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General questions relating to LSAT Logical Reasoning.
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 LanceAJ
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#109257
I’ve been trying to up my NA accuracy by eliminating three answer choices that the author does not have to agree with ( author must agree to be contender) based on the conclusion, then using the negation technique to see which of the contenders weakens the argument.
What is that part of language that we are negating in the answer choices? Phrasal Verbs? Sometimes I think it’s tricky in which part I should be negating.
Answer choices sometimes contain multiple elements.
 Adam Tyson
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#109504
I like to think of negation this way, LanceAJ: the negation of an answer choice is just another way of saying "this statement is not true." However you go about negating an answer choice when testing your contenders, as long as your chosen negation makes the answer false, you've done an okay job. That said, here are a couple examples showing more than one way to negate a statement:

Statement: These are the best options available
Negation 1: These are not the best options available
Negation 2: There's a better option available than these

Statement: Whenever I go hiking, I bring a poncho and a water bottle
Negation 1: Sometimes I go hiking without a poncho, or without a water bottle, or with neither
Negation 2: I don't always bring a poncho and water bottle when I go hiking
Negation 3: It's not true that whenever I go hiking I bring a poncho and a water bottle

Statement: Anchovy pizza is better than pepperoni pizza
Negation 1: Anchovy pizza is not better than pepperoni pizza
Negation 2: Pepperoni is at least as good as anchovy pizza

Statement: Only if the sky is blue can the sun shine brightly
Negation 1: The sun can shine brightly even if the sky is not blue
Negation 2: It's not only when the sky is blue that the sun can shine brightly
Negation 3: When the sun shines brightly, the sky doesn't have to be blue

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to negate an answer choice! The point is, the negation means that the answer as written was not true.

And beware of traps! Consider this statement: Some of the people working here are underpaid.

You cannot negate this by saying that some of the people working here are not underpaid, because that doesn't mean the first statement is false! It's possible that some are underpaid while others are not. To negate that "some" statement, you have to completely deny it by saying that NONE of the people working here are underpaid.

In short, negation just means that you need to make the answer false. An answer says that X is true? You say no, it's not true. When you're really confused about how to negate a confusing answer choice, start by just denying it, and see where that takes you.

Good luck, have fun with it!
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 childrenbarberry
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#109962
Your approach to negation sounds solid! To dive deeper into this technique, how do you determine which aspects of a statement to focus on when negating? For example, when faced with a statement that contains multiple elements, do you prioritize certain keywords or phrases based on the context of the argument?
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 Amber Thomas
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#110025
Hi Childrenbarberry!

Here are some examples of different compound statements, and how to navigate negating them!

AND STATEMENTS:
Take this statement for example: My mother and my father both enjoy blueberry pie.

This phrase has two components-- my mother likes blueberry pie, and my father likes blueberry pie. For us to effectively negate this phrase, we only need one of the components to be false. So, our potential negations could look like:

1. Either my mother or my father likes blueberry pie, but not both of them
2. Neither my mother nor my father like blueberry pie

OR STATEMENTS:
Take this statement for example: I will drink oolong tea or darjeeling tea.

This phrase also has two components-- I will drink one type of tea, or I will drink the other type of tea. however, since we are using "or," both of these components need to be false in order for the statement to be properly and fully negated. This would look like:

1. I will drink neither oolong tea or darjeeling tea.

I cannot drink either of the teas if the statement is to be effectively negated.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
Amber

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