The Argument Section on the LSAT requires a brain in critical thinking mode. This article by Magoosh outlines why it is such an important section. You must be able to...
The Argument Section on the LSAT requires a critically trained brain. Most importantly, you must be able to identify the author’s conclusion, or the point they are trying to make, as well as the evidence used to support that argument. In this article we will focus on the conclusion. Stay tuned for next week's tip on identifying the author's evidence, or premise.
A good strategy to making sure you understand the author’s conclusion is using what could be called the WHY TRICK.
Let’s consider this example:
Miley has to transfer to UCLA. She lost her spot at Harvard and her wife is moving to Los Angeles.
We have to understand two things: The point the author is making (the conclusion) and the evidence the author gives to support his argument (the author’s premise).
Let’s say we’ve decided that the conclusion of this argument is that 'Miley’s wife is moving to Los Angeles'. We can use the Why Trick to make sure we’ve identified the correct conclusions. Does the argument answer the question 'Why is Miley’s wife moving to Los Angeles?' No. This means we have not chosen the correct conclusion. Let’s try again. Let’s say we identify 'Miley has to transfer to UCLA' as the conclusion. When we ask 'Why does Miley have to transfer to UCLA?' The argument provides us with two answers. This means we have correctly identified the conclusion.
For more logical reasoning tips and tricks visit the LSATBlog here.