100% CORRECT WELL DETAILED
Flaw Mode of Analysis Pt. I - ANSWER When you have assumption style answer choices,
apply the V-P-C analysis. This means you're matching the verb, premise, and conclusion with
the answer choice and seeing if it's really taking place in the answer choice.
What's the most important consideration for a Necessary Assumption Question? -
ANSWER Strength of language is questionable; you almost always want to eliminate
absolute claims.
Often times, correct answer choices are minimums; i.e. "at least some," "one or more,"
"some," "some or all," etc.
What's the most important consideration for a Sufficient Assumption question? -
ANSWER Strength of language is positive; you almost always want a strong answer
choice that guarantees the conclusion's truth.
Think of each answer choice as a trigger that you are pulling. Does pulling that trigger make the
conclusion true? If so, it is the correct answer.
What's the most important consideration for a Must Be True question? -
ANSWER Diagramming is the best way to answer Must Be True questions. These virtually
always involve conditional reasoning in some way, so sketching out the conditional
relationships and flow is an excellent way to determine necessary conditions.
What's the most important consideration for a Most Strongly Supported question? -
ANSWER Remembering that the bar for correctness is NOT absoluteness.
Unlike Must Be True questions, these questions are more suggestive. Still, you have to do your
best to find some significant degree of support. While total provability is not needed, you do
want an answer choice that is very close to it.
,What's the most important consideration for a Resolve the Paradox question? -
ANSWER The correct answer choice has to be active, not passive. Even when the answer
is a fact, look for the action within the fact. Ensure the action resolves.
What's the most important consideration for a Principle Support question? -
ANSWER Think of the correct answer choice as a glove; think of the conclusion as your
hand. It has to fit well.
What makes the glove too tight? Usually too much specificity and strength of language
(absoluteness).
What makes the glove too loose? Too much abstraction, too broad, straying from conclusion.
What's the most important consideration for an Apply the Principle question? -
ANSWER Conditionality.
If principle says if X happens, Y should happen but the application OR answer choice says Y
should not happen, pay attention to conditionality.
For example, an answer choice may display mistaken reversal in saying X did not happen. That
alone does not mean Y should not happen, though.
What's the most important consideration for a Weaken question? - ANSWER Alternative
explanations.
The argument may say something is the case because of X. What if it is the case because of Y
instead? A correct answer choice may indicate this. Think, "If it's the case that it is Y, does this
weaken the argument?"
What's the most important consideration for a Strengthen question? - ANSWER What
corroborates the argument or makes it more likely?
,A correct answer choice may pose a conditional statement. This is akin to saying, "If it's the case
that..."
What are the three most important considerations for the LR section? -
ANSWER Conclusions, strength of language, and conditionality.
What's the most important consideration for Flaw questions? - ANSWER Being cognizant
of all "cookie cutter" flaws (and the fact they can be mentioned in abstract language) AND an
ability to match the verb, premise, and conclusion of the answer choice with the stimulus.
What's the most important consideration for Role in Argument questions? -
ANSWER Argument structure and flow. First, you must be able to identify the conclusion.
Then you must understand relationships between premises and any potential intermediate
conclusions. Use the therefore test to determine what flows into what.
Remember that direct support means that, in a chain of A --> B --> C (with A being a premise, B
being an intermediate conclusion, and C being a main conclusion), A provides direct support
for B, but not C. A provides indirect support for C.
What's a useful way to answer Resolve the Paradox question? - ANSWER Ask, "If it's the
case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if the action within the answer
choice guarantees the truth of the argument's claim.
What's a useful way to answer a Necessary Assumption question? - ANSWER Ask, "If this
isn't true, can the argument still be true?"
What's a useful way to answer a Sufficient Assumption question? - ANSWER Ask, "If it's
the case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if the truth of the answer choice
guarantees the truth of the argument's conclusion.
, What's the most important consideration for a Disagree question? - ANSWER Identify
the overlap. What claims are the authors making? What claims are addressed or unaddressed
by the other party?
Remember that claims can be indirectly addressed due to implication; be keen on this.
What's the most important consideration for an Agree question? - ANSWER Identify the
overlap. What claims are the authors making? What claims are addressed or unaddressed by
the other party?
Eliminate the points that they disagree over.
What's the most important consideration for a Justify the Conclusion question? -
ANSWER Similar to Principle Support, think of the correct answer as a glove that fits the
hand (conclusion). It cannot be too tight (strong language, overly specific) or too loose
(abstract, strays from conclusion).
Ask, "If it's the case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if it guarantees the
truth of the conclusion.
What's the most important consideration for a Parallel Flaw question? - ANSWER First, is
the answer choice flawed?
Second, does it share the type of flaw?
For stimuli with conditional reasoning, diagram both the stimulus and the answer choice.
What's the most important consideration for a Parallel question? - ANSWER Does the
answer choice share the same style of reasoning?
