Identify the Question Stem Drill Each of the following items contains a sample LSAT question stem. Based upon the discussion in Chapter 3 of the Logical Reasoning Bible, categorize each stem into one of the thirteen Logical Reasoning Question Types: Must Be True, Main Point, Point at Issue, Assumption, Justify the Conclusion, Strengthen, Resolve the Paradox, Weaken, Method of Reasoning, Flaw in the Reasoning, Parallel Reasoning, Evaluate the Argument, or Cannot be True. Refer to the Logical Reasoning Bible as needed. 1. Which of the following can properly be inferred from the statements above? Question Type: ____________________________ 2. Which of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument presented above? Question Type: ____________________________ 3. Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument above? Question Type: ____________________________ 4. Which one of the following, if assumed, would allow the writer’s conclusion to be properly drawn? Question Type: ____________________________ 5. The author of the editorial proceeds by Question Type: ____________________________ 6. The answer to which one of the following questions would be most helpful in evaluating the physician’s argument? Question Type: ____________________________ 7. If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be false? Question Type: ____________________________ 8. Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the politician’s conclusion? Question Type: ____________________________ 9. All of the following, if true, would help to resolve the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT Question Type: ____________________________ 10. Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the argument? 14 Question Type: ____________________________ 11. The argument above is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? Question Type: ____________________________ 12. If the statements above are true, all of the following must be true EXCEPT Question Type: ____________________________ 13. Which one of the following, if true, justifies the conclusion above? Question Type: ____________________________ 14. Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the argument presented in the editorial? Question Type: ____________________________ 15. The dialogue above supports the claim that Ned and Michelle disagree about which of the following issues? Question Type: ____________________________ Identify the Question Stem Drill Answer Key 1. Which of the following can properly be inferred from the statements above? Question Type: Must Be True On the LSAT, when an answer choice can be “properly inferred,” that means that it Must Be True. _________________________________________________________________________ 31 2. Which of the following arguments is most similar in its pattern of reasoning to the argument presented above? Question Type: Parallel Reasoning Here you are asked to find the choice which is “most similar” in its reasoning to the argument presented in the stimulus. Since the task here is to parallel the argumentative pattern presented, this is a Parallel Reasoning question. _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument above? Question Type: Assumption This question is fairly straightforward: when we are looking for an assumption required by the author’s conclusion, we are dealing with an Assumption question. _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Which one of the following, if assumed, would allow the writer’s conclusion to be properly drawn? Question Type: Justify the Conclusion In this case you are asked to find the answer choice which allows the conclusion to be “properly drawn” or fully justified—that is, the choice which, if true, will Justify the Conclusion. 5. The author of the editorial proceeds by Question Type: Method of Reasoning The question here asks how the author “proceeds,” or what method the author chooses to develop the argument presented, so this is a Method of Reasoning question. _________________________________________________________________________ 6. The answer to which one of the following questions would be most helpful in evaluating the physician’s argument? Question Type: Evaluate the Argument Here you are asked to choose the question which would be most helpful in evaluating an argument presented in the stimulus. From the wording of the question we can determine that this is an Evaluate the Argument question. _________________________________________________________________________ 7. If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be false? 32 Question Type: Cannot Be True The correct answer choice here “must be false,” which is the same as saying that it “cannot be true.” So among the five answer choices, the four wrong answer choices will fall under the category of “could be true” and only one answer choice will be provably false, based on the information provided in the stimulus. _________________________________________________________________________ 8. Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the politician’s conclusion? Question Type: Strengthen The phrase, “Which of the following, if true…” indicates that this question belongs to either the second or third question family. In this case, since we are looking for the answer choice which lends support, we are dealing with a Strengthen question. 9. All of the following, if true, would help to resolve the apparent discrepancy EXCEPT Question Type: Resolve the ParadoxX The use of the term “resolve” should alert you to the fact that your task will be to resolve the paradox. Since this is an EXCEPT question, every answer choice will provide resolution except for one. That is, the four incorrect answer choices will effectively resolve the discrepancy, and the correct answer choice will be the one which fails to do so. _________________________________________________________________________ 10. Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the argument? Question Type: Main Point Some questions are easier to classify than others. When a question requires you to find the main point of the argument presented, you will probably recognize it as a Main Point question. _________________________________________________________________________ 11. The argument above is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms? Question Type: Flaw in the Reasoning When a question stem describes an argument as being “vulnerable to criticism,” this means that the argument presented in the stimulus is not a perfect argument. Because you are charged with the task of finding the flaw, 33 this question type is Flaw in the Reasoning. _________________________________________________________________________ 12. If the statements above are true, all of the following must be true EXCEPT Question Type: Must Be True Except For Must questions, we generally need to find the answer choice which is confirmed by the stimulus. Since this is a Must Except question, that means that the four incorrect answer choices must be true, and can all be confirmed by the information in the stimulus. The one correct answer choice will be the only one that is not dictated to be true—the one which is not necessarily true. 13. Which one of the following, if true, justifies the conclusion above? Question Type: Justify the Conclusion This example is clearly recognizable as a Justify the Conclusion question stem, so the correct answer choice will allow complete confidence in the validity of the conclusion drawn by the author. _________________________________________________________________________ 14. Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously undermine the argument presented in the editorial? Question Type: Weaken Since this question stem begins with “Which of the following, if true…” we know that this question belongs to either the second or third family. Since the correct answer choice will in this case undermine the argument, this must be a Weaken question. _________________________________________________________________________ 15. The dialogue above supports the claim that Ned and Michelle disagree about which of the following issues? Question Type: Point at Issue This question stem is likely to follow a dialogue, and the phrase “disagree about” tells us that it is a Point at Issue question. To find the correct answer choice, which will reflect the point of contention between the speakers, we can apply the Agree/Disagree Test. www.cracklsat.net Resource Links LSAT Online Practice Tests: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/ LSAT Logical Reasoning Tests: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/logical-reasoning/ LSAT Analytical Reasoning Tests: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/analytical-reasoning/ LSAT Reading Comprehension Tests: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/reading-comprehension/ LSAT Preptest Explanations: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat-explanations/ LSAT Writing: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/writing/ LSAT Prep: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat/prep/ LSAT Downloads: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat-downloads/ LSAT Books: https://www.cracklsat.net/lsat-books/ Please visit https://www.cracklsat.net for more LSAT exam information and resource.
