Lesson: Challenging Critical/Logical Reasoning - 05t01

Common Wrong Answer Types: Extreme Answers

Extreme answers are pretty easy to spot. They contain extreme words such as every, all, always, never, etc. Extreme answer choices are popular wrong answer traps in assumption or inference questions because they require the author to assume too much. The correct answer choice is more likely to use moderate words such as some or occasionally, etc.

Try to identify the extreme answer choices in the following in-format examples. After you're done, click on the choices to see our answers.

The argument above assumes which one of the following? Dovak is consistent in the philosophical convictions that he expresses through the characters and events of his books. The plot of From Bad to Worse will have nothing in common with the plots from any of Dovak's previous six books. Nothing written by Dovak prior to the publication of his previous six books took the form of the philosophy novel. One of the functions of literary critics is to predict what will be in an author's forthcoming book. The plot of From Bad to Worse is less important than the underlying philosophical convictions expressed through its characters and events.

How did you do? Did you spot the extreme language in Choices (B) and (C)? It turns that that the correct answer to this question (when accompanied by the passage of course!) is Choice (A). If you identified Choices (B) and (C) as extreme, you could have eliminated them, and narrowed your odds to 1 in 3 of getting the correct answer. And that's without even reading the passage!

Now let's turn to another common wrong answer type, one that provides an easy trap for the unwary test-taker.

Next to display next topic in the chapter.