Qualifier Detection
P1Spot absolute words (always, never, all, most) added by distractors that the passage does not use.
Understanding this concept
This is distractor pattern P1, responsible for about 30% of wrong answer traps. The passage says "some member states adopted the policy" — the distractor says "all member states adopted the policy." The added qualifier ("all") makes the statement false. Watch for: always, never, all, most, exclusively, invariably, without exception.
How to defend against it
- Circle any absolute qualifier in an answer option: always, never, all, none, every
- Check: does the passage use that same qualifier? If not, the option is almost certainly false
- The passage often uses hedged language: "some," "several," "many," "approximately"
- If an option turns hedged language into absolute language, reject it
Example
Passage: "Several member states have raised concerns about the proposal." Trap: "All member states oppose the proposal." The jump from "several" + "concerns" to "all" + "oppose" is a double qualifier escalation.