LSAT Question Stems Flashcards
Weaken Question Stem Example
- Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
- Which of the following, if true, tends to most undermine the argument?
Weaken Back-Up Plan
Does this answer choice make the conclusion less like to be true?
-If yes, choose it
What are you looking for in a Weaken question?
The most powerful thing you can find to destroy the arguments conclusion(your loophole).
Strengthen Question Stem Examples
- Which of the following, if true, most helps to strengthen the argument?
- Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports the reasoning above?
Strengthen Back-Up Plan
Does this make the conclusion more likely to be true?
-If yes, choose it
The most powerful thing you can find to help the argument’s conclusion
What you’re looking for in a Strengthen question?
- The conclusion drawn above follows logically if which of the following is assumed?
- The argument’s conclusion can be properly drawn if which of the following is assumed?
Sufficient Assumption Question Stem Examples
If this is true, is the argument 100% completely valid?
Sufficient Assumption Back-Up Plan
The most powerful thing you can find to prove the conclusion is 100% valid.
What you’re looking for in a sufficient assumption question?
- Which one of the following, if true, is the strongest counter Laila can make to Timothys objection?
Counter Question Stem Example
Is this something the first speaker would say and does it hurt the second speakers argument?
Counter Back-Up Plan
What you’re looking for in a Counter question?
The most powerful thing the first speaker could say to destroy the second speaker’s argument
- If the statements above are true, then on the basis of them, which one of the following cannot be true?
- If the statements above are true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT:
- The information above, if accurate, can best be used as evidence against which one of the following hyptothesis?
Contradiction Question Stem Example
Does this directly contradict the stimulus?
Contradiction Back-Up Plan
The thing that contradicts literal words from the stimulus
What you’re looking for in a Contradiction question?
- Which one of the following would it be most helpful to know in order to:
- The answer to which one of the following would be most helpful in determining whether:
- The answer the which of the following questions is most relevant to evaluating the conclusion drawn above?
Evaluate Question Stem Examples
Is this crucial for the argument’s validity?
Evaluate Back-Up Plan
A powerful pop-quiz for the arguments validity
What you’re looking for in a evaluate question?
- Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain the surprising result?
- Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the discrepancy above?
- Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox?
Resolution Question Stem Examples
Does this make the paradox make sense?
-If yes, choose it
Resolution Back-Up Plan
The most powerful thing you can find to make the paradox make sense
What you’re looking for in a Resolution Question?
- Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?
- Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn?
Conclusion Question Stem Examples
Is this a translation of the conclusion?
Conclusion Back-Up Plan
A provable translation of the conclusion
What you’re looking for in a conclusion question?
- If the statement above is true, which one of the following must also be true?
- Which one of the following statements follows logically from the statements above?
- Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above?
Inference Question Stem Examples
Does this have to be true? Is this your inference?
Inference Back up Plan
The thing you can prove definitely must be true
What you’re looking for in an inference question?
- Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above?
- The statements above, if true, support which one of the following?
- The information above provides the most support for which one of the following statements?
Most Strongly Supported Question Stem Examples
Does this pretty much have to be true?
Most Strongly Supported Back-Up Plan
The thing you can prove is very, very likely to be true.
What you’re looking for in a Most Strongly Supported Question?
- Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?
- The conclusion of the argument is strongly supported if which one of the following completes the argument?
Fill In Question Stem Examples
Does this have to be true?
Fill In Back-Up Plan
The thing you can prove completes the authors thoughts. Your inference
What you’re looking for in a Fill In question?
- Max and John disagree over whether:
- The statements above provide the most support for holding that Max would disagree with John about which statement?
- Which one of the following is the point at issue between Max and John?
Controversy Question Stem Examples
Does this first speaker have to believe this is true/false? Does the second speaker have to believe this is true/false?
-If you get different answers to each question, choose it.
Controversy Back Up Plan
The thing you can prove the two speakers disagree about. The Controversy
What you’re looking for in a Controversy Question
- The argument assumes which of the following?
- Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
- The argument depends on assuming that:
Necessary Assumption Question Stem Example
If the conclusion is true, does this have to be true?
Necessary Assumption Back-Up Plan
The thing you can prove must be true, if the conclusion is true.
What you’re looking for in a Necessary Assumption Question?
- Which one of the following most accurately describes how the argument proceeds?
- Of the following, which one most accurately describes Tom’s strategy of argumentation?
- Wendell responds to John’s argument by:
Method Question Stem Examples
Did this happen?
Method Back-Up Plan
A provable description of what happened in the stimulus
What you’re looking for in a Method question?
- The reference to the complain of several centuries ago that powerful memory and eloquence were being destroyed plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
- The statement that law should require explicit safety labels on toys serves which one of the following functions in the consumer advocate’s argument?
Argument Part Question Stem Examples
Is this what the phrase is doing?
Argument Part Back-Up Plan
A provable description of what the phrase is doing in the argument.
What are you looking for in Argument Part Questions?
- The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument:
- Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the reasoning of the argument?
Classic Flaw Question Stem Examples
Is this whats wrong with the argument?
-If yes, choose it
Classic Flaw Back-Up Plan
A provable description of what the argument did wrong
What you’re looking for in Classic Flaw questions?
- The scholar’s reasoning is flawed because the scholar presumes without giving sufficient justification that:
- The reasoning in the researchers argument is questionable in that the argument overlooks the
possibility that: - The advertisement’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider whether:
Loophole Flaw Question Stem Examples
Was it bad that the argument overlooked this?
-If yes, choose it
Loophole Flaw Back Up Plan
A provable description of how the argument overlooked your loophole
What you’re looking for in a Loophole Flaw question?
- Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated above?
- Which one of the following propositions is best illustrated by the situation described in the passage?
- The reasoning above conforms most closely to which one of the follow propositions?
Principle Conform Question Stem Examples
Does this embody the principle or underlie the example?
Principle Conform Back up Plan
Matching example or matching principle
What you’re looking for in Principle Conform questions
- The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning above?
- The pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which of the following?
Principle Conform Question Stem Examples
Does this match the stimulus?
-If yes, choose it
Principle Conform Back-up Plan
The answer thats built around the same skeleton as the stimulus
What you’re looking for in Principle Conform Questions
- Which of the following arguments exhibits flawed reasoning that is most parallel to that in the argument above?
Parallel Flaw Question Stem Example
Does this match the flaw in the stimulus?
Parallel Flaw Back-Up plan
The answer choice that exhibits the same flaw as the stimulus
What you’re looking for in Parallel Flaw questions