"Implied" versus "Stated" on VR Questions

[Gauss44]

Please provide general advice about determining whether something is "implied" or "stated." I keep getting these wrong.

Or help me figure out why the following answer explanation "implies," rather than, "states" the correct answer? (highlight below to see question 11 from Test 8, passage II of EK VR):

All of the following is copied word for word from the book.

Question: Regarding the ability of homosexuals to forge a group identity, the passage strongly implies that:

Correct answer: A. This was only possible because of diminished societal stigmatization.

Answer explanation: This is strongly implied at the beginning of the passage. "Societal stigmatization of homosexuals declined throughout the 1970s to such a degree that homosexual groups were able to forge a group identity." (lines 1-3)

Thanks!

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[neurodoc]

If something is "implied," you (the reader) can infer, i.e., reason that it is true based on what is directly "stated" (and presumed to be true, in a passage.

Take a simple passage, like: All humans are mortal. Socrates is a human. These two sentences are "statements." Let's say you are given 4 possible answers from which to chose the correct one, based on the passage:

A) Socrates is immortal.
B) Socrates is a philosopher.
C) Socrates is mortal.
D) All Greeks are mortal.

The correct answer is C, which is clearly implied by the passage.
B may be correct, but there is nothing in the passage that justified this answer.
A is clearly false, based on the statements in the passage.
D would be correct if the passage contained a statement such as All Greeks are humans, but it doesn't.

If you want to gripe that D ought to be accepted because "it's obviously true that all Greeks are humans," the folks at MCAT might point out that some of the Greeks were gods...

While verbal language may not seem to be as logically precise as mathematical language, it does operate by rules that allow you to test the truth of statements and make inferences from them. I hope this helps answer your question.

 

[Jepstein30]

Please provide general advice about determining whether something is "implied" or "stated." I keep getting these wrong.

Or help me figure out why the following answer explanation "implies," rather than, "states" the correct answer? (highlight below to see question 11 from Test 8, passage II of EK VR):

All of the following is copied word for word from the book.

Question: Regarding the ability of homosexuals to forge a group identity, the passage strongly implies that:

Correct answer: A. This was only possible because of diminished societal stigmatization.

Answer explanation: This is strongly implied at the beginning of the passage. "Societal stigmatization of homosexuals declined throughout the 1970s to such a degree that homosexual groups were able to forge a group identity." (lines 1-3)

Thanks!

Implies = not directly stated in the passage. It may be severely hinted to, like your example.. but the passage never comes out bluntly and says it.

States = there's a sentence in the passage you can point to.

In your example, no where does the passage say that the group identity was only possible because of diminished societal stigmatization.. the passage simply states that the two trends were related (as in, it doesn't state that it was the only reason why homosexuals were able to forge a group identity).

Basically, if the question asks you to imply/infer, you should look to take that small conceptual leap that you otherwise shouldn't. It's important to base yourself completely and wholly in the passage unless you see one of those key words.