Section A passage types
You need no outside knowledge. The passage supplies everything. Your job is to keep its exact claims and limits.
One map for every passage
- Claim: what does the author want you to accept?
- Support: which reasons carry it?
- Pressure: where does the author concede or answer an objection?
- Scope: which group, time or condition limits it?
- Tone: how strongly is it said?
One first check per type
| Passage | First check | Common misreading |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | The final position, not the provocative opening | Taking rhetoric as the conclusion |
| Academic | Definitions and the limit of the evidence | Turning a finding into a rule |
| Political | Value claim versus prediction | Assuming criticism means support for the opposite |
| Scientific | Observation, explanation, uncertainty | Turning association into cause |
| Legal-style | Principle, exception, facts | Choosing the fair answer over the stated rule |
Read for the decision
Circle however, although and yet. Underline some, usually, may and only. Go back to the exact sentence before choosing between two close options.
Worked example A scientific passage with a policy conclusion
Neighbourhoods with more trees are cooler in summer. The author notes that wealthier areas may both plant more trees and afford better insulation. Even so, trees are cheap enough to test in pilots before cities commit to a target.
What role does the insulation point play?
- It proves trees have no cooling effect.
- It gives a rival explanation for part of the observed association.
- It is the author's final policy recommendation.
- It shows every wealthy area has better insulation.
Why this works: The second answer names it as a rival explanation without claiming it settles the question.
Why the tempting route fails: The others exaggerate the evidence, confuse role with conclusion or make a possibility universal.