Notes: Loophole Check

Question 1

Weaken

Answer 1

1) Try to find dangling variables (see if concepts or parts of the argument have no relationship to one another)

2) Quip as clearly, concisely, and specifically as possible

3) When you CLIR, get your loophole and find the answer

Question 2

Argument Part

Answer 2

1) You can quip and CLIR as usual

2) Don’t be lazy and forget to look at the phrase and highlight / mark it off because seeing it in the stimulus will best show you how it functions

Question 3

Necessary Assumption

Answer 3

1) Quip and CLIR as usual

2) Negate your loophole, and that’s the answer

Question 4

Contradiction

Answer 4

1) When the question asks “Can best be used as evidence against” or “each of the following could be true EXCEPT” then it’s a contradiction

2) With contradiction, get your loophole and say “yes,” and if you get inferences, cross off those answer choices

Question 5

Inferences

Answer 5

1) CLIR and Quip per usual

2) Ensure that the answer is 100% correct, and if debating between close options, choose the answer with the most provable language

3) When you find the inference, ensure it’s specific to the question’s stimulus

Question 6

Classic Flaw

Answer 6

1) Better recognize the types of loopholes when they appear in the stimuli (the answer choices are contingent on them)

2) These questions would say things like “questionable technique employed” and “the reasoning in the argument / the reasoning above”

Question 7

Evaluate

Answer 7

1) Quip and CLIR with these questions

2) When you find your loophole, get to the crux and search for the answer choice that targets it

Question 8

Loophole Flaw

Answer 8

1) Quip and CLIR as usual

2) Know that the loophole flaw questions will say things like “overlooks the possibility that” or “takes for granted”

3) You have a loophole so find the right answer

Question 9

Conclusion

Answer 9

1) Continue to Quip and CLIR as usual

2) Don’t choose that answer that mirrors the language of the premises or other parts that aren’t the conclusion

3) Once you have the conclusion, translate it, and choose the closest approximation of the translation

Question 10

Resolution

Answer 10

1) Ensure that, before you go into the answer choice section, you have a generalized view of the resolution

2) You may not find your exact resolution, but know how the relationship between the variables plays a role in the resolution

3) Ask in the form of a “What if?” question

Question 11

Most Strongly Supported

Answer 11

1) Keep treating it like an inference, not even the LSAT discriminates between this and inferences

2) Don’t choose the “Crazy Nonsense” answers because they’ll look tempting but mean nothing

Question 12

Method

Answer 12

1) Quip and CLIR as usual

2) Don’t just discard the CLIR but use it as a guide to how you got to the answer

Question 13

Strengthen

Answer 13

1) When you Quip for strengthen, don’t just take the loophole and leave it there

2) Negate the loophole and convert it–have the opposite ready

Question 14

Controversy

Answer 14

1) Keep quipping and CLIRing as always, but be aware that sometimes the controversy is the NA of one of the speakers

Question 15

Sufficient Assumption

Answer 15

1) Whenever it asks “the conclusion above is properly drawn if” that’s SA question

2) “Conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?” is SA question

3) Find the loophole, and plug it to the furthest extreme (Ex: “What if it’s something else?” is plugged to “This is the only thing it could be”)

Question 16

Fill In

Answer 16

1) When you fill in, make sure the inference is specific to the question and not just a general principle

Question 17

Agreement

Answer 17

1) When you quip and CLIR, don’t just skip the controversy, step and go to “Well, they both said or didn’t say this, so it’s right”

2) Find the controversy and see if there’s an underlying NA that both speakers get behind with

Question 18

Principle Conform

Answer 18

1) Mimic the loophole–don’t just make a general inference

2) If it’s a principle stimulus, CLIR the answer choices to see what example mirrors it

3) If it’s an example stimulus, use the similar loophole or inference

Don’t think you can get away using variables

Question 19

Parallel Flaw

Answer 19

You don’t need to treat them the same as parallel reasoning–you just need to find the answer choice that has the same flaw

You have the loophole, so find the answer with that same issue

Question 20

Parallel Reasoning

Answer 20

1) Don’t automatically shoot to variables, see if you can do it off of a translation

2) When you make the skeleton, do the dull words AFTER the translation

3) If you have a super wordy stimulus, label them properly beginning with “1” and know that some of the words may be linked together through and/or statements