Strengthen + Justify the Conclusion Questions

Strengthen question rules

1. stimulus will always contain an argument

2. focus on the specifics of the conclusion

3. information in the stimulus is suspect

4. yield strong prephases

5. answer choices are accepted as given

differences between strengthen vs justify vs assumption questions

in order of certainty: assumption, justify, and strengthen

strengthen

strengthen stem indicator

support

strengthen stem indicator

helps

strengthen stem indicator

most justifies

strengthen stem indicator

Which one of the following if true most strengthens the argument?

strengthen stem

Which one of the following if true most strongly supports the statement above?

strengthen stem

Which one of the following if true does most to justfiy the conclusion above?

strengthen stem

Which one of the following if valid most clearly helps to strengthen the argument above?

strengthen stem

how to strengthen an arguement

1. identify the conclusion

2. personalize the argument

3. look for weakness/logical gaps in the argument

4. answers that strengthen analogies or survey are typically correct

what answer choices are typically incorrect in a strengthen question?

1. opposite answers

2. shell game

3. out of scope answers

what does an advertisment in the lsat usually indicate

faulty or deceptive reasoning in the stimulus

how to solve causality and strengthen questions

A. Eliminate any alternate causes for the stated effect

B. Show that when the cause occurs so does the effect (example)

C. Show when cause does NOT occur neither does the effect (typically an example)

D. eliminate possibility of a reverse relationship

Premises + Answer Choice = Conclusion

Justify Formula

The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed

justify the conclusion stem

what are the three features justify the conclusion question stems typically have?

1. the stem uses if or another sufficient condition indicator

2. the stem uses the phrase “allows the conclusion to be properly drawn” or “enables the conclusion to be properly drawn”

3. does not lessen degree of justification (ex most justifies)

“The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?”

justify the conclusion stem

“Which one of the following if assumed would allow the conclusion to be properly drawn?

justify the conclusion stem

“Which one of the following if true enables the conclusion to be properly drawn?

justify the conclusion stem

“Which one of the following if assumed enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly inferred?

justify the conclusion stem

Which one of the following is an assumption that would serve to justify the conclusion above?

justify the conclusion stem

The conclusion cold be properly drawn if it were true that the…

justify the conclusion stem

The conclusion is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed?

justify the conclusion stem

Most justify stimuli either use

Conditional Reasoning or contain numbers and percentages

Mechanistic approach to justify questions

1. Any new element in the conclusion will appear in the correct answer

2. Elements that are common to the conclusion and at least one premises, normally do not appear in the correct answer

3. Elements that appear in the premises but not the conclusion are usually in the right answer

mechanistic approach rule

link new elements in the premises and conclusion and ignore elements common to both

cannot reliably determine becomes what distractor element

highly susceptible to inaccuracy

boycott becomes what distractor element

action

pretend to know the answer becomes what distractor element

trying to hide their ignorance

genuine creative genius becomes what distractor element

rare innovators

cautiously gathering and weighing the evidence becomes what distractor element

prudent

justify the conclusion fill in the blank questions

1. the blank is typically preceded by a premise indicator

2. statement that fill in the blank must be a premise that will confirm that conclusion