CRITICAL READING TIPS

Tran Viet Hung

1) SENTENCE COMPLETION APPROACH:

BASIC STEPS:

Step 0 - Do NOT look at the answer choices to avoid being confused before reading the

sentence.

Step 1 - Spot keywords in 2 main types of i) Content keywords AND ii) Context keywords

to find the clues. Here, content keywords are basically SAT vocabs that have their own

important meanings related to the blank(s) (e.g.: vehement, economy, etc...) while context

keywords are that link phrases and clauses together (e.g.: a) Parallel: like, just as, as ... as it

is, etc... b) Opposed: although, despite, unlike, surprisingly, notwithstanding, for all, still,

except for, etc... c) Progressive: if not, not just, but not, even, eventually, become, etc...)

Step 2 - Understand structure and Punctuation to see how words and phrases are linked

together in such a sentence (e.g.: colons (":") are used to introduce a list, define a terms, or

elaborate on previous clauses/terms)

Step 3 (Optional) - Find Connotation (positive(+)/negative(-)) and Synonymous

/Antonymous ideas for the required blank(s) to assist your choice, using clues obtained

from Step 1 & 2. It is often easier to recall a connotation of a word than the word itself,

saves time, and sometimes is enough to answer.

Step 4a - Anticipate your answer from all evidence obtained from Step 1,2, & 3, before

looking at the available options.

Step 4b - IF YOU CANNOT anticipate your answer, try to Find synonyms/antonyms

(especially in 2-blank ones) from the options for clues, as these words are usually related to

the correct answer. Pick any not-eliminated option as a tentative fit and try to make sense

of the question. Regardless of whether this choice is correct or not, it will help improve

your understanding of the question.

Step 5 - Exercise the Process of Elimination by checking each option with your

understanding of required connotation and necessary synonymous/antonymous wordings

for the blanks.

Step 6 - Double check by evaluating the question with your selected answer.

ADVANCED TIPS:

Trust your "hunch" with easy questions (e.g.: first 3 questions) and Doubt your "hunch"

with difficult questions (e.g: last 3 questions). For medium-level questions, beware of

secondary meanings of words.

Speed up for easy questions (<30s/question) and Slow down for medium/difficult ones

(between 30s and 60s each), trying to save time for the Reading part.

For complexly structured questions, a quick translation can help understanding.

Eliminate surely wrong answers (e.g.: opposite connotation needed, not making sense,...)

NOT unknown/seemingly wrong words.

Use prefixes, roots, and suffixes to your advantage, YET be careful with special/tricky

words (e.g.: impassioned (=passionate), underscore (=emphasize), impassive (=without

passion), disinterested (=neutral), etc...)

For 2-blanks questions, Focus on the easier blank AND Use elimination consecutively to

reach the final answers. Also, you can Use the connotation relationship between 2 blanks

(both +/- OR opposite direction) to assist your choice. Remember that the correct answer is

the one that fits both somewhat imperfectly, NOT the one that fits one blank perfectly

and the other incorrectly.

When you can eliminate at least 2 answer choices, make an educated guess i) with as little

bias as possible AND ii) by matching the order of difficulties of the word with that of the

question (e.g.: Easy/Medium/Difficult questions get Easy/Medium/Difficult words as

answers)

2) GENERAL APPROACHES TO PASSAGE-BASED READING

Method The Careful Reader Skim & Scan The Fast Reader

Summary First 2-5 mins: Read the whole passage carefully to grasp the main ideas. Highlight keywords and note down main ideas/topics/tones

Answer the questions in order, starting with the first few main-idea questions. Use the main ideas obtained to help answer specific questions

First 1-2 mins: Skim the whole passage quickly by reading the first sentences of each paragraphs and the last sentence of the passage. Get a few keywords highlighted yet not the topics/tones

Skip main-idea questions and answer line-specific ones. Leave main-idea ones to the end when fully understanding the passage

First 1 min: Look at all the questions to find lines that the questions refer to. Go back to the passage the bracket these lines

