Monday, September 30, 2024

GMAT reading comprehension tips - 4 types of reading


There are many ways to read an article. 

 When we read a novel, we read it one way. a textbook another way

When we read an important document - company offer letter or a sale deed, we read it differently. 

While reading this book - " How To Read A Book by Mortimer Adler", I noticed that we can use the analytical reading style for GMAT reading comprehension.

Excerpts from the book

1. Elementary Reading

This is the most basic level of reading, where the reader simply reads the words on the page without much thought or analysis.

It's the kind of reading you do when you're reading a novel for entertainment, or when you re reading a text message from a friend.

2. Inspectional Reading

At this level, the reader is skimming the text to get a general idea of what it's about. This might involve reading the table of contents, the introduction, or the first and last paragraphs of a chapter.

The goal is to get a sense of the main points and the structure of the text.

3. Analytical Reading

This level of reading involves a deeper analysis of the text. The reader is looking for the author's main argument, the evidence they use to support it, and the logical structure of their argument.

This might involve taking notes, underlining key passages, or writing summaries of each section.

4. Syntopical Reading

This is the highest level of reading, where the reader is comparing and contrasting the ideas in multiple texts on the same topic.

The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the subject by seeing how different authors approach it. This might involve creating a chart or a diagram to show the relationships between the different texts.


The analytical reading style can be taught. 

You need to sit through 10-20 hrs of reading sessions to get the grasp of it. 


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