Logical Reasoning Ch 10

What are the question stem keywords for Conclusion questions?

Main Point, Main Conclusion.

What are you looking for in a Conclusion question?

A provable translation of the conclusion.

What is the role of the Loophole in Conclusion questions?

You already know the conclusion because you designed your Loophole.

What is the strategy for Conclusion questions?

Bracket/highlight the conclusion, translate it, repeat the translation to yourself, and find the translation in the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Conclusion questions?

Is this the translation of the conclusion?

What is the game plan for Conclusion questions?

The correct answer to a Conclusion question is the argument’s main conclusion. The question is always asking for the main conclusion in Conclusion questions, not an intermediate conclusion. Identify and bracket the main conclusion, translate it into your own words, and pick the answer closest to your translation, even if worded differently. Avoid inferences or premises.

What are common mistakes in Conclusion questions?

Picking provable inferences or premises instead of the conclusion’s translation, or rushing to save time, skipping bracketing, and missing the main conclusion.

What are the question stem keywords for Inference questions?

If the statement above is true/from the statements above, Must be true/follows logically, Inference, Properly inferred/properly be concluded/properly drawn.

What are you looking for in an Inference question?

The thing you can prove definitely must be true.

What is the role of the Inference in Inference questions?

It’s the correct answer.

What is the strategy for Inference questions?

Use the Inference from your CLIR and choose it from the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Inference questions?

Does this have to be true?

What is the game plan for Inference questions?

Select the CLIR Inference, which is often basic or a reworded premise/necessary assumption. Choose the answer proven 100% true, avoiding anything less certain.

What are the question stem keywords for Most Strongly Supported questions?

The statements above, if true/by the information above, Most strongly supported, Most strongly suggests.

What are you looking for in a Most Strongly Supported question?

The thing you can prove is very, very, very likely to be true.

What is the role of the Inference in Most Strongly Supported questions?

It’s more or less the correct answer.

What is the strategy for Most Strongly Supported questions?

Make an Inference and choose it or a slightly more ambitious approximation from the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Most Strongly Supported questions?

Does this pretty much have to be true?

How do Most Strongly Supported questions differ from Inference questions?

Inference answers must be 100% proven; MSS answers need to be 95–100% likely, reasonable in real life, but not wild or unreasonable.

What is the game plan for Most Strongly Supported questions?

Select the CLIR Inference or a slightly ambitious version, choosing the most provable answer that’s 95–100% likely. Avoid Crazy Nonsense and mixing up with Strengthen questions.

What is a common mistake in Most Strongly Supported questions?

Mixing up MSS with Strengthen questions due to the word “support.” MSS answers are more provable; double-check the question stem to avoid this.

What are the question stem keywords for Fill In questions?

Completes, Concludes, A blank at the end of the stimulus.

What are you looking for in a Fill In question?

The thing you can prove completes the author’s thought.

What is the role of the Inference in Fill In questions?

It’s the correct answer.

What is the strategy for Fill In questions?

Prepare an Inference and choose it from the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Fill In questions?

Does this have to be true?

What is the game plan for Fill In questions?

Treat the stimulus as a Premise Set, design a provable Inference to complete the last sentence, often an analogy, and select the simple, provable answer.

What is a common mistake in Fill In questions?

Ignoring correct answers because they seem too simple. Fill In answers are meant to be clear and provable; don’t overthink.

What are the question stem keywords for Controversy questions?

Point at issue, Point of disagreement, Disagree, Differing opinions.

What are you looking for in a Controversy question?

The thing you can prove the two speakers disagree about.

What is the role of the Controversy in Controversy questions?

It’s the correct answer.

What is the strategy for Controversy questions?

Prepare a Controversy and choose it from the answer choices. If not found, use the Back-Up Plan to find a provable disagreement.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Controversy questions?

Does the first speaker have to believe this is true or false? Does the second speaker have to believe this is true or false? (Choose if answers differ.)

What is the game plan for Controversy questions?

Select the CLIR Controversy. If not in answers, use the Back-Up Plan to find a provable disagreement, allowing for specific or general wording, often a necessary assumption.

What are the question stem keywords for Agreement questions?

Agree on, Point of agreement, Committed to agreeing.

What are you looking for in an Agreement question?

The thing you can prove the two speakers agree about.

What is the role of the Controversy in Agreement questions?

Agreement questions hate Controversies; anything resembling the Controversy is incorrect.

What is the strategy for Agreement questions?

Prepare a Controversy, eliminate answer choices resembling it, and find a provable shared belief in the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Agreement questions?

Does the first speaker have to believe this? Does the second speaker have to believe this? (Choose if answers are the same.)

What is the game plan for Agreement questions?

Find a provable shared belief, often a necessary assumption, not directly stated. Eliminate Controversy-like answers, underline “agree” in the stem, and avoid mistaking for Controversy.

What is a common mistake in Agreement questions?

Mistaking Agreement for Controversy due to similar stems (agree vs. disagree). Underline “agree” and repeat “what they agree on” to avoid this.

