2.3 Reading Comprehension & Composition Rules

Reading Comprehension & Composition on the PMAEE

The reading comprehension and composition subtest of the PMAEE assesses your ability to analyze written information and understand the structural principles of effective writing. As a cadet and eventually as an officer, you will process intelligence briefings, operational orders, and strategic policy documents. You must be able to read between the lines, extract the core thesis, evaluate the author's intent, and organize your own thoughts in a logical, cohesive manner. This section covers strategies for reading comprehension and key composition rules.

Identifying the Main Idea and Supporting Details

The main idea is the central point or primary argument that the author wants to convey. It is the core message of the passage. In contrast, supporting details are facts, statistics, examples, or explanations that develop, clarify, or prove the main idea.

Strategy: Locating the Main Idea

• Check the Introduction and Conclusion: The main idea is often expressed in a thesis statement located at the end of the first paragraph or summarized in the final paragraph.
• Look for Reoccurring Concepts: Pay attention to key nouns and ideas that appear repeatedly throughout the text.
• Distinguish Broad vs. Narrow: A main idea statement must be broad enough to cover all the paragraphs in the passage, but not so broad that it extends beyond the text's actual scope. Avoid options that focus on a single, specific supporting detail, even if that detail is factually true according to the passage.

Drawing Inferences and Tone Analysis

An inference is a logical conclusion that you draw based on evidence presented in the passage. It is not directly stated in the text, but it is strongly implied.

Rules for Inferences on the PMAEE

• Stay Within the Passage: A valid inference must be supported by the facts in the text. Do not make wild assumptions or bring in outside knowledge that cannot be proven by the passage.
• Avoid Extreme Options: Options that use absolute words like always, never, must, or all are rarely the correct inference. Look for moderated options that use words like may, can, likely, or suggest.

Analyzing Tone and Purpose

• Tone: The author's attitude toward the subject matter. Examine the adjectives and verbs the author uses. Common tones include:
  • Objective/Neutral: Presents facts without emotional bias.
  • Laudatory/Admiring: Praises the subject.
  • Skeptical/Doubtful: Questions the validity of a claim.
  • Didactic/Instructive: Intended to teach or lecture.
• Purpose: The reason the author wrote the passage. Common purposes include to convince (persuade), to explain (inform), to evaluate (analyze), or to commemorate (celebrate).

Paragraph Organization (Sentence Ordering)

Paragraph organization questions ask you to arrange a set of scrambled sentences into a logical order. To solve these quickly:

1. Find the Anchor Sentence: The introductory sentence must be able to stand alone. It should introduce the main topic. It will not start with transition words (like therefore, however, thus) or pronouns that refer back to an unnamed antecedent (like he, they, this, these).
2. Track Pronoun References: If a sentence mentions "this strategy," the preceding sentence must describe that strategy.
3. Use Transition Words: Transition words establish the logical flow between sentences. (e.g., "On the other hand" indicates that the sentence must follow a contrasting statement).
4. Identify Logical Order: Determine whether the sentences follow a chronological timeline, a spatial sequence, or a general-to-specific logical progression.

Transition Words and Logical Functions

Basic Composition Principles

Effective writing relies on key structural rules:

• Parallelism: Parallelism is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. When listing items or actions in a series, all elements must share the same structure.
  • Incorrect: "The officer is responsible for planning the mission, leading the troops, and the evaluation of the results."
  • Correct: "The officer is responsible for planning the mission, leading the troops, and evaluating the results." (All three are gerund phrases).
• Active vs. Passive Voice:
  • In the active voice, the subject performs the action. (e.g., "The General signed the directive.")
  • In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. (e.g., "The directive was signed by the General.")
  • Rule: Active voice is preferred because it is direct, energetic, and clearly identifies who is responsible. In military communications, clarity about responsibility is vital.
• Clarity and Conciseness: Avoid wordy phrases or redundancies.
  • Wordy: "Due to the fact that it was raining, the training was postponed."
  • Concise: "Because it rained, the training was postponed."
  • Redundant: "Basic fundamentals," "future plans," "combine together." (Fundamentals are basic, plans are future, combine implies together).