Loophole Logical Reasoning Lecture Notes

Question-and-Answer flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on LSAT Logical Reasoning, including stimulus types, translation skills, argument structure, and power-player words.

What are the two core skills tested in LSAT Logical Reasoning?

Reading intently (paying attention to every word) and questioning the author’s claims (critical skepticism).

What are the three parts of every LR question?

The stimulus, the question stem, and the answer choices.

According to the Loophole approach, where is the answer to an LR question found?

In the stimulus, not in the answer choices.

Name the four main types of LR stimuli.

Arguments, premise sets, debates, and paradoxes.

Which stimulus type is most common on the LSAT?

Arguments.

What does the question stem tell you in LR?

What task the correct answer must accomplish (e.g., powerful vs. provable).

How are answer choices crafted on the LSAT?

To trick you; they fall along the powerful–provable spectrum, so you must read every word.

What is a "cluster sentence"?

A purposely convoluted sentence containing many complete thoughts linked by specifiers.

Why does the LSAT use cluster sentences?

To test your ability to decode complex language.

What is the first rule for dealing with difficult sentences on LR?

Stop giving up; engage and break them down piece by piece.

What are "specifiers" in a sentence?

Small connector words that glue bigger ideas to explanations (e.g., because, although, which).

What does a comma often indicate in LR reading?

A pause, and that material on either side may be an optional element.

Describe the "middle-out" technique.

If text between two commas can stand alone as a sentence, both outside pieces are optional; otherwise it is just a specifier clause.

What is the recommended translation practice for LR stimuli?

Cover the text after reading and restate it in your own words.

In the stimulus framework, what is the difference between a premise and a conclusion?

Premises are facts/evidence; conclusions are opinions drawn from them.

Define a premise set.

A stimulus containing non-contradictory premises with no conclusion.

Define a paradox stimulus.

A set of contradictory premises that do not seem to fit together.

What characterizes a debate stimulus?

Two speakers exchange, with at least one making an argument.

What is an inference in LR terms?

A valid conclusion you, the test-taker, derive from given premises.

How do valid and invalid conclusions differ?

Valid conclusions must be true based on premises; invalid ones are not proven and are vulnerable to loopholes.

What should you never attack when critiquing an argument?

The truth of the premises themselves; attack the relationships between premises and conclusion instead.

What is an intermediate conclusion?

A statement that is both supported by earlier premises and supports the main conclusion.

How can you recognize the main conclusion vs. an intermediate conclusion?

The main conclusion is not used to support anything else; the intermediate conclusion supports the main conclusion.

What is a nested claim?

A statement reporting someone else’s belief, which can act as a premise for the author’s argument.

Describe a hybrid argument.

A stimulus with only premises and a nested claim acting as the de facto conclusion, with no explicit author conclusion.

What are the four "power players" words?

Must, cannot, could, and not necessarily.

Why are "must" and "cannot" considered certainty words?

They claim 100% necessity or impossibility, carrying a heavy burden of proof.

What do "could" and "not necessarily" express?

Possibility—"could" means 1-100% likely; "not necessarily" means 0-99% likely.

How does content differ from power players in arguments?

Content is interchangeable; power players determine logical strength and vulnerability.

Why are certainty conclusions (must/cannot) often vulnerable?

Small gaps between premises allow reasonable loopholes to overturn the absolute claim.

What is the rule when there are no explicit certainty indicators in a sentence?

The sentence is assumed to claim certainty.

What is the key assumption when designing loopholes?

Anything reasonable can occur unless it directly contradicts the stated premises.

Can possibility premises on their own prove a certainty conclusion?

Almost never; such arguments are typically invalid.

Why is reviewing wrong answers considered crucial LSAT prep time?

Analyzing why they are wrong trains you to recognize LSAT tricks.

According to LR strategy, why must you read every word of every answer choice?

LSAT designs deceptive wrong answers that hinge on small wording differences.