Resolve Paradox
or Discrepancy

Master the art of identifying surprising facts and selecting explanations that reconcile conflicting information on the GRE.

GRE Verbal

What Is a Paradox?

In GRE Verbal reasoning, a paradox (also called a discrepancy) occurs when a passage presents two facts that both appear to be true, yet seem to contradict each other. Your job is not to prove one fact wrong: instead, you must find the answer choice that explains how both facts can coexist.

Anatomy of a Paradox Question

Why This Matters on the GRE

High Frequency

Paradox questions appear on nearly every GRE Verbal section, often 1-2 per section.

Pattern-Based

Once you learn the pattern, these questions become some of the most predictable on the test.

Time Saver

A clear method lets you solve these in under 90 seconds, freeing time for harder questions.

The Core Principle

Think of it this way: if someone told you "The restaurant doubled its prices, yet more customers came than ever before," you might resolve this by learning that a famous chef just joined the restaurant. Both facts remain true: prices went up and customers increased.

Recognizing the Question Stem

Paradox questions use distinctive language. Look for these signal phrases in the question stem:

1

"Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy described above?"

2

"Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?"

3

"Which of the following, if true, would best account for the surprising finding?"

4

"Which of the following, if true, best reconciles the facts above?"

Resolve vs. Weaken

	Resolve / Explain	Weaken
Goal	Make both facts coexist	Undermine a conclusion
Treats facts as	Both true	Premise vs. conclusion
Correct answer	Adds a bridging fact	Attacks the logic
Trap to avoid	Disproving one fact	Strengthening the argument

The 4-Step Method

1

Identify the two facts. Read the passage and isolate the two observations that seem to conflict. Mentally label them Fact A and Fact B.

2

Articulate the tension. Ask yourself: "Why is it surprising that both are true?" If you can't state the conflict clearly, re-read the passage.

3

Predict a bridge. Before looking at answer choices, think: "What kind of information would make both facts make sense together?"

4

Test each choice. For each answer, ask: "Does this explain why Fact A and Fact B are both true?" Pick the one that resolves the tension most completely.

Worked Example: City Parks

Step 1: Identify the facts.

Fact A

Riverton tripled its green space in the past decade.

Fact B

Residents spend less time outdoors than before.

Step 2: Articulate the tension. You would expect more parks to lead to more outdoor time, not less. Why did the opposite happen?

City Parks: Resolution

Step 3: Predict a bridge. We need something that explains why people go outside less despite having more parks. Perhaps something else changed: remote work, entertainment, climate, safety?

A

Riverton's parks are located far from residential areas.

B

Over the same decade, a major increase in remote work and streaming services led most Riverton residents to spend far more leisure time at home.

C

Other cities invested even more in green space.

D

Parks require ongoing maintenance to remain attractive.

Worked Example: Vaccine Paradox

Fact A

A 90%-effective vaccine was widely distributed.

Fact B

Reported cases of the disease increased.

Hard Example: Corporate Profits

Tension: Cost-cutting should raise stock prices, but MegaCorp's stock fell. What are we missing?

Prediction: Something about the layoffs signaled bad news to investors beyond simple cost-cutting: perhaps the cuts revealed deeper financial problems, or the company lost critical talent.

Common Wrong Answer Types

Common Mistakes

✕ Denying a Fact

Choosing an answer that says one of the two stated facts is not really true. Both facts must be accepted as given.

✕ Picking the "Interesting" Choice

Selecting an answer that is fascinating or plausible in the real world but does not actually address the specific tension between Fact A and Fact B.

✕ Confusing with Weaken

Trying to undermine an argument instead of explaining a discrepancy. Resolve questions have no argument to attack: only two facts to reconcile.

Summary Checklist

Step	Action	Check
1	Identify Fact A and Fact B	Can you state each in one sentence?
2	Articulate the tension	Can you say why they seem contradictory?
3	Predict a bridge	Do you have a rough idea before reading choices?
4	Test each answer	Does it make both facts simultaneously believable?
5	Eliminate traps	Does it avoid denying, deepening, or being irrelevant?

Question 1 of 5

A small town recently built a new, state-of-the-art public library with more books, longer hours, and free internet access. However, total library visits have declined by 20% compared to the previous year, when the old, smaller library was still in operation.

▼ Tap to read passage

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the decline in library visits?

The digital lending system means residents can access library resources remotely, reducing the need for physical visits while still using the library's services. Both facts coexist: the library is better and in-person visits dropped, because the improved library made remote borrowing possible.

Question 2 of 5

A company introduced a generous new employee wellness program that includes free gym memberships, healthier cafeteria options, and mental health counseling. Despite these changes, employee sick days increased by 15% in the first year of the program.

▼ Tap to read passage

Which of the following, if true, best resolves the apparent paradox?

The counseling changed employee behavior around reporting illness. Sick days rose not because people got sicker, but because they felt empowered to stay home when genuinely unwell. The wellness program works and sick days increased: both facts are true.

Question 3 of 5

A wildlife reserve doubled the number of rangers patrolling for poachers. Yet in the following year, the number of poaching incidents recorded in the reserve also doubled.

▼ Tap to read passage

Which of the following, if true, most helps to account for the finding?

More rangers means more detection, not necessarily more poaching. The actual rate of poaching may have stayed the same or even decreased, but the recorded number rose because the expanded patrol force caught more incidents that previously went unnoticed.

Question 4 of 5

A study found that people who drink three or more cups of coffee per day report higher levels of fatigue than those who drink no coffee at all. This is surprising because caffeine is a well-established stimulant that reduces feelings of tiredness.

▼ Tap to read passage

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the study's findings?

This is a classic causation reversal. Heavy coffee drinkers are not tired because of coffee: they drink coffee because they are already chronically fatigued. The correlation between coffee and fatigue is explained by the underlying sleep deprivation that drives both.

Question 5 of 5

A city lowered speed limits on all residential streets from 30 mph to 20 mph. However, the average commute time for residents did not increase at all. This is puzzling because lower speed limits would be expected to lengthen driving times.

▼ Tap to read passage

Which of the following, if true, best reconciles the facts described above?

Slower speeds led to fewer accidents, which in turn eliminated accident-related congestion. The time saved by avoiding traffic jams offset the time added by driving slower. Both facts hold: speed limits dropped, but commute times stayed the same because of a secondary benefit.

Resolve Paradoxor Discrepancy

What Is a Paradox?

Anatomy of a Paradox Question

Why This Matters on the GRE

The Core Principle

Recognizing the Question Stem

Resolve vs. Weaken

The 4-Step Method

Worked Example: City Parks

City Parks: Resolution

Worked Example: Vaccine Paradox

Hard Example: Corporate Profits

Common Wrong Answer Types

Common Mistakes

Summary Checklist

Question 1 of 5

Question 2 of 5

Question 3 of 5

Question 4 of 5

Question 5 of 5

Resolve Paradox
or Discrepancy