LR Question Types and How to Study for Them

Question 1

Must Be True Questions

If the Statements above are true, which of the following must be true?

Answer 1

Ask yourself, “Does this answer have to be true based on what I know from the passage?”

The correct answer is the one that’s easiest to prove based on the facts on the page. Sometimes the answer will just restate part of the passage.

Wrong answers will be different or extra.

Question 2

Supported Questions

Which of the following is most strongly supported by the information above?

Answer 2

Treat these like must be true questions

The correct answer is the one that’s easiest to prove based on the facts on the page. Sometimes the answer will just restate the passage.

Wrong answers will be different or extra.

Question 3

Conclusion Questions

Which of the following most accurately states the conclusion drawn in the argument?

Answer 3

Always predict the answer before proceeding to the answer choices.

Keywords like thus, so, and therefore can help, but don’t rely on them exclusively.

Some of what they have said is evidence. That evidence is meant to prove one of the other things they’ve said.

Ask yourself, what are they trying to prove?

Question 4

Reasoning

Which one of the following most accurately describes the method of reasoning used in this argument?

Answer 4

Treat it like must be true questions.

The correct answer is the only one that’s provable, based on the given statement.

Ask yourself, “ Does this answer describe something that happened in the passage?”

Question 5

Reasoning (Role Variant)

The claim that there is a crisis in journalism plays which one of the following roles in the critic’s argument?

Answer 5

Start with a simple prediction. Is it the conclusion? Is it evidence for the conclusion? Or is it something else?

Question 6

Flaw

Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument?

Answer 6

The correct answer will describe exactly what the argument is doing wrong. Do it in two steps:

1. ) Does this answer describe exactly what’s happening in the argument? (If you can’t prove they did it, there’s no need to go to step two.)
2. ) Is this a problem for the argument? (Does pointing this out put the argument in a bad spot?)

Question 7

Necessary Assumption

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

Answer 7

Ask yourself, “Which answer does the author have to agree with?”

Question 8

Disagree

The statements above provide the most support for holding that Mark and Simon disagree about whether…

Answer 8

Predict the answer. Then, focus on one person at a time:

1. ) Does Mark agree or disagree with answer A? Or is it unclear?
2. ) Does Simon agree or disagree with answer A? Or is it unclear?

We need a clear yes from one speaker and a clear no from the other. If one person agrees with an answer and the other person disagrees with that answer, then that answer is correct.

If they agree, or if one speaker is unclear, it’s wrong.

Question 9

Parallel

Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the reasoning in the argument above?

Answer 9

Start with a rough test of good vs. bad. If the argument is obviously flawed, the correct answer will be flawed in the same way. If the argument is valid, the correct answer will be valid in the same way.

Eliminate wrong answers as soon as they deviate from the given argument—you shouldn’t need to read every one of them all the way through to know they’re wrong.

Question 10

Parallel (Flaw variant)

Which one of the following exhibits the flawed reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning above?

Answer 10

Don’t look at the answers until you’ve spotted the flaw. Make a clear objection, then find the answer that’s susceptible to the same objection

Question 11

Strengthen

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument’s overall conclusion?

Answer 11

The correct answer provides new evidence that helps the argument.

“Offensive strengtheners” make forward progress toward the conclusion.

“Defensive strengtheners” protect the argument against attack—especially if you’ve identified a big problem while attacking the argument.

Question 12

Weaken

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Answer 12

The correct answer provides new evidence that makes the conclusion suspect.

Frequently, the correct answer will target a weakness you’ve already identified while attacking the argument.

Question 13

Sufficient Assumption

Which one of the following, if assumed, would justify the conclusion?

Answer 13

The correct answer bridges a gap in the argument to make the argument win—that is, it proves the conclusion correct.

Always predict it before looking at the answer choices.

Question 14

Paradox

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the apparent paradox above?

Answer 14

Identify the mystery before going into the answers. Get curious.

Ask yourself, “Why is one fact happening even though the other fact is happening?”

The correct answer will give you new evidence that provides a satisfying explanation for the mystery.

Question 15

Evaluate

Which one of the following would be most useful to know in order to evaluate the argument?

Answer 15

Ask yourself, “Which one will help me determine whether the argument is good or bad?”

Play with extremes. Pretend the answer to the question is 0 percent or 100 percent, never or always, noon or midnight. The one that makes a difference is correct.