Role questions involve identifying argument parts and the role each one plays in the argument.
The passage will present an argument, then the question will cherry pick part of the passage and ask you what role it played in the argument. The correct answer will describe the role.
These questions are totally predictable, but they may seem tough till you get the hang of arguments.
Role questions tend to look something like this:
- The claim that Tim must be Erik's brother plays which of the following roles in the argument?
- Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the researchers' hypothesis is unfounded?
Let's work through some examples.
Examples
PrepTest 123, Section 2, Question 11
We'll start with
It is now a common complaint that the electronic media have corroded the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media. But several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being destroyed by the spread of literacy. So, what awaits us is probably a mere alteration of the human mind rather than its devolution.
The question asks us to focus on this bit:
...several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being destroyed by the spread of literacy.
What job does it play? Well, let's start with the conclusion—the last sentence. The author argues that despite what people suggest about electronic media, the human mind will simply change, not rot away. And they support this claim by analogizing the complaints about changes in the electronic media landscape with centuries-old complaints about oral traditions changing to literate ones.
So the argument part in question is evidence by way of example. That's our prediction.
We reap our reward in the answer choices. And while the correct answer doesn't match our prediction word-for-word, it's remarkably close. Check out the link above for our full explanation.
PrepTest 135, Section 1, Question 22
Next, let's look at
Does the position of a car driver's seat have a significant impact on driving safety? It probably does. Driving position affects both comfort and the ability to see the road clearly. A driver who is uncomfortable eventually becomes fatigued, which makes it difficult to concentrate on the road. Likewise, the better the visibility from the driver's seat, the more aware the driver can be of road conditions and other vehicles.
Start by identifying each argument part. First, we get a question and an answer, the answer being the argument's conclusion: driver's seat position probably has a significant impact on safety.
Then we get the why: Seat position affects visibility and comfort. You need comfort to avoid fatigue and visibility to see road conditions and other vehicles.
We're asked what role the third sentence played in the argument. It's the first of a few premises used to support their conclusion, leading us right to answer choice E. You can read the full explanation at the link above.
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That's a wrap on Role questions. Next, we'll walk through how to handle Principle questions. See you there.