Logical Reasoning

Question 1

What are the types of non-assumption based logical reasoning questions?

Answer 1

Main point
Role of a statement
Method of argument
Point at issue
Parallel reasoning

Question 2

What are the types of assumption questions?

Answer 2

Important assumption
Strengthen/weaken
Flaw

Question 3

What are most common types of conclusions in the LSAT?

Answer 3

Predictions
Recommendations
Assertions
Comparisons
Conditional predictions, recommendations, or assertions
Value judgements

Question 4

What are common methods of argument?

Answer 4

Argument by analogy
Uses of examples- citation of specific cases to support a generalization
Use of counterexamples
Appeal to authority
Eliminating alternatives
Ad hominem attack
Means/requirement- stating that something is necessary for a desired result

Question 5

What are the four types of mismatched concepts arguments?

Answer 5

Equivalence
Mutually exclusive
Need evidence for conclusion
Representation (the sample is representative of the population)

Question 6

What are the types of overlooked possibilities arguments?

Answer 6

• Fails to consider other explanations, reasons, or outcomes based off of the evidence.
• Confuses sufficient and necessary terms.
• Does not consider potential advantages or disadvantages when making a recommendation.
• Assumes that something will occur just because it could occur.
• Author arrives at a claim of causation based on evidence that is only correlated.
• Prediction is based on an assumption that circumstances will or will not change.

Question 7

What is a sufficient assumption question?

Answer 7

It is a question that asks for an assumption which guarantees the validity of the conclusion.

Question 8

What is a necessary assumption question?

Answer 8

A question that asks for the assumption which is the bare minimum necessary for the conclusion to be true.

Question 9

How can you identify overlooked possibilities argument?

Answer 9

• The terms or concepts in the evidence are relate to the conclusion
• The conclusion reached is too strong or extreme based on the evidence
• The author has failed to consider all possible road blocks into consideration

Question 10

What is the strategy for tackling an overlooked possibilities argument?

Answer 10

• Focus on the conclusion
• Determine the roadblocks to that conclusion
• Understand the assumption in negative terms: the author is assuming that the roadblocks were not present, or did not happen

Question 11

What are examples of sufficient assumption question stems?

Answer 11

The critic’s conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

Which one of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion of the therapist’s argument to be properly inferred?

Question 12

What are some examples of necessary assumption question stems?

Answer 12

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the economist’s argument?

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

The argument depends on the assumption that

Question 13

A sufficient assumption is…

Answer 13

Enough to ensure the argument’s conclusion

Question 14

A necessary assumption is …

Answer 14

Enough to maintain that the conclusion is at least possible

Question 15

What is the best way to verify the correct answer to a necessary assumption question?

Answer 15

Negating correct the answer falsifies the conclusion

Question 16

What is a flaw question?

Answer 16

The correct answer to a flaw question describes the flaw in the author’s reasoning.

Question 17

What is true of strengthen and weaken questions?

Answer 17

They present a new piece of information that upends/supports the author’s assumption.

Question 18

What is the difference between mismatched concepts questions and overlook possibilities questions?

Answer 18

Mismatched concepts jump or shift in the types of concepts discussed where as overlooked possibilities jump or shift the scopes of concepts.

Question 19

What are flaw question keywords?

Answer 19

Flaw

Vulnerable to criticism

Question 20

What is the general phrasing for overlooked possibilities questions assumptions?

Answer 20

There are no other…

Question 21

What are common patterns and relationships in overlooked possibilities arguments?

Answer 21

No other explanation, reason, or outcome
Assuming that what is sufficient is actually necessary
Assuming that there are no overlooked advantages or disadvantages that impact a recommendation. Usually presented as either a list of only pros or only a list of cons
Assuming that something could occur, will occur
Assuming that correlation implies causation
Assumptions about circumstances (predictions)

Question 22

What are the three roadblocks of any causal argument?

Answer 22

No arc:
no Alternative cause
causation not Reversed
correlation not purely Coincidental

Question 23

What are the three types of principal questions?

Answer 23

Identify the principal or apply the principle or both

Question 24

What is a principal question?

Answer 24

Any question that I asked you to identify or apply a general rule.

Question 25

What does an identify the principal question answer look like?

Answer 25

They give specific stimulus and ask for a generalized principal and the answer choices

Question 26

What is the correct answer to an apply the principle question?

Answer 26

The opposite of an identify the principal answer. It is a statement that fits with in the principal outlined in the stimulus.

Question 27

What does the correct answer on an overlook possibilities necessary question look like?

Answer 27

Rules out at least one roadblock

Question 28

What are parallel reasoning and parallel flaw questions?

Answer 28

Parallel reasoning asks for an argument that makes the same sort of reasoning
Parallel flaw asks for an argument with the same sort of flaw

Question 28

What is the strategy for parallel reasoning questions?

Answer 28

First characterize the conclusion in the stimulus: is it a conditional statement an assertion, a prediction, a recommendation, a value judgment, or a comparison?
Eliminate answer choices with different conclusion types.

Question 29

What are uncommon conclusion types?

Answer 29

Value judgement

Conditional (assertion, recommendation, prediction)