Start to read the passage with a slow pace for the bracketed lines and a fast pace for the non-bracketed lines. Make frequent pauses at these bracketed lines to answer the corresponding questions, while leaving the main-idea ones for the last

Advs Good understanding of the main ideas and tones

Reduce time to answer the specific questions, especially those linked to the main ideas

Save time in Skimming Pay enough attention to

each question Less time pressure Have better understanding

in answering the main-idea questions

Good understanding of the passage and its supporting evidence for each question

Optimize on reading the required/not required parts

Keep your reading focus and save time from re-reading the passage

Disadvs More time pressure Might waste time reading

some sections that are not asked in the questions

Takes more time to answer specific questions and re-read the passage

Not able to answer some specific questions linked to the main ideas

Much more time pressure Still require reading all the

passages, some of which might not be asked

3) CHARACTERISTICS OF RIGHT vs WRONG ANSWERS:

Right answer Wrong answer

o Paraphrase the passage: It uses synonyms for the adjectives and verbs,

or employs synonymous ideas Sometimes, when there is no synonym, it

might use the same wordings

Copycat wordings: It copies exact words/phrases from the passage

BUT i) It expresses opposite ideas OR ii) It talks about irrelevant information OR iii) It uses opinionated comparison (E.g.: A equals/better than B)

o Include all ideas in the passage: It includes all important ideas from the cited

line, unlike wrong answer that drops certain portion of the information

Opposite meanings: It shows ideas that are basically opposite to the

relevant ideas It takes advantage of your self-doubt in

capturing the correct ideas of the passage

o Usually more general: It often uses "broad" wordings and "less

specific" language, even "vague" Note that on occasion, when questions ask

about specific things, right options can be specific

Extreme answers: It uses EXTREME wordings such as: all, never,

must, absolutely, complete, outrage, best, etc.. --> rarely a correct answer

Note that NEGATING an extreme word is NO LONGER extreme, thus could be a correct answer. E.g.: not always, not fully, not all, incomplete, etc...

Recently, there are an INCREASING number of correct answers with extreme wordings (e.g.: complete agreement) in SAT Tests.

o Can be proved by the passage: When in doubt, go back to the passage to find

supporting keywords. If you can point out to a/some specific portion(s) of text that prove the answer, it is likely the correct answer.

Remember NOT to read "very far away" from the mentioned lines. Usually, +/- 2 lines should be enough.

When two options are both supported by the text, choose the one that is i) more frequently cited AND ii) more closely related to the main idea

True but answer different things: It is based on true statement from the passage

but does not answer the specific question It uses fact/inference from an earlier OR later

portion of the text, but NOT the line reference required by the question

In paired passage, it could be true for Passage 1 while the question asks about Passage 2 (or both Passages)

Half-true answer: It seems correct initially BUT adds new

opposite/irrelevant information that makes it wrong

Note that just a SINGLE "wrong" keyword spoils the whole option

True to your own assumption: It makes much sense to YOUR OWN

experiences/assumptions/expectations BUT actually not supported by the passage

The lesson is NOT to presuppose anything

Note: These characteristics cannot substitute reading the passage for the correct answer.

Moreover, as College Board is fully aware of the such aforementioned characteristics, it is now

trying to formulate various choices with no clear pattern of right and wrong answers.

4) ADVANCED TIPS FOR PASSAGE-BASED READING:

Read LITERALLY (i.e.: Make NO assumption/interpretation/faraway inference) AND CRITICALLY

(i.e.: Grasp ideas quickly and Master paraphrase skill).

If you are reading fast, Consider writing down 1-3 words summary for each paragraph. Also,

develop a habit to Highlight important words in an unconscious manner as you pass through

the passage.

For shorter passages, Read more carefully to avoid missing even a single keyword. For longer

passage, Skim to get a basic understanding of the passage BUT Slow down on the questions.

For paired-passages, Note that:

Two passages often share the same topic but do not always have the same/opposite

opinions. In fact, they usually have different perspectives.

Unless you are confident with your reading skill or the pairs are of short/medium lengths,

Read Passage 1 then Tackle questions exclusively limited to Passage 1. Follow with reading

Passage 2 and Answer questions only related to Passage 2, leaving the questions that

contrast the two passages for the last.

