LR: The 4 main question families

Question 1

Family #1: The Prove family

Answer 1

The first question family is based on the principle of using the information in the stimulus to prove that one of the answer choices must be true.

Contains questions types:

(1) Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
(2) Main Point
(3) Point at Issue/Point of Agreement
(9) Method of Reasoning
(10) Flaw in the Reasoning
(11) Parallel Reasoning/Parallel Flaw

Question 2

Family #2: The Help family

Answer 2

The second question family is based on the principle of assisting or helping the author’s argument or statement in some way, whether by revealing an assumption of the argument, by resolving a paradox, or in some other fashion.

Contains questions types:

(4) Assumption (Necessary Assumption)
(5) Justify the Conclusion (Sufficient Assumption)
(6) Strengthen/Support
(7) Resolve the Paradox

Question 3

Family #3: The Hurt family

Answer 3

The third question family consists of only one question type–Weaken. Accordingly, you are asked to attack the author’s argument.

Contains questions types:
(8) Weaken

Question 4

Family #4: The Disprove family

Answer 4

The fourth question family is based on the principle that you must use the information in the stimulus to prove that one of the answer choices cannot occur.

Contains questions types:
(13) Cannot Be True

Question 5

Family #1: The Prove family rules:

Answer 5

Stimulus—>Answer choices

1) You must accept the stimulus information–even if it contains an error of reason–and use it to prove that one of the answer choices must be true.
2) Any information in an answer choice that does not appear either directly in the stimulus, as a combination of items in the stimulus, or under the umbrella of a concept in the stimulus will be incorrect.

Question 6

Family #2: The Help family rules:

Answer 6

Stimulus

Question 7

Family #3: The Hurt family rules:

Answer 7

Stimulus

Question 8

Family #4: The Disprove family rules:

Answer 8

Stimulus–|–>Answer choices

1) You must accept the stimulus information–even if it contains an error of reasoning–and use it to prove that one of the answer choices cannot occur.
2) If an answer choice contains information that does not appear directly in the stimulus or as the result of a combination of items in the stimulus, then that answer choice could be true and it is incorrect. The correct answer choice will directly disagree with the stimulus or a consequence of the stimulus.

Question 9

When a stimulus without a conclusion is presented on the LSAT, only three types of questions can be posted to you:

Answer 9

1) Must Be True
2) Cannot Be True
3) Resolve the Paradox
- All other question types must be connected to stimuli with conclusions (unless a conclusion is added by the question stem, as sometimes occurs).