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AndrewN
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 05 Jun 2020, 12:52
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hero_with_1000_faces
Thanks for your detailed answer andrew.
Still some confusion:

The question states that "which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?"
Ill try to reword the question stem - "Why do play therapists help children"

play therapy takes for granted the fact that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves.

My confusion is when the This therapy do not appreciate something as much as they are supposed to (take for granted) i.e children can resolve issues once aided, how can it become a reason for the practitioners of such therapist to do so. Why would they do it ? they might do it, but the tone makes it as if it is not the reason.

Am I overthinking ? guess we shouldn't fret much on unofficial questions.
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Hello again, hero_with_1000_faces. I think you are getting caught up too much in a connotation of the expression take for granted. Many times, people do use it in reference to appreciation. In the context of this passage, however, the same expression is akin to assumes, no appreciation insinuated. Read the line in question as follows, and I think the pieces will fall into place:

play therapy assumes that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves

I understand how you could be confused if you thought that appreciation had something to do with the matter at hand. I would not call this overthinking, but misinterpretation. Such a usage of take for granted is not as common as its appreciation-laden counterpart in everyday speech, at least not in the U.S.

If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

- Andrew
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 07 Jun 2020, 19:18
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hero_with_1000_faces
Thanks for your detailed answer andrew.
Still some confusion:

The question states that "which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?"
Ill try to reword the question stem - "Why do play therapists help children"

play therapy takes for granted the fact that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves.

My confusion is when the This therapy do not appreciate something as much as they are supposed to (take for granted) i.e children can resolve issues once aided, how can it become a reason for the practitioners of such therapist to do so. Why would they do it ? they might do it, but the tone makes it as if it is not the reason.

Am I overthinking ? guess we shouldn't fret much on unofficial questions.
Hello again, hero_with_1000_faces. I think you are getting caught up too much in a connotation of the expression take for granted. Many times, people do use it in reference to appreciation. In the context of this passage, however, the same expression is akin to assumes, no appreciation insinuated. Read the line in question as follows, and I think the pieces will fall into place:

play therapy assumes that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves

I understand how you could be confused if you thought that appreciation had something to do with the matter at hand. I would not call this overthinking, but misinterpretation. Such a usage of take for granted is not as common as its appreciation-laden counterpart in everyday speech, at least not in the U.S.

If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

- Andrew
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MentorTutoring thanks a lot andrew, learning something new from you today. Very happy!

You put a lot of efforts in your answers :)
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 15 Apr 2021, 01:56
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There is no timer for these RC questions.

Can it be included?
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 14 May 2021, 10:45
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1. According to the passage, which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?

(a) because children express themselves through a different medium than adults.

I too had doubt about the above question. I look at the question this way, why is therapist able to help children express their emotions? - that's because children express their emotions in their own medium and play therapy does that.

if the question is asking how why therapist is able to help children by expressing their emotions then the answer will be D.
i look at it this way
Step 1. let children express emotions - "Children express themselves through a different medium than adults"
step 2. solve children's issue because - "Children can resolve their own anxieties once they have been aided in expression."

and the question is only asking a reason therapist help children express their emotions, which is on step 1.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 06 Jun 2021, 06:11
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I think this is a poor-quality question and the explanation isn't clear enough, please elaborate. It seems as if the question is asking that what is it that makes the therapists help children. What is their motivation to help children
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 06 Jun 2021, 06:13
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I think this is a poor-quality question and I don't agree with the explanation. Going through trauma does not make a person different, neither does it puts a person in the category of "disturbed children"
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 01 Aug 2021, 22:32
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Vikram_Katti
Option B states - "psychological treatment."

Whereas Paragraph 1 states - "psychodynamic treatment" are these the same?

I will like to differ with option B being correct due to the above gap.
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Experts/sayantanc2k, can you please comment on this point?
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 16 Nov 2022, 04:33
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sayantanc2k
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I havent chosen answer D because i was confused by the word "examples". there is just one example so i thought this is a trap and chose A because there was no other convincing choice. Am i super pedantic or is the word "examples" incorrect and there should be "example" ?


I chose A for the same reasoning. There is just one example.

V05-10 Option D amended. Thank you for pointing out.
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sayantanc2k AndrewN

Is this correction also reqd for choice C of ques 4 (primary purpose) as OE does not highlight this fact that the option C uses "examples" but the passage only give one example? Or may be amend the OE?
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 16 Nov 2022, 05:59
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hero_with_1000_faces
The question states that "which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?"
Ill try to reword the question stem - "Why do play therapists help children"

play therapy takes for granted the fact that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves.

My confusion is when the This therapy do not appreciate something as much as they are supposed to (take for granted) i.e children can resolve issues once aided, how can it become a reason for the practitioners of such therapist to do so. Why would they do it ? they might do it, but the tone makes it as if it is not the reason.
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AndrewN sayantanc2k GMATNinja

I also think that "takes for granted" is too vague in this context.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 12 Jul 2025, 23:47
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hi Bunuel,

I feel question has an error:-

According to the passage, which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?


here the word "threapist" should be "therapy" insnt it?
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 07 Nov 2025, 12:33
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I did not quite understand the solution. If the question was how therapists help depressed children, I think option E is correct; however, the question is how therapists help children express their emotions - by observing and recognising the behaviour. Please elaborate.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 19 Nov 2025, 08:37
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I like the solution - it’s helpful.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 19 Jan 2026, 22:17
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Hi,
I wanted to know about the primary purpose question of the passage.
The answer is "discuss the goals and procedures of a form of psychological treatment."
But I'm not sure coz even while reading the passage, i didn't find anywhere which describes as goals of this particular therapy type. So I went with C.
Bunuel
When children experience emotional upset or trauma, their problems are sometimes made worse by well-meaning adults who either don’t notice their distress or insist that they express themselves through an adult medium: verbal language. Play therapy, on the other hand, recognizes that imaginative play is the mode of expression most comfortable and natural to children and focuses on helping them express their emotions. A form of psychodynamic treatment, play therapy takes for granted the fact that, once aided in expression, children are able to resolve their anxieties themselves.