For questions that compare the two passages, Make sure that you understand which

Passage is asked AND which Passage is just used as a reference.

The main ideas of the passage are usually located in i) The first few sentences ii) Last sentence

of paragraph 1 or First sentence of paragraph 2 iii) The last few sentences. If you struggle to

get the main ideas of the passages (e.g.: Fiction passages, unclear passages, etc...), do NOT

waste your time trying to understand it YET Focus on highlighting important words.

Except for a Vocab question, ALWAYS read (at least) 1 SENTENCE BEFORE AND AFTER the

reference lines, as these sentences are directly linked to the question (e.g.: give example,

provide general context, continue explanation, present opposite ideas, etc...). If that is not

enough, keep going back and forth a few more sentences from the specified lines until you

grasp the idea(s). However, be careful with the danger of going "too far".

Unless the selected option CLEARLY matches the referenced idea, Use an AGGRESSIVE process

of elimination (See section 3) for Characteristics of Wrong answers) that might consume time

but greatly enhance accuracy.

When you fail to grasp the idea of reference lines and/or narrow down to 2-3 seemingly

correct answers, Pick a reasonable option as a preliminary answer to work on. Then go back

the passage to find supporting evidence of words/phrases. Use this as an opportunity to both

Deepen your understanding of the questions and Eliminate/Backup your tentative option. You

can then Repeat the process with the remaining options to reach an answer, essentially trading

off time for accuracy.

5) SUMMARY OF TONES: (+ = positive, - = negative, 0 = neutral)

Tone Keywords Category Descriptions

Accusatory - - Charging of wrong doing

Admonishing, admonitory, speculative 0 Telling the future in advance

Argumentative, analytical, balanced, evenhanded

0 Provide two-sided analysis with pros and cons

Assured, certain, unequivocal, assertive, confident

+ Writing with lots of sure statements

Apologetic, shame - Regretfully excusing voice

Appreciation, admiration, celebratory, encouraged, proud,

+ Showing good attitudes with many positive keywords

Apathetic, ambivalent, indifferent, aloof, detached, uninterested

0

Lacking concern, showing little or no interest

Amused + Entertained, expressed by a smile or laugh

Awe + + Huge wonder

Bitter, outrage, resentful - - Exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief

Cynical - - Questioning the basic sincerity and goodness of people, asserts that nothing can be changed

Concerned, worried, alarmed, anxious - Showing warning of something

Condescending, patronizing - - A feeling of superiority

Colloquial, Informal 0 Using casual/non-academic words

Callous, cold, uncaring 0 Unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others

Critical, disapproving - Finding fault

Conventional, conservative 0 Lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality

Curious, intrigued + Asking question, wanting to know more

Disdainful, scornful, irreverent, condemnatory, contemptuous, hostile, ribald, insolent, dismissive

- - Showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect

Didactic, instructive 0 Author attempts to educate or instruct the reader

Empathetic, sympathized + Sharing feelings with others

Earnest, sincere, genuine + Being intense, without deceit or pretense

Erudite, scholarly, polished, 0 Using clear, objective, formal, and direct language

Evocative 0 To trigger readers' feelings/thoughts

Factual, informative, objective, disinterested

0 Providing details with an unbiased view

Forthright, straightforward + Being directly frank without hesitation

Haughty, arrogant - Being proud and vain to the point of arrogance

Hyperbolic, exaggerated - Employ exaggeration technique

Impatient - Unwilling to wait

Indignant - Marked by anger aroused by injustice

Intimate, close-knit + Very familiar

Judgmental - Authoritative and often having critical opinions

Jovial, exuberant, delight, joyous, ecstatic

+ + Very happy attitude

Mocking, derisive, droll - Treating with contempt or ridicule

Morose, gloomy, sullen, surly, - Tending toward sad reflection

despondent, solemn, melancholy, somber

Malicious, hurtful - - Being purposely hurtful

Nostalgic, regretful, wistful, repentant, penitent, remorseful

- Sentimental or wistful yearning (to a past)

