English Analytical Skills 1

7/29/2019 English Analytical Skills 1

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Analyze An Issue Task

The Analyze an Issue task assesses your ability to think critically about a topic of general interestand to clearly express your thoughts about it in writing. Each issue statement makes a claim thatyou can discuss from various perspectives and apply to many different situations or conditions.The issue statement is followed by a set of specific instructions. The specific instructions could beone of the following:Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with thestatement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting yourposition, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true andexplain how these considerations shape your position.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with therecommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing andsupporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendationwould or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim.In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons or

examples that could be used to challenge your position.Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with your own position andexplain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, youshould address both of the views presented above.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim

AND the reason on which that claim is based.Write a response in which you discuss your views on the policy above and explain your reasoningfor the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider thepossible consequences of implementing the policy and explain how these consequences shapeyour position.Sample Analyze an Issue Tasks

As people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think forthemselves will surely deteriorate.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with thestatement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting yourposition, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true andexplain how these considerations shape your position.

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they entercollege.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the

recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing andsupporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendationwould or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

Analyze An Argument Task

The Analyze an Argument task assesses your ability to understand, analyze and evaluatearguments and to clearly convey your evaluation in writing. You are presented with a briefpassage in which the author makes a case for some course of action or interpretation of eventsby presenting claims backed by reasons and evidence. Your task is to discuss the logicalsoundness of the author's case according to the specific instructions by critically examining the


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line of reasoning and the use of evidence. The specific instructions could be one of the following:Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argumentand explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument.Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implicationsare if the assumptions prove unwarranted.Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order todecide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Besure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order todecide whether the advice and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure toexplain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the advice.Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered to decidewhether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how theanswers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order todecide whether the prediction and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure toexplain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the prediction.Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival theproposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts

presented in the argument.Sample Analyze an Argument Tasks

In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming, boating, and fishing) among theirfavorite recreational activities. The Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for thesepursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its budget to maintaining riversiderecreational facilities. For years there have been complaints from residents about the quality ofthe river's water and the river's smell. In response, the state has recently announced plans toclean up Mason River. Use of the river for water sports is, therefore, sure to increase. The citygovernment should for that reason devote more money in this year's budget to riversiderecreational facilities.

Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument.Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications areif the assumptions prove unwarranted.

The following is a memorandum from the business manager of a television station.

"Over the past year, our late-night news program has devoted increased time to national newsand less time to weather and local news. During this time period, most of the complaints receivedfrom viewers were concerned with our station's coverage of weather and local news. In addition,local businesses that used to advertise during our late-night news program have just canceledtheir advertising contracts with us. Therefore, in order to attract more viewers to the program andto avoid losing any further advertising revenues, we should restore the time devoted to weather

and local news to its former level."

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argumentand explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.


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Analytical Reasoning

Analytical reasoning questions are designed to measure your ability to figure out and understanda structure of relationships and to draw logical conclusions about the structure. You are asked tomake deductions or conclusions from a set of statements, conditions or rules that describe therelationships among given entities such as persons, places, things or events. They simulate thekinds of detailed analyses of relationships that a student must perform in solving researchoriented problems they will have to interact during higher studies.

For example, seven airplane passengers sitting in Business class, follow certain rules as to whocan sit where. You must answer questions about the deductions from the given information, like,Who is sitting with passenger A?No formal training in logic is required to answer these questions correctly. Analytical reasoning

questions are intended to be answered using knowledge, skills, and reasoning ability generallyexpected of college students and graduates.General Types of Questions

The passage used for each group of questions in the test generally, describes a commonrelationship such as the following:

Tasks and Performance:

Two sales persons K and M, visit their territories T1 and T2 in 4 days, Monday through Thursday.Grouping:

A commander forms a troop from 4 soldiers - A, B, C and D. Each soldier has a particularstrength.Sequencing:

Bus-2 arrives after Bus-3 but before Bus-1.Topologies:

A city has 4 towns and each town is connected to at least one other town by roads, some of

which are connected are connected by intercity railway track.

