LSAT Reading Comprehension: Mastering Contextual Analysis Questions

Purpose in Context

Identifying why the author includes specific material at a certain point in a passage.

Why it Matters

Helps in tracking the author's argument and understanding how each element contributes to the overall message.

Common Purpose Roles

Common roles such as provide evidence, illustrate, define a term, set up contrast, concede, and state implications.

Function of a Paragraph

Determining what a whole paragraph contributes to the overall passage.

Purpose Job Examples

Provide evidence, clarify, define, set up contrast, or signal a shift.

Re-locate and Re-read

Review a sentence within its context by reading surrounding sentences for context.

Track Author’s Goal

Identify if the author is trying to prove, clarify, or respond to something.

Paragraph Function

Refers to the role a paragraph plays in the structure and argument of the passage.

Local Structure

Refers to the individual components within a passage that contribute to the overall argument.

Common Sentence Signals

Transition words that help identify purpose, such as 'however,' 'therefore,' or 'but.'

Purpose Prediction Language

Using phrases like 'This is here to…' to describe the role of a sentence.

Meaning in Context

What a word or phrase means within the specific context of the passage.

Common Context Clues

Ways to infer meaning, such as apposition, signal phrases, contrasts, and examples.

Bracket the Term

Encircling the term in question and reading the entire sentence for context.

Summary of Author's Intent

Summarizing the main point of a paragraph in a concise sentence.

Examples of Paragraph Roles

Diverse roles such as background information, presenting a claim, or acknowledging an objection.

Transition Words

Words that indicate a relationship between ideas, crucial for understanding structure.

Potential Weakness/Objection

Refers to paragraphs that introduce challenges to the previous claims.

Identifying Views

Understanding whose perspective is being presented in a paragraph.

Common Mistakes in Function Questions

Confusing topic with function or misattributing viewpoints to the author.

Shift from Claim to Evidence

A transition that often occurs in scientific or argumentative writing.

Qualifying a Claim

Acknowledging limitations to strengthen the thesis.

Analyzing Paragraph Openings

Observing the first sentence for indications of the paragraph's role.

Concession Paragraphs

Paragraphs that acknowledge an opposing view before refining the thesis.

Formulating Purpose Statements

Crafting concise statements that encapsulate the function of a paragraph.

Structural Signals

Indicators like 'However' or 'For example' that reveal the function of a paragraph.