GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Questions, Strategies, Samples, and Tips

GMAT Verbal Reasoning section examines how well the candidates analyze and comprehend the verbal passages to evaluate and articulate arguments and reasoning in English constructively. There are 36 GMAT Verbal Reasoning questions to be answered in 65 minutes. The three main question types of verbal reasoning are - Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning and Sentence Correction. GMAT Verbal Reasoning is the most difficult section in the exam for its analytical approaches. Very few can score above 44 in GMAT verbal section. Few skills that are measured in GMAT Verbal Reasoning are as follows

• To understand critical sentences
• To understand coherence and logic running through the passages
• To deduce a conclusion from the in-between lines in the passages

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Reading Comprehension

GMAT verbal topics include reading comprehension passages that are usually 350-400 words long. Reading Comprehension passages in GMAT Verbal Reasoning are taken from journals or business magazines. The reading Comprehension section can be alarming sometimes, but the candidates have to read the passage and answer the questions. Generally, ⅓ rd of the Verbal Reasoning section is devoted to Reading Comprehension questions. Due to the split screen presentation of GMAT Reading Comprehension questions, the passage will be there on the left side of the screen and the questions will be on the right side. Candidates can see only one question at a time. There is no back option to go back to the previous question once the "next" button is clicked.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Reading Comprehension Strategies

• Unfamiliar and challenging passages are designed to measure the analytical skills of the candidates. One should answer the reading comprehension questions on what is explained in the passage itself.
• Read the Reading Comprehension questions properly before moving to the detailed analysis of the passage. Skimming the passage will help to have an overview of the questions as well as the passage.
• Always focus on fact, idea, or argumentative thread lying in between the lines of the passage.
• One must distinguish between the main idea and the supporting idea of the comprehension passage.
• Similar kinds of answer options might cause confusion. Always refer to the comprehension passage for proper clarification.
• One should focus on the information stated in the reading comprehension passages rather than outside knowledge.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Reading Comprehension Tips 

GMAT Reading Comprehension tips for GMAT Verbal Reasoning include-

• Mostly factual-based comprehension passages are taken from science-related topics like biology, and chemistry.
• Usually, social science passages deal with unambiguous questions.
• Mostly, business-related passages have difficult approaches to dealing with as the candidates have to understand the tone and mood of the author
• The straightforward questions are factually-based answers
• In the science-related passage, the tone of the author is usually positive or neutral rather than negative
• Focus on the theme, the author’s tone, and the specific topic mentioned in the reading comprehension passage.
• To answer factual questions, candidates must read a few lines around the main keyword mentioned in the question.
• One has to be precise with the paragraphs to understand the main idea of the comprehension passage.
• Comprehension passages with questions and answers books are available in the market and online for religious practice.

Read More Reading Comprehension Passage Samples

• Modern Archaeological Finds can Still Contribute Much to the Study of Ancient Literature GMAT Reading Comprehension
• It is Almost a Year Since Abiy Ahmed the Prime Minister of Ethiopia GMAT Reading Comprehension
• An Interesting Approach to Reducing the United States Trade Deficit GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Three Basic Adaptive Responses Regulatory Acclimatory and Developmental GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Scientifically Speaking Human Biology isnt more or Less Complex GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A Cyclone Which can Cover an Area of Thousands of Square Miles GMAT Reading Comprehension
• It Is Impossible To Describe The Arts In The United States GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Gastrostomy Tubes Are Commonly Used To Provide Nutrition And Hydration GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Racial Identity of South Asians has Long been a Subject of Some Controversy GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Economists have Defined Four Stages Societies Pass through Based on Demographics GMAT Reading Comprehension
• According to the United Nations the Total Fertility Rate the Number of Children GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Woodrow Wilson Was Referring To The Liberal Idea Of The Economic Market GMAT Reading Comprehension
• On May 5th 1997 the European Edition of Business Tech Magazine Led with Hoffmans GMAT Reading Comprehenison
• For Some Years Before the Outbreak of World War I GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Alexander Calder Was One Of The Most Innovative GMAT Reading Comprehension
• A Conventional View of Nineteenth Century Britain Holds that Iron GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There is Much Talk of a Hydrogen Economy and One Version of that Future GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Juror Anonymity was Unknown to American Common Law and Jurisprudence GMAT Reading Comprehension
• Most Educated People of the Eighteenth Century such as the Founding Fathers GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There Is A Dangerous Tendency In Superficial Analyses GMAT Reading Comprehension
• My Objective Is To Analyze Certain Forms Of Knowledge GMAT Reading Comprehension
• In Eighteenth Century France and England Reformers Rallied Around GMAT Reading Comprehension
• During The Final Decades Of The Nineteenth Century GMAT Reading Comprehension
• There are Other Environmental Problems Connected With Offshore Oil Besides Oil Pollution GMAT Reading Comprehension
• The Use of Heat Pumps has been Held Back Largely by Skepticism About Advertisers GMAT Reading Comprehension

