sentence (may contain transition to the following paragraph)

If anything surprises you, take a moment to figure out why the author would include that unexpected element

Reading for Reasoning

Focuses on the structure of arguments by looking for support relationships and/or refutations between pieces of evidence and a conclusion

Consider whether/how the author uses an argument to structure the passage

→ Look for Logic keywords

How might an author use an argument to structure the passage?

The author may use their argument to structure the passage in a number of ways

Here are a few common ones:

Introduce a controversial claim in paragraph 1 and provide a few different types of evidence in following paragraphs

Introduce a claim in one paragraph, support it in the next with some evidence, then offer additional support (sub-evidence) for that evidence in the third

Present a claim, give little evidence for it, and then go on to refute the claim in subsequent paragraphs.

Questions to ask when Reading for Reasoning

What is the author trying to convince the audience to believe?

Does the author give any reasons to believe this sentence is true?

Does this new claim make a previous one more plausible or does it challenge an earlier one?

What evidence/refutations does the author provide for this opinion?

Which claims in the passage are given the most support

Keyword

Words and short phrases that reveal a passage's structure and its author's intentions.

Common words like conjunctions and other transition words, prepositions, adjectives and adverbs

Can tell you where to focus your attention in a passage.

-Green → keep moving, expecting to see more of the same

-Yellow → slow down and look out for author opinions or shifts in the direction of the passage

-Red → stop, there is something important to be found

Relation Keywords

Words and phrases that reveal specific kinds of relationships between ideas

2 subcategories: Continuation and Contrast

Continuation Keywords

Keywords that indicate that the coming material is a extension of a previous statement

→ And, also, moreover, furthermore, etc...

Phrases that indicate examples

→ Such as, for instance, take the case of, etc....

Demonstrative pronouns

→ This, that, these, those

Certain punctuation marks can indicate a similar idea is coming up

→ Colons, semicolons, dashes, and sometimes quotation marks

Generally, when a sentence or clause begins with one of these keywords, it won't be saying anything particularly new and you will be likely to understand whatever follows.

Green lights → keep moving!