Provable Questions and Method Vocabulary

Flashcards defining the types, roles, comparisons, traps, and technical terminology of Provable Questions.

Provable Questions (Category)

A question category where the correct answer must be supported by the stimulus; prioritize what you can prove.

Provable Questions Language Preference

Favor defensible claims over unsupported extremes, except when a stronger claim is actually provable or matches the stimulus.

Conclusion (Provable Question)

A question type whose role is to identify the main point the author is trying to establish; the correct answer is a provable translation of the argument's main conclusion.

Inference

A question type whose role is to determine what necessarily follows from the information given; the correct answer is the statement you can prove definitely must be true.

Most Strongly Supported (MSS)

A question type whose role is to find the most well-supported claim even if it is not strictly entailed; the correct answer is the statement you can prove is very, very, very likely to be true.

Fill In

A question type whose role is to complete the author's thought in a provable way by developing a supported inference that finishes the sentence at the blank.

Controversy

A question type whose role is to identify an issue on which two speakers disagree; the correct answer is a claim you can prove the two speakers disagree about.

Agreement

A question type whose role is to identify a belief shared by both speakers; the correct answer is a claim you can prove the two speakers agree about.

Necessary Assumption (NA)

A question type whose role is to identify a requirement for the argument's conclusion to hold; the correct answer is a statement that must be true if the argument's conclusion is true.

Method

A question type whose role is to describe how an argument reasons or responds; the correct answer is a provable description of what happened in the stimulus.

Argument Part

A question type whose role is to identify the function of a quoted statement in the argument; the correct answer is a provable description of what the specified phrase is doing.

Classic Flaw

A question type whose role is to recognize the general reasoning error in an argument; the correct answer is a provable description of what the argument did wrong.

Loophole Flaw

A question type whose role is to recognize the argument-specific weakness it overlooked; the correct answer is a provable description of how the argument overlooked your Loophole.

Principle Conform

A question type whose role is to match a general rule with a specific illustration or vice versa.

Parallel Reasoning

A question type whose role is to match the stimulus's pattern of reasoning in a new subject; the correct answer is built around the same Skeleton as the stimulus.

Parallel Flaw

A question type whose role is to match the stimulus's particular reasoning mistake; the correct answer exhibits the same flaw as the stimulus.

Inference vs. MSS

Inference is necessarily true, whereas MSS can be very likely without being strictly entailed.

MSS vs. Strengthen

MSS asks what the stimulus supports; Strengthen asks what, if true, would help its argument.

Necessary vs. Sufficient Assumption

A Necessary Assumption must hold if the conclusion holds; a Sufficient Assumption, if accepted, makes the conclusion follow with certainty.

Conclusion vs. Argument Part

Conclusion asks for the argument's main point, while Argument Part asks what a particular phrase does.

Method vs. Classic Flaw

Method describes what happened; Classic Flaw describes what went wrong.

Classic Flaw vs. Loophole Flaw

Classic Flaw is a general reasoning error; Loophole Flaw is a stimulus-specific overlooked issue.

Controversy vs. Agreement

Controversy requires opposite beliefs; Agreement requires a shared belief.

Parallel Reasoning vs. Parallel Flaw

Parallel Reasoning matches the Skeleton; Parallel Flaw matches the reasoning error.

Principle Conform — Direction 1

Principle in stimulus → choose a specific answer-choice example embodying it.

Principle Conform — Direction 2

Example in stimulus → choose a general answer-choice principle supporting it.

Principle / Parallel — Provable Exception

These types prove a match, so strong language is not automatically disqualifying.

Fill In — Key Caution

A compelling recommendation is wrong if it is not supported by the supplied information.

Inference — Key Trap

Do not reject a necessarily true answer just because it seems basic or obvious.

Agreement — Key Trap

Do not confuse an agreement stem with a disagreement stem.

Necessary Assumption — Key Trap

Do not select a merely sufficient bridge when the question asks what must be assumed.

Method — Key Trap

A sophisticated-sounding description is wrong if that reasoning step never occurred.

qualify / qualified

Limit a claim, making it more defensible.

implicit premise

An assumption.

suggests its conclusion is incorrect

Claims the conclusion itself is false.

questions the adequacy of a conclusion

Argues that the conclusion has not been established.

phenomenon / phenomena

A thing / things or occurrence(s).

draws a distinction

Points out a difference.

an instance

A particular example.

refute

Argue against or disprove a claim.

appeals to

Relies on something for support.

purported

Claimed to be true, often with skepticism.

sole

Only one.

corresponding

Similar or matching in another situation.

disanalogous

Not similar in the relevant respect.

presuppose

Assume without establishing.

counterargument

A response opposing an argument.

inconsistent statements

Claims that cannot both be true.

proposition

A statement or claim.

supposed

Alleged or assumed, often skeptically.

treats an X as a Y

Handles X as though it were Y.

scope

The subject matter or range of a claim.