Reading Comprehension

What Is Reading Comprehension?

Read a passage and answer questions about its claims, implications, structure or reasoning. Questions may ask for one answer, multiple answers, or selection of a sentence in the passage. The evidence boundary is the passage itself.

Detail	Study reference
Exam	GRE General Test
Response	Follow the requested selection format
Timing	Shared Verbal section timer
Primary skill	Evidence, inference and argument structure

How It Is Scored

Correctness depends on the requested answer format. For multiple-answer questions, select the complete correct set. A plausible statement based on outside knowledge can still be wrong if the passage does not support it.

Official Video

ETS introduces the skills assessed across the GRE. This is a general exam overview; use the worked examples below for this task.

Explore ETS preparation videos for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing.

Technical Foundations

Argument mapping

Separate the topic from the thesis. A passage about irrigation may argue that a previous explanation is incomplete. Label each paragraph by function: background, competing view, evidence, objection or conclusion.

Inference strength

An inference must follow from what is stated. Some does not mean most; associated with does not establish causes; a proposed mechanism is not a demonstrated explanation. Preserve qualifications in your answer.

Evidence and assumptions

A conclusion may rely on an unstated bridge. If a survey is used to describe a whole population, representativeness matters. A weakening answer attacks that bridge rather than simply discussing the same topic.

Step-by-Step Approach

Step	Action and purpose
1	Read for the main claim, changes of viewpoint and paragraph functions.
2	Identify exactly what the question asks: detail, implication, function or evaluation.
3	Return to the relevant lines and predict a short evidence-based answer.
4	Eliminate choices that distort scope, reverse relationships or introduce unsupported claims.

Worked Examples

These are original teaching examples, not official ETS questions. Suggested practice timings are study targets, not extra test time.

Example 1

A city added cycle lanes and cycling increased. The author notes that fuel prices rose during the same period. What is the function of the second fact?

Explanation / model: It introduces a competing explanation and limits a causal conclusion about the lanes. It does not prove the lanes had no effect.

Example 2

Passage: Some seedlings survived in shaded plots; none survived in exposed plots. Which follows? A Shade guarantees survival. B At least one shaded seedling survived. C All plants require shade.

Explanation / model: B. Some supports at least one. A changes partial survival into a guarantee; C generalizes from tested seedlings to all plants.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Why it fails	Correction
Reading only for facts	Function questions concern why a fact appears.	Label its role in the argument.
Bringing outside expertise	The question tests the passage.	Demand textual support.
Choosing stronger wording	Always or proves may exceed the evidence.	Keep the original qualifications.

Practice Routine

For one passage a day, create a two-sentence summary: the author argues X because Y, while qualifying Z. For each question, record the exact evidence and the defect in the strongest distractor. Alternate untimed accuracy work with mixed timed Verbal sets so reading does not consume the entire section.

Quick Reference

Check	Reminder
Before answering	Read for the main claim, changes of viewpoint and paragraph functions.
Before submitting	Eliminate choices that distort scope, reverse relationships or introduce unsupported claims.
Review focus	Evidence, inference and argument structure

Sources and Format Check

Format checked on 22 October 2026 against ETS GRE guidance. Explanations, examples, routines and time allocations within tasks are teaching guidance. Follow the instructions and timer on your test screen.