Careful reading and analysis are necessary to determine the exact nature of the relationshipsinvolved.Most Frequent RelationshipsFixed Relations:

Some relationships among the entities are fixed and cannot be changed unless stated in anyother question about the same set of conditions.e.g., R and I always sit next to each other. Or R stays at Lahore and I at Karachi.

Such relations are easily manageable by fixing the entities in the diagram of the question.Variable Relations:

Some relations are variable. The test taker is actually, asked to adjust the variables correctly forthe right answer.e.g., Zahid must be assigned to either window 1 or window 3.The questions base on the adjustment of such type of relations.

Implied Relations:

Some relationships that are not stated in the conditions are implied by and can be deduced fromthe stated set.e.g., If one condition about boxes on a shelf specifies that Box 1 is to the left of Box 2, andanother specifies that Box 4 is to the left of Box 1, then it can be deduced that Box 2 is to the left


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of Box 4.StrategiesWork in Sequence:

Some people prefer to answer first those questions about a passage that seem less difficult andthen those that seem more difficult. It is not good to start another passage before finishing onebegun earlier, because it is time consuming to return to a passage and to reestablish familiaritywith its relationships.

Avoid Wrong Judgment:

Do not assume that because the conditions for a set of questions look long or complicated, thequestions based on those conditions will necessarily be difficult. Avoid the wrong judgment, workin sequence and try all questions.

Avoid your own Assumptions:

Do not introduce unwarranted assumptions in the given conditions. Alaways base on the givenconditions and facts only. e.g., don't assume that if A is taller than B then A has more weight thanthat of B.Exploit Given Information:

Each passage provides full information required to solve the question. The conditions aredesigned to be as clear as possible; do not interpret them as if they were intended to trick you.For example, if a question asks how many women could be eligible to get admission, consideronly those women named in the passage unless directed otherwise. When you feel doubt, readthe conditions in their most obvious sense. Remember, however, that the language in theconditions is intended to be read for precise meaning.Key Words:

It is essential to pay special attention to words that describe or limit relationships, such as "only","similarly", "as", "exactly", "never", "always", "must be", "can be", and the like.Treat Every Question Independently:

Test taker must treat each question separately from the other questions in its set; no information,

except what is given in the original conditions, should be carried over from one question toanother.Draw Diagrams of the Conditions:

It is very useful to draw a diagram to assist you in finding the solution. On the other hand, manypeople find it useful to underline key points in the passage and in each question. In addition,some people like to use symbols, for example; the condition that "A and B sit together" can berepresented by AB, and for "A and B are not to sit together" the symbol might be AB.Visualization of conditions by symbol is a quicker reference in the application of the conditionsthan to read conditions repaeatedly. You can devise your own symbols for most often usedconditions. Always use a fixed symbol for a particular condition.

Attacking with Diagrams:

In preparing for the test, you may use different types of diagrams for different types of questions.There is by no means universal agreement on which kind of diagram is best for which problem orin which cases a diagram is most useful.Do not be concerned if a particular problem in the testseems to be best approached without the use of a diagram.Scheduling Question:

In scheduling problem, a tabular diagram may be helpful.Topological Question:

For a topological relationship problem, an arrow diagram or a simple map can be a useful device.


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ExamplePassage for Question

Country Kabana has seven major cities -- A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Three flights labeled 1, 2 and 3are available to connect the cities following the rules:Flight 1 has its ends at A and C, and passes through B only.Flight 2 has its ends at B and C, and passes through D only.Flight 3 has its ends at E and G, and passes through F only.Directly connected cities are those cities between which there is no other city to land any flight.

Question

Which of the following city is directly connected to the most other cities?BCDEFExplanation for Question

This question can be solved with the aid of Topological diagram:

Diagram clearly shows that city B is directly connected with most other cities. The right choice isA.

English Analytical Skills 1

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