Critical Reasoning

Question 1

Weaken

Answer 1

1. Identify premise and conclusion
2. Try to identify assumption or gap
3. Eliminate answers that do not attack the connection between p and c or the c itself.
4. Among the remaining, choose the answer that best adds distance or obstructs the connection between the p and c , or provides the strongest evidence supporting an alternative conclusion or different relationship between facts

Question 2

Assumption

Answer 2

1. Identify premise and conclusion
2. Try to identify assumption or gap
3. Eliminate answers that are not a presumed connection bt premise and conclusion
4. Choose the answer that best describes the “missing link” required to get from premise and the conclusion.
5. Can’t get past the two options? Try the negation test.

Question 3

Inference questions

Answer 3

Something that is not directly stated but that must be true based upon the passage.

Question 4

Strengthen

Answer 4

1. Identify premise and conclusion
2. Try to identify assumption or gap
3. Eliminate answers that do not improve the connection between p and c by shrinking the gap or strengthen c itself.
4. Among remaining, choose the answer that beat connects the premise to the conclusion and leaves the least possibility of an alternative conclusion or relationship between facts.