GRE "Q" Flashcards
(1 cards)
Qualify (v.)
This is perhaps the most commonly confused secondary meaning, and one that is very important to know for the GRE. To qualify is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion.
I love San Francisco.
I love San Francisco, but it is always windy.
The first statement shows my unqualified love for San Francisco. In the second statement I qualify, or limit, my love for San Francisco.
In the context of the GRE, the concept of qualification is usually found in the Reading Comprehension passage. For example, an author usually expresses qualified approval or some qualified opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they qualify, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval.