What are the question stem keywords for Necessary Assumption questions?

Necessary/depends/required/relies, Assumes/Assumption, The conclusion does not follow unless.

What are you looking for in a Necessary Assumption question?

The thing you can prove must be true if the conclusion is true.

What is the role of the Loophole in Necessary Assumption questions?

The correct answer is the negated version of the Loophole.

What is the strategy for Necessary Assumption questions?

Prepare a Loophole, negate it to get a necessary assumption, and find it in the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Necessary Assumption questions?

If the conclusion is true, does this have to be true?

What is the game plan for Necessary Assumption questions?

Negate the Loophole to find the necessary assumption. If not in answers, ask, “Does this have to be true?” for each choice, eliminating those that don’t.

What is a common mistake in Necessary Assumption questions?

Confusing Necessary Assumptions with Sufficient Assumptions, choosing an answer that’s too strong or not required.

What are the question stem keywords for Method questions?

Argument proceeds by, Argumentative technique, Method of reasoning, Strategy of argumentation, Responds by, Describes.

What are you looking for in a Method question?

A provable description of what happened in the stimulus.

What is the role of the Loophole or Controversy in Method questions?

Knowing what happened to design the Loophole or Controversy helps identify the correct answer, a fancy description of what happened.

What is the strategy for Method questions?

Design a Loophole or Controversy to understand what happened, then find an answer choice that describes it.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Method questions?

Did this happen?

What is the game plan for Method questions?

Use the Loophole or Controversy to understand the stimulus, reread to confirm how the argument reached its conclusion, and choose a provable description, memorizing method vocab to decode fancy language.

What are the challenges in Method questions?

Fancy, confusing language in answer choices. Memorize method vocab, translate answers clearly, and trust your memory of the stimulus to avoid tricks.

What are the question stem keywords for Argument Part questions?

Role in the argument, Functions in the argument, Argument part, The reference/the statement that, Quoting a phrase from the stimulus.

What are you looking for in an Argument Part question?

A provable description of what the phrase is doing in the argument.

What is the role of the Loophole in Argument Part questions?

You already know the argument part because you designed the Loophole.

What is the strategy for Argument Part questions?

Bracket the phrase mentioned in the question stem, identify its argument part before checking answers, and find an approximation of that role in the answer choices.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Argument Part questions?

Is this what the phrase is doing?

What is the game plan for Argument Part questions?

Bracket the quoted phrase, identify its role (e.g., premise, conclusion), and choose an answer matching that role, using method vocab for formal wording and checking for main vs. intermediate conclusions.

What does vexing answer language mean in Argument Part questions?

“It is used to call into question…” means evidence to challenge; “It is offered as support for…” means a premise or intermediate conclusion; “It functions as an analogue for…” means part of an analogy.

What are key tips for Argument Part questions?

Don’t skip bracketing the phrase, keep reasonable answers, note “for” as a premise indicator, distinguish main vs. intermediate conclusions, and avoid critiquing how the phrase should be used.

What are the two types of Flaw questions?

Classic Flaw (describes a general mistake) and Loophole Flaw (describes a stimulus-specific Loophole).

Why are Flaw questions important?

Flaw questions are the most common in Logical Reasoning, comprising up to 10% of the LSAT score, requiring understanding of both Classic and Loophole Flaw details.

What are the question stem keywords for Classic Flaw questions?

Flaw/flawed, Most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it, Questionable technique employed, The reasoning in the argument/the reasoning above.

What are you looking for in a Classic Flaw question?

A provable description of what the argument did wrong.

What is the role of the Loophole in Classic Flaw questions?

Classic flaws are fancy, predictable Loopholes; the correct answer is the classic flaw Loophole.

What is the strategy for Classic Flaw questions?

Prepare a Loophole, ideally around a classic flaw, and find an answer choice that describes this classic flaw.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Classic Flaw questions?

Is this what’s wrong with the argument?

What is the game plan for Classic Flaw questions?

Identify the Loophole, ideally a classic flaw, and choose its description. If no classic flaw, the Loophole may match a Loophole Flaw answer. Use patterns to decode tricky wording.

What are the question stem keywords for Loophole Flaw questions?

Most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it + Loophole Flaw Prefix (Mistakenly assumes, Fails to consider/establish, Presumes without providing sufficient justification, Takes for granted, Overlooks the possibility that).

What are you looking for in a Loophole Flaw question?

A provable description of how the argument overlooked your Loophole.

What is the role of the Loophole in Loophole Flaw questions?

The correct answer calls the argument out for ignoring your Loophole.

What is the strategy for Loophole Flaw questions?

Prepare a Loophole and find an answer choice that calls out the argument for assuming the Loophole isn’t a factor.

What is the Back-Up Plan for Loophole Flaw questions?

Was it bad that the argument overlooked this?

What is the game plan for Loophole Flaw questions?

Identify the Loophole and choose an answer with a Loophole Flaw Prefix that mentions stimulus-specific details, avoiding reasonable assumptions.