Reading Comprehension (RC) is the largest part of GRE Verbal Reasoning — roughly half of every module. Passages are drawn from the physical and biological sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. They are dense and often argumentative, but the questions test reasoning about the text, not prior knowledge of the subject.
| Format | Length | Typical questions |
|---|---|---|
| Short passage | 1 paragraph | 1–2 questions |
| Long passage | 2–5 paragraphs | 2–4 questions |
| Single-paragraph argument | 1 short paragraph | 1 question (strengthen / weaken / assumption) |
The single-paragraph argument questions function like logic questions: you are given a short argument and asked what would strengthen it, weaken it, or must be assumed by it. They reward the same skills as the reading passages but demand tighter attention to the argument's structure.
| Type | What it asks | Key to answering |
|---|---|---|
| Main idea / primary purpose | The central point or the author's reason for writing | Summarize the whole passage in one sentence before reading choices |
| Inference | What must be true given the passage, though not stated outright | Stay close to the text; the answer is a small logical step, not a leap |
| Function / purpose of a part | Why a specific sentence or phrase is there | Ask "what job does this do for the argument?" not "what does it say?" |
| Specific detail | What the passage explicitly states | Locate and confirm; beware paraphrase traps |
| Strengthen / weaken | What new fact would support or undermine the argument | Find the argument's logical gap; the answer acts on that gap |
Because two of these formats give no partial credit and one gives no answer choices at all, RC rewards careful, structural reading over speed-guessing. The next lesson builds that reading method.