Flaw Mode of Analysis Pt. I - ANSWER When you have assumption style answer choices,
apply the V-P-C analysis. This means you're matching the verb, premise, and conclusion with
the answer choice and seeing if it's really taking place in the answer choice.
What's the most important consideration for a Necessary Assumption Question? -
ANSWER Strength of language is questionable; you almost always want to eliminate
absolute claims.
Often times, correct answer choices are minimums; i.e. "at least some," "one or more,"
"some," "some or all," etc.
What's the most important consideration for a Sufficient Assumption question? -
ANSWER Strength of language is positive; you almost always want a strong answer
choice that guarantees the conclusion's truth.
Think of each answer choice as a trigger that you are pulling. Does pulling that trigger make the
conclusion true? If so, it is the correct answer.
What's the most important consideration for a Must Be True question? -
ANSWER Diagramming is the best way to answer Must Be True questions. These virtually
always involve conditional reasoning in some way, so sketching out the conditional
relationships and flow is an excellent way to determine necessary conditions.
What's the most important consideration for a Most Strongly Supported question? -
ANSWER Remembering that the bar for correctness is NOT absoluteness.
Unlike Must Be True questions, these questions are more suggestive. Still, you have to do your
best to find some significant degree of support. While total provability is not needed, you do
want an answer choice that is very close to it.
,What's the most important consideration for a Resolve the Paradox question? -
ANSWER The correct answer choice has to be active, not passive. Even when the answer
is a fact, look for the action within the fact. Ensure the action resolves.
What's the most important consideration for a Principle Support question? -
ANSWER Think of the correct answer choice as a glove; think of the conclusion as your
hand. It has to fit well.
What makes the glove too tight? Usually too much specificity and strength of language
(absoluteness).
What makes the glove too loose? Too much abstraction, too broad, straying from conclusion.
What's the most important consideration for an Apply the Principle question? -
ANSWER Conditionality.
If principle says if X happens, Y should happen but the application OR answer choice says Y
should not happen, pay attention to conditionality.
For example, an answer choice may display mistaken reversal in saying X did not happen. That
alone does not mean Y should not happen, though.
What's the most important consideration for a Weaken question? - ANSWER Alternative
explanations.
The argument may say something is the case because of X. What if it is the case because of Y
instead? A correct answer choice may indicate this. Think, "If it's the case that it is Y, does this
weaken the argument?"
What's the most important consideration for a Strengthen question? - ANSWER What
corroborates the argument or makes it more likely?
,A correct answer choice may pose a conditional statement. This is akin to saying, "If it's the case
that..."
What are the three most important considerations for the LR section? -
ANSWER Conclusions, strength of language, and conditionality.
What's the most important consideration for Flaw questions? - ANSWER Being cognizant
of all "cookie cutter" flaws (and the fact they can be mentioned in abstract language) AND an
ability to match the verb, premise, and conclusion of the answer choice with the stimulus.
What's the most important consideration for Role in Argument questions? -
ANSWER Argument structure and flow. First, you must be able to identify the conclusion.
Then you must understand relationships between premises and any potential intermediate
conclusions. Use the therefore test to determine what flows into what.
Remember that direct support means that, in a chain of A --> B --> C (with A being a premise, B
being an intermediate conclusion, and C being a main conclusion), A provides direct support
for B, but not C. A provides indirect support for C.
What's a useful way to answer Resolve the Paradox question? - ANSWER Ask, "If it's the
case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if the action within the answer
choice guarantees the truth of the argument's claim.
What's a useful way to answer a Necessary Assumption question? - ANSWER Ask, "If this
isn't true, can the argument still be true?"
What's a useful way to answer a Sufficient Assumption question? - ANSWER Ask, "If it's
the case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if the truth of the answer choice
guarantees the truth of the argument's conclusion.
, What's the most important consideration for a Disagree question? - ANSWER Identify
the overlap. What claims are the authors making? What claims are addressed or unaddressed
by the other party?
Remember that claims can be indirectly addressed due to implication; be keen on this.
What's the most important consideration for an Agree question? - ANSWER Identify the
overlap. What claims are the authors making? What claims are addressed or unaddressed by
the other party?
Eliminate the points that they disagree over.
What's the most important consideration for a Justify the Conclusion question? -
ANSWER Similar to Principle Support, think of the correct answer as a glove that fits the
hand (conclusion). It cannot be too tight (strong language, overly specific) or too loose
(abstract, strays from conclusion).
Ask, "If it's the case that..." followed by the answer choice and determine if it guarantees the
truth of the conclusion.
What's the most important consideration for a Parallel Flaw question? - ANSWER First, is
the answer choice flawed?
Second, does it share the type of flaw?
For stimuli with conditional reasoning, diagram both the stimulus and the answer choice.
What's the most important consideration for a Parallel question? - ANSWER Does the
answer choice share the same style of reasoning?
