So for questions where they ask you to refer to a given statement in the question stem, are we looking for a subtle answer that's not too specific in general?
I'm understanding your question to refer to some RC stems that might ask "The author most likely describes the theory as "blah blah blah" in order to" or "The primary function of the reference "blah blah blah" is to...". If not, please correct me and give me a specific stem. Otherwise, these stems are essentially asking for the purpose of a phrase or word which directly tests your ability to pick up on reading structure. The hard part of this stem is not to finding the relevant information but finding out how the phrase/word in question relates to the passage as a whole. The more you understand how this part plays a role in the passage as a whole, the faster and more accurately you will be able to eliminate the obviously wrong answer choices.
Wrong answers will be wrong for many reasons but the two most common would be misrepresentation of the passage as a whole or misrepresentation of the the role the word or phrase is playing in the passage. Always be wary of the answer choices that embellish or blow something out of proportion.
As you asked, it most likely will be a subtle answer that will be correct. More often than not, it will address the role from an angle that you didn't think of at first. The most common right answers will involve roles that directly relate to the main point. Sometimes they might even represent main opinions. As with the rest of the test, I always try to work wrong to right and POE as much as possible.
Comments
Wrong answers will be wrong for many reasons but the two most common would be misrepresentation of the passage as a whole or misrepresentation of the the role the word or phrase is playing in the passage. Always be wary of the answer choices that embellish or blow something out of proportion.
As you asked, it most likely will be a subtle answer that will be correct. More often than not, it will address the role from an angle that you didn't think of at first. The most common right answers will involve roles that directly relate to the main point. Sometimes they might even represent main opinions. As with the rest of the test, I always try to work wrong to right and POE as much as possible.