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Critical Reasoning

GMAT Verbal Critical reasoning questions assess the business skills of the candidate. Most of the candidates appearing for the GMAT Verbal Reasoning have never discovered the argumentative analysis and logic that lies behind the successful business model. Mostly the candidates encounter 3 types of critical reasoning questions in GMAT Verbal Reasoning-

• One must address the argument that lies in the GMAT verbal critical reasoning questions and choose the correct answer, exposing the flaw or developing the flaw with the help of the underlying argument.
• One must critically analyze the reasoning behind the given argument
• For GMAT verbal critical reasoning questions one must come to a constructive conclusion on the basis of the given argument

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Critical Reasoning Question Strategies

• Critical reasoning questions for GMAT Verbal Reasoning are always based on statements of factual information. One must substantiate the argument with the reasoning provided through the statements. Personal judgments are strictly prohibited when the reasoning is based on factual truth.
• For GMAT logical reasoning questions, the conclusion might be on any part of the passage. To find the conclusion, a critical analysis of the given statements is required to find the appropriate clues.
• While reading GMAT critical reasoning passages, one might expect a specific kind of question to find out the flaw in the argument. The answer options might be different from expectation, therefore, one must read the question beforehand.
• The GMAT logical reasoning answer choices can be confusing for their similarity. To avoid confusion, the options must be read carefully.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Critical Reasoning Tips 

• It is important to understand the GMAT logical reasoning questions for answering the critical reasoning question.
• To answer the critical reasoning questions, the candidates must understand the strengths and the weak parts of the argument.
• To find the GMAT logical reasoning conclusion to the question, the candidate must find a suitable answer containing the author’s viewpoint.
• IN GMAT verbal critical reasoning there must be a logical connection with the answer option.
• Skim the GMAT verbal reasoning questions answer options thoroughly for eliminating the wrong ones.

Read More Critical Reasoning Samples

• Professor A We Must make a Strong Moral Statement Against Country GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In Todays Pluralistic Society Textbook Publishers Find Themselves GMAT Critical Reasoning
• According to an Independent Computer Industry Analyst GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Economies in Which a High Percentage of Resources are Invested GMAT Critical Reasoning
• When People Evade Income Taxes by not Declaring Taxable Income GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The President of a Consulting Firm Analysed the Decisions Made About Marketing GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Many companies have been pushing for a three-week extension of daylight GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In All Mammalian Species, the Period of a Young Mammal’s Life GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Manufacturers of household appliances are still urging the public to purchase food processors GMAT critical reasoning
• Contrary to the Statements of Labour Leaders, the Central Economic Problem GMAT Critical Reasoning
• From time to time, the press indulges in outbursts of indignation over GMAT critical reasoning
• The tax system of the Republic of Grootland encourages borrowing by granting its taxpayers GMAT critical reasoning
• Advances in photocopying technology allow criminals with no printing expertise GMAT critical reasoning
• Professor A: We must make a strong moral statement against Country X’s policies GMAT critical reasoning
• According to an Independent Computer-Industry Analyst, the New Regent Microcomputer GMAT critical reasoning
• In Today’s Pluralistic Society, Textbook Publishers Find Themselves in an Increasingly Uncomfortable Position GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Economies in which a high percentage of resources are invested in research and development GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Columnist: The country is presently debating legislation GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Since the invention of digital readout, machine designers have rushed GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Utrania was formerly a major petroleum exporter, but in recent decades economic stagnation GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Useful protein drugs, such as insulin, must still be administered by the cumbersome GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Unripe Lychee Fruit Contain a Compound called Hypoglycin GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Tiger Beetles are such Fast Runners that they can Capture Virtually any Nonflying Insect GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In the nation of Pelmenia, 20% of 18-year-olds are left-handed, while just 10% of 45-year-olds and 2% of 70-year-olds are left-handed. GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The Tobacco Industry is Still Profitable and Projections are that it will Remain so GMAT Critical Reasoning

