Logical Reasoning - Question Stems/Answers Flashcards
LSAT question stems cover:
- Identify details of the stimulus
- Describe the structure of the argument
- strengthen or weaken the argument
- identify inferences, main points, and assumptions
- recognize errors of reasoning
- reconcile conflicts
- find arguments that are identical in structure
What are the 13 logical reasoning question types?
- Must be true/most supported
- Main point
- Point at issue/Point of agreement
- Assumption
- Justify the conclusion
- Strengthen/support
- Resolve the paradox
- Weaken
- Method of reasoning
- Flaw in the reasoning
- Parallel reasoning/parallel flaw
- Evaluate the argument
- Cannot be true
Define “Must Be True/Most Supported”
Asks you to identify the answer choice that is best proven by the information in the stimulus
“If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?”
“Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the passage?”
Define “Main Point”
Asks you to find the primary conclusion made by the author
“The main point of the argument is that”
Define “Assumption”
Asks to identify an assumption of the author’s argument.
“Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument above?”
Define “Point of Issue/Point of Agreement”
- Asks you to identify a point of contention between two speakers (these questions are exclusively two speaker stimulus)
“Jones and Smith disagree about whether”
- Asks you to identify a point of agreement between two speakers
(these questions are exclusively two speaker stimulus)
“Achelle’s and Hakim’s statements provide the most support for the claim that they agree about which one of the following?”
Define “Justify the Conclusion”
Asks you to supply a piece of information that, when added to the premises, proves the conclusion.
“Which one of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn?”
Define “Strengthen/Support”
Asks you to support the author’s argument or strengthens it in some way.
“Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?”
“Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the statement above?”
Define “Resolve the Paradox”
The stimulus contains a discrepancy or seeming contradiction. Asks you to identify choice that best resolves the situation.
“Which in the following, if true, would most effectively resolve the apparent paradox above?”
Define “Weaken”
Asks to attack or undermine the author’s argument.
“Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?”
Define “Method of Reasoning”
Asks to describe, in abstract, terms, the way in which the author made his or her argument.
“Which one of the following describes the technique of reasoning used above?”
Define “Flaw in the Reasoning”
Asks to describe, in abstract terms, the error of reasoning committed by the author.
“The reasoning in the mayor’s argument is flawed because this argument”
Define “Parallel Reasoning/Parallel Flaw”
Asks to identify the choice that contains reasoning most similar in structure to the reasoning presented in the stimulus.
“Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument above?”
Define “Evaluate the Argument”
Asks you to determine the logical validity of the argument.
“The answer to which one of the following questions would contribute most to an evaluation of the argument?”
Define “Cannot Be True”
Asks to identify cannot be true or is most weakened based on the information in stimulus.
“If the statements above are true, which one of the following cannot be true?”
Which question stems are proven the stimulus?
Must be true/most strongly supported
Main point
Point at issue/point of agreement
Method of reasoning
Flaw in the reasoning
Parallel reasoning/parallel flaw
Which question stems help the stimulus?
Assumptions
Justify the conclusion
Strengthen/support
Resolve the paradox
Which question stems hurt the stimulus?
Weaken
Which question stems disprove the stimulus?
Cannot be true
Family #1 - Prove: what are the rules?
The information in the stimulus is used to prove one of the answer choices correct.
- You must accept the stimulus information to prove that one of the answer choices must be true.
- 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.
Family #2 - Help: what are the rules?
There are errors of reasoning present, or leaps in logic, and you are asked to find an answer choice that closes the hole.
- The information on the stimulus is suspect. They are often reasoning errors present, and depending on the question, you will help shore up that argument in some way.
- The answer choices are accepted as given, even if they include “new” information. Your task is to determine which answer choice best meets the question posed in the stem.
Family #3 - Hurt: what are the rules?
You attack or hurt the argument
- The information in the stimulus is suspect. There are often reasoning errors present, and you will further weaken the argument in some way.
- The answer choices are accepted as given, even if they include “new” information. Your task is to determine which answer choice best attacks the argument in the stimulus.
Family #4 - Disprove: what are the rules?
Must use the information in the stimulus to prove that one of the answer choices cannot occur.
- 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.
- 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.
When a stimulus without a conclusion is presented on the LSAT, only three types of questions can be posed to you:
Must be true (most common)
Cannot be true
Resolve the paradox
