Table Comprehension Instructions (Read them carefully)

In this task, we will ask you to make inferences about information presented in a tabular form.

We will show you a table. Using only the table and what you believe most people know about the world, you should write:

  1. One statement that is definitely true,
  2. One statement that may or may not be true, and
  3. One statement that is definitely false.

Things to keep in mind as you write these statements. The examples below expand on these points :

  • Avoid using information that you may know, if you believe that it is not generally known.
    • Don't use names of people or places not mentioned in the table for writing your statements. Also, don't refer to outside sources of information.
  • Write sentences which would require some inference instead of literally restating information from the tables.
    • Please avoid writing trivially false statements that simply contradict information in the table, or make minor changes to numerical values in the table.
  • Your sentences should be self-contained. That is, even if the table were to be removed from the page, your sentences should make sense.
  • Try to use information from different parts of the table in crafting your sentences.
  • Don't use subjective reasoning or using your personal opinion to create the "may be true" sentences.
  • Please write grammatically correct and complete sentences.

The table below and the following examples clarify the instructions.

New York Stock Exchange
Type Stock exchange
Location New York City, New York, U.S.
Founded May 17, 1792; 226 years ago (1792-05-17)
Owner Intercontinental Exchange
Key people
  • Jeffrey Sprecher (Chairman)
  • Betty Liu (Executive Vice Chairman)
  • Stacey Cunningham (President)
Currency United States dollar
No. of listings 2,400
Market cap US$23.2 trillion
Volume US$20.161 trillion (2011)
Indices
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average
  • S&P 500
  • NYSE Composite

 

  • Write one fact statement that is definitely true based on the information the table.
    Bad Examples Good Examples
    ✘ Avoid: NYSE was founded on May 17, 1792.
    Reason: While this is true, it literally restates information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: NYSE was founded in the summer of 1792.
    Reason:To show that this statement is true, one needs to infer that May is a summer month in New York.
    ✘ Avoid: The number of listings on NYSE is 2,400.
    Reason: While this is literally true, it literally restates information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: NYSE has fewer than 3,000 stocks listed.
    Reason: To show that this statement is true, one needs to undertsand that 2400 is less than 3000.
    ✘ Avoid: NYSE is located in NYC.
    Reason: While this is true, it literally restates information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: NYC has at least one stock exchange.
    Reason: This is true because based on information in the table, we know that at least NYSE is located in the city. Perhaps there are more, but the sentence is definitely true.
  • Write one statement that may or may not be true based on the information in the table.
    Bad Examples Good Examples
    ✘ Avoid: NYSE has the largest market cap in the US.
    Reason: NYSE has the largest market cap in the US.
    ✔ Preferred: Jeffrey Sprecher is the chairman of the intercontinental exchange.
    Reason: It is possible that the chairman of the organization is the chairman of the Intercontinental exchange (parent owner), but not necessarily.
    ✘ Avoid: NYSE has an office in Sweden.
    Reason: While this may or may not be true, it uses the name of a place not mentioned in the table.
    ✔ Preferred: NYSE has an office outside of NYC.
    Reason: This statement could be true or could be false. There is no information about other offices of NYSE.
    ✘ Avoid: Jeffrey Sprecher is a very good chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
    Reason: While this may be true, it expresses a subjective / personal opinion.
    ✔ Preferred: Betty Liu will succeed Jeffrey Sprecher as the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
    Reason: Sometimes a Vice Chairman succeeds the Chairman, but not necessarily.

  • Write one statement that is definitely false based on the information in the table. This is different from the "maybe correct" category above because this statement is definitely false.
  • Bad Examples Good Examples
    ✘ Avoid: The market cap of NYSE is 25 trillion dollars.
    Reason: While this is false, the sentence literally contradicting the information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: The market cap of NYSE is twice it’s 2011 volume.
    Reason: To show that this statement is false we need to use information from different rows of the table .
    ✘ Avoid: Jeffrey Sprecher and Betty Liu are the Vice-Chairman and Chairman of NYSE.
    Reason: While this is false, the sentence literally contradicts information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: Jeffrey Sprecher is below Betty Liu in the NYSE organization rankings.
    Reason: This statement is false one needs to know that a chairman outranks a vice chairman.
    ✘ Avoid: NYSE has no owner.
    Reason: While this is false, the sentence literally contradicts information from the table.
    ✔ Preferred: Intercontinental Exchange is owned by NYSE.
    Reason: This statement changes the ownership instead of simply negating information in the table.


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