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Sentence Correction 

Sentence correction of Verbal reasoning section of GMAT Verbal Reasoning measures few behavioral skills of the candidate like -

• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Good communication skills
• Decision making
• Hypervigilance

Sentence correction questions do not examine the critical grammatical skills of the candidates rather check how often the latter makes good use of grammar to understand the fragmentation of the business structure.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Sentence Correction Questions Strategies

• Candidates must understand the intention behind the sentence correction question.
• Candidates must go through the error part of the given sentence correction question prior to the answer choices.
• Some confusing answer choices may put the candidates in a dilemma in choosing the correct answer.
• Linguistic appropriateness and language precision are important to evaluate sentence correction questions.
• The answer choices are involved in terms of GMAT modifiers, clauses, parallelisms, changes in meaning that are more difficult to grasp.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning - Sentence Correction Tips

• The answer choices must include no errors in grammar, structure, diction and meaning.
• GMAT sentence correction tips include candidates to pay attention to detail. Single answer choices can contain multiple errors.
• Going through all the GMAT verbal reasoning questions answer choices and comparing them to notice errors helps in solving the sentence correction questions.

Read More Sentence Correction Samples

• Hurricanes at First Begin Traveling from East to West, because that Direction GMAT Sentence Correction
• Because an Oversupply of Computer Chips has Sent Prices Plunging GMAT Sentence Correction
• Fossils of the Arm of a Sloth Found in Puerto Rico in 1991 GMAT Sentence Correction
• Nobody Knows Exactly How many Languages there are in the World GMAT Sentence Correction
• Reporting that One of its Many Problems had been the Recent Extended Sales GMAT Sentence Correction
• According to Recent Studies Comparing the Nutritional Value of Meat from Wild Animals GMAT Sentence Correction
• A study of children of divorced parents found that ten years after the parents' divorce GMAT Sentence Correction
• November is Traditionally the Strongest Month for Sales of Light Trucks GMAT Sentence Correction.
• Seldom More Than 40 Feet Wide and 12 Feet Deep, but It Ran 363 miles GMAT Sentence Correction
• As an actress and, more importantly, as a teacher of acting, Stella Adler was one of the most influential artists GMAT Sentence Correction
• Starfish, With Anywhere from Five to Eight arms, Have a Strong Regenerative Ability GMAT Sentence Correction
• Not Trusting Themselves to Choose Wisely Among the Wide array of Investment Opportunities on the Market GMAT Sentence Correction
• As Criminal Activity on the Internet Becomes More and More Sophisticated GMAT Sentence Correction
• The First Trenches That Were Cut into A 500-Acre Site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria GMAT Sentence Correction
• Thelonious Monk, who was a Jazz Pianist and Composer GMAT Sentence Correction
• Proponents of Artificial Intelligence say they will be able to make Computers GMAT Sentence Correction
• Created in 1945 to Reduce Poverty and Stabilize Foreign Currency Markets GMAT Sentence Correction
• Plants are More Efficient at Acquiring Carbon than are Fungi GMAT Sentence Correction
• Elizabeth Barber, the Author of Both Prehistoric Textiles GMAT Sentence Correction
• In Ancient Thailand, Much of the Local Artisans' Creative Energy GMAT Sentence Correction
• Many Politicians, Business Leaders, and Scholars Discount the Role of Public Policy GMAT Sentence Correction
• Studying the Fruit Fly, a Household Nuisance but a Time-Honored Experimental Subject GMAT Sentence Correction
• Without Information that could Only have Come from Someone Present GMAT Sentence Correction
• Most Recent Work on the History of Leisure in Europe has been based on the Central GMAT Sentence Correction
• Five Fledgling Sea Eagles Left Their Nests in Western Scotland This Summer GMAT Sentence Correction