Obsequious, submissive - Polite and obedient in order to gain something

Pessimistic, hopeless - Seeing the worst side of things; no hope

Quizzical, eccentric, puzzled, confused, bemused, bewildered, baffled, nonplussed

- Being at odd, not having full understanding

Resigned, frustrated - Being reluctant to accept

Reverent, Respectful + + Treating a subject with honor and respect

Reflective, pensive, thoughtful, contemplative,

0 Illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions

Sarcastic, caustic, stinging, biting, sardonic,

- - Express sneering connotations

Satiric, ironic, ridiculing - Making fun of, showing weakness in order to make a point, using words with non-literal/opposite meaning

Skeptical, incredulous, doubtful, unconvinced, disbelieving,

- Showing doubts via questions and disbeliefs

Sanguineous, optimistic, cheerful, hopeful

+ Being positive, believing in positive outcomes

Sentimental, romantic + Reveals feelings but not reasons

Uncertain, equivocal, tentative - Using unsure words such as maybe, perhaps, etc...

Whimsical, wry, witty 0 Being odd, strange, fun

6) SUMMARY OF RHETORICAL PURPOSES:,

Rhetorical Methods Descriptions

Alliteration The repetition of initial consonant sounds or any vowel sounds within a formal grouping, such as a poetic line or stanza, or in close proximity in prose

Allusion A figure of speech which makes brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance in the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the character or object of which the allusion consists.

Allegory Narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves; characters are usually personifications of abstract qualities

Ambiguity Use of language in which multiple meanings are possible

Analogy Comparison of two things that are alike in some respects. Metaphors and Similes are both types of analogy

Anecdote A brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature

Antithesis Juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words or phrases

Appeals to: authority, emotion, logic/reason

The speaker i) claims to be an expert or relies on information provided by experts (appeal to authority) OR ii) attempts to affect the listener's personal feelings (appeal to emotion) OR iii) attempts to persuade the listener through use of deductive reasoning (appeal to logic/reason)

Aphorism A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

Comparison, Simile Use like and as to make explicit comparisons between unlike things

Contradiction, Paradox, Inconsistency

A direct opposition between things/statements compared

Deductive The reasoning process by which a conclusion is drawn from set of premises and contains no more facts than these premises

Disclaimer A statement that denies something, especially responsibility

Epiphany A sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience

Figurative language Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. It includes Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole,...

Foreshadowing To hint at or present things to come in a story or play

Hyperbole, Exaggeration An overstatement characterized by exaggerated language to emphasize a point

Idioms Inherited quirks of language that native speakers understand without question

Imagery Sensory details in a work that involves any or all of the five senses

Inductive Conclusion or type of reasoning whereby observation or information about a part of a class is applied to the class as a whole (Contrast with deductive)

Irony A situation or statement characterized by significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or is meant

Juxtaposition Placing of two items side by side to create a certain effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose

Litotes Form of understatement that negates the negative to achieve emphasis & intensity

Metaphor Compare unlike things without explicitly stating the comparison

Motif Recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event

Onomatopoeia A word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes, e.g.: buzz or hiss

Oxymoron A figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements, as in "deafening silence"

Parallelism Recurrent syntactical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that the ideas in the parts or sentences equal in importance. It also adds balance, rhythm, and clarity to the sentence

Parody A satirical imitation of a work of art for purpose of ridiculing its style or subject.

Personification Things, which are not persons, are given a person’s abilities

Perspective A character's view of the situation or events in the story

Qualification A statement or assertion that makes another less absolute

Rhetorical Question Questions are not meant to be answered, either unanswerable or clearly yes/no

Repetition, Amplification Conscious and purposeful replication of words or phrases to make a point

Sarcasm A sharp caustic remark. A form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually bitterly or harshly critical.

Satire A literary style used to make fun of or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness

Symbolism Use specific things as symbols of abstract concepts

Understatement, Euphemism

(opposite to Hyperbole) Substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt