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General questions relating to LSAT Logical Reasoning.
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 tryingmyverybest
  • Posts: 3
  • Joined: Mar 13, 2021
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#87071
Hello!

I was wondering if there were any tricks to strengthen questions? I keep missing these and I'm not sure how to alter my approach. The course textbook gives only general guidelines.
 Robert Carroll
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
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  • Joined: Dec 06, 2013
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#87094
trying,

One reason why the course book gives general advice is because the method for strengthening an argument will depend in large part on what its conclusion is and why its premises fall short of its conclusion.

For some more specific information, consider the following:

The course book discusses how to strengthen arguments that involve causation. So if you identify that the author's argument involves cause and effect, use one of the 5 methods to strengthen those kinds of arguments:

Eliminate alternative causes
Show when the cause occurs, the effect occurs
Show when the cause does not occur, the effect does not occur
Eliminate the possibility that cause and effect are reversed
Support the data

Also keep in mind that ANY way an argument can be bad provides an opportunity to strengthen by eliminating its problems. In the PowerScore lessons dealing with Weaken and Flaw in the Reasoning questions, you learn about how arguments can go wrong. Identifying why arguments are bad helps with Strengthen questions; if you have a bad argument and a Strengthen question, you'd want to seek information that reduces or eliminates the flaws/weaknesses. Mistakes that can be made with Numbers and Percentages can be eliminated by recognizing what those mistakes are and seeking answers that make them less likely.

Always focus on the conclusion. Your task is to make that statement more likely with your answer. Anything that doesn't relate to the conclusion won't help.

Robert Carroll

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