The Art of Verbal Reasoning: Analyzing Words and Phrases
by Yuvi K - December 16, 2023
What is Verbal Reasoning?
Verbal reasoning is a type of test that assesses problem-solving, reading comprehension, and logical thinking. The test involves interpreting words or sentences to arrive at a conclusion, and it’s often used to assess school children and job applicants. Verbal reasoning tests are designed to evaluate a person’s ability to quickly understand and analyze written information and make reasoned arguments or judgments.
Types of Verbal Reasoning Questions
Verbal reasoning questions come in several different types, which vary in difficulty and scope.
1. True/False/Cannot Say/Insufficient Data
In this type of question, the candidate has to decide whether a statement is true, false, cannot be answered, or has insufficient data.
For example:
The capital of India is Mumbai. (False)
2. Verbal Reasoning Classification
In a classification question, the candidate has to group related words together. The words typically fit into a certain category or classification – for example, different types of birds, vegetables, or musical instruments.
For example:
Which items belong in the same category?
Lion
Fox
Camel
Elephant (Animals)
3. Analogies
An analogy question can be used to test a candidate’s ability to figure out the relationship between two words and determine which of the other two words have the same relationship.
For example:
Dog is to bark as cat is to ____? (meow)
4. Critical Reasoning
Critical reasoning questions test the candidate’s ability to reason logically and draw conclusions from a given set of facts.
For example:
John is taller than Sarah. Bob is shorter than John. Which of the following statements is true?
Sarah is taller than Bob. (True)
Tips for Solving Verbal Reasoning Questions
Solving verbal reasoning questions can be tricky, but with a few simple strategies, you can improve your performance on these tests. Here are a few tips:
1. Read Carefully
Reading the question carefully will help you identify key words that will give you clues about the type of question it is and what the answer may be. Pay close attention to words such as “not” and words like “all” and “none” which can help you determine whether a statement is true or false.
2. Make Assumptions
When you come across a statement that you don’t know, try making an educated guess. Make assumptions based on your prior knowledge or what you know about the world.
3. Eliminate Incorrect Choices
If you are stuck between two answers, try to think of why one of the choices might be wrong. If you can eliminate one of the options, it will make it easier to identify the correct answer.
4. Practice
The more questions you practice, the better you will become at solving verbal reasoning questions. There are plenty of practice tests available online, so take some time to hone your skills.
Conclusion
Verbal reasoning is a type of test that assesses problem-solving, reading comprehension, and logical thinking. It requires you to interpret words and sentences to arrive at a conclusion. Verbal reasoning questions come in several different formats, from true/false statements to classification and analogy questions. To improve your performance on verbal reasoning tests, it is important to read questions carefully, make assumptions, eliminate incorrect choices, and practice*.
(*Hindi Explanation: Verbal reasoning ek aisa test hai jo solving problem, padhai samajhne ki kshamta aur logical thinking ko assess karta hai. Yeh test word ya sentence ko samajhkar ke conclusion nikalne ki jarurat karta hai. Verbal reasoning ki question alag alag format mein aati hai, jaise True/False, Classification aur Analogy questions. Verbal reasoning testo mein behtareen performance dene ke liye zarrori hai ki aap question ko carefully padhe, assumptions banaye, galat chizo ko eliminate kare aur practice bhi kare).