The equipment of play therapy is simple and familiar. Dolls, play dishes, soldiers, stuffed animals, and sandboxes all have their place in the play therapy room. The job of the therapist, however, is a bit more challenging, because he or she must refrain from guiding the child in a particular direction or asking pointed questions. The therapist’s task is partly to observe the child’s play and recognize the child’s emotions and help bring them to expression. The second, very important, task is for the therapist to accept the child unconditionally.

A well-known example of successful play therapy is documented in Dr. Virginia Axline’s book Dibs in Search of Self. Dibs is an emotionally disturbed 5-year-old whose teachers fear he may have brain damage. In his play therapy sessions with Dr. Axline, however, a different picture emerges. Dibs’ play with a dollhouse and several dolls reveals that he feels cut off from his family and that he is angry with them for locking him in his room. This theme is repeated in play with animals in the room’s sandbox; he frees them from captivity again and again. During the sessions, Dr. Axline is careful not to express preference for any of Dibs’ activities, and most of her comments are simply reflecting back to him what he has just said. Additionally, through her choices to help him express his anger rather than offering him comfort in it, Dr. Axline fosters in Dibs a sense of emotional independence. At the end of the case study, Dibs has emerged as a content, intelligent, compassionate child.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is a reason that play therapists help disturbed children express their emotions?

(a) Children express themselves through a different medium than adults.
(b) Children sometimes experience emotional upset or trauma.
(c) The therapist’s task is to accept the child unconditionally.
(d) Therapists observe children’s behavior and recognize the emotions being expressed.
(e) Children can resolve their own anxieties once they have been aided in expression.
Show Spoiler
E

2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author considers play therapy to be a

(a) sound and useful approach to helping emotionally disturbed children
(b) pleasant and diverting way for children to spend their time
(c) new and exciting way of understanding the experience of childhood
(d) hazardous but necessary method of reaching out to troubled children
(e) universally applicable solution to all problems with children’s behavior
Show Spoiler
A

3. Which of the following best describes the relationship of paragraph 3 to paragraph 2?

(a) New information is introduced that qualifies earlier statements.
(b) An exception to previously stated rules is discussed.
(c) Important concepts detailed beforehand are rephrased in briefer form.
(d) General principles introduced earlier are expanded using a specific example.
(e) Concepts essential to further study of the subject are outlined.
Show Spoiler
D

4. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(a) convince the reader that adults often misunderstand children.
(b) discuss the goals and procedures of a form of psychological treatment.
(c) demonstrate the effectiveness of an approach using examples.
(d) relate the history of an emotionally disturbed child.
(e) offer guidance to adults who wish to better understand children.
Show Spoiler
B

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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 22 Jan 2026, 02:53
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Bunuel
regarding Q4 ....Please explain why the primary purpose of the passage is not the option C.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 14 Feb 2026, 00:22
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kartickdey

Let's look at the passage

Para 1 introduces what play therapy is and why it is needed. Para starts with presenting a situation when children experience trauma; it becomes worrisome when parents don't understand what is happening and expect that their child express it through talking. Then the author introduces the play therapy and presents its goal.

Para 2 discusses the equipment used in play therapy and the role of the therapist.

Para 3 Presents an example to show how therapist played their part and succeeded in its goal

By having this summary, now evaluate each option of question (4) The primary purpose of the passage is to

(a) convince the reader that adults often misunderstand children.- Author is not doing anything to convince the readers. So eliminate
(b) discuss the goals and procedures of a form of psychological treatment.- Let's look at it at the end, since this one is the official answer and the correct one.
(c) demonstrate the effectiveness of an approach using examples. - If we analyze the overall passage, the effectiveness is shown only in the last para, but when we ask why this paragraph is written, it will link to the 2nd paragraph, where the equipment and therapist role were discussed, but in the 2nd para it was not mentioned how the equipment will be used and how, just by observing the children, therapists will play their part. This all became clear when an example was given later on. So writing down the effectiveness was not the primary purpose of the author. so eliminate
(d) relate the history of an emotionally disturbed child.- No history is presented; just a context was given in the beginning. eliminate
(e) offer guidance to adults who wish to better understand children.- Again, an irrelevant point eliminate

Now coming to option B. Even after elimination, this option wins and also when we look at the overall structure, purpose of each paragraph and how they are connected, option B justifies. Hope this helps
kartickdey
Bunuel
regarding Q4 ....Please explain why the primary purpose of the passage is not the option C.
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V05-08, V05-09, V05-10, V05-11 14 Feb 2026, 00:36
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Amity007 Please check this link, I have explained the primary purpose of the passage https://gmatclub.com/forum/v05-08-v05-0 ... l#p3734290 and let me know if there is any further query.
Amity007
Hi,
I wanted to know about the primary purpose question of the passage.
The answer is "discuss the goals and procedures of a form of psychological treatment."
But I'm not sure coz even while reading the passage, i didn't find anywhere which describes as goals of this particular therapy type. So I went with C.

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