by StaceyKoprince Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:38 pm
Sure. One thing though: during the test, you wouldn't necessarily want to take the time to think through "what type is this?" You'd only want to do that if you're struggling with answering the question.
So, some clues about how to recognize the different types. You've already got the logic gap type.
For the "feasibility of a premise" type - there should be some kind of plan going on in the problem, and the question is: will the plan really work the way this guy says it will work? I'm going to get a great GMAT score by playing tapes of people teaching me things while I sleep at night. It's a plan... but it might not actually work the way I think it's going to work. :)
For the "alternate path" type, look for comparitives or superlatives: better, best, worst, least, most, more, that kind of stuff. Does the passage offer support for saying one thing is better than another or something is the least likely thing to work? Probably not.
For the "eliminate alternate causes" type, look for a premise that indicates two things that have been shown to "go together" in research and look for a word like "conclude" or "cause" in the conclusion. Just because two things "go together" doesn't mean I know which one causes the other.
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director, Content & Curriculum
ManhattanPrep