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Quiz Instructions: Identify and bracket premises and conclusions for the following arguments.

When you reveal the answers, conclusions are in this color, premises are in this color.

Question 1


Answer

Question 2


Answer

Question 3


Answer

Question 4


Answer

Question 5


Answer


310 comments

The next three lessons are a little more advanced.

For, since, because

People get confused by these three words, but they are not that confusing.  They introduce both premises and conclusions.  We’ll see how they operate.

Sub-conclusion/major premise

Sometimes arguments get a little complicated and there is more than one conclusion.   But only one of them is the main conclusion and the rest are just sub-conclusions, otherwise known as major premises.  We’ll see some examples of these.

Context v. argument

It’s always helpful to figure out what the context or background information is versus what the author’s argument is.  Sometimes context is just background information.  Sometimes context is actually some other person’s argument.  If it is someone else’s argument, you also have to figure out what the premises and conclusions are in the other person’s argument.


60 comments

Recall this argument.  Previously, this is how we labeled it:

Premise 1: All dogs are adorable.
Premise 2: Fluffers is a dog.
Conclusion: Therefore, Fluffers is adorable.

Let's add in two more statements to complicate matters a bit.

  1. All dogs are adorable.
  2. Fluffers is a dog.
  3. Therefore, Fluffers is adorable.
  4. All adorable things are cute.
  5. Fluffers is cute.

Now, the argument continues from statement (3).  We know Fluffers is adorable.  But, now we also know that all adorable things are cute.  So, Fluffers is cute.

What’s happening is that statements (3) and (4) are supporting statement (5).  Why should I believe Fluffers is cute?  Because Fluffers is adorable and all adorable things are cute.

Statement (3) is no longer just a conclusion.  Sure, it still receives support from statements (1) and (2) but now it also gives support to statement (5).  We call a statement which receives and gives support a sub-conclusion/intermediate conclusion/major premise.  Along with statement (4), another major premise, the main conclusion/major conclusion/main point/statement (5) is supported.

That's all this is.  Fundamentally, we are still relying on the idea of support.  The only difference is how many layers down the support goes.


225 comments

These three words give students a lot of trouble.  They play a vital role in determining what the premise is, what the conclusion is, and therefore what the argument is.  But, for some reason they seem to trip students up.  There’s no reason for that because they are really easy to understand.

For, since, and because all introduce premises.  So, you might be thinking then how are they different from the other premise indicators like “after all” or “on the grounds that?”  It's because they always appear in sentences where the conclusion is also a part of the sentence.  That’s the difference.  That's what trips people up.  We're used to premises and conclusions being separate sentences.  But, you just have to remember that these three words are locked in to introduce premises and you’ll always find the conclusion in the same sentence.  Either it’ll appear before the indicator word, or it’ll appear after the premise.

Let’s look at some sample sentences to clarify.

I am hungry for I haven’t eaten all day.
I am hungry since I haven’t eaten all day.
I am hungry because I haven’t eaten all day.

These sentences also happen to be arguments.

The premise is “I haven’t eaten all day.”  The conclusion is “I am hungry.” Why should we believe that I am hungry?  Because I haven’t eaten all day.  It’s an argument.

Grammatically it also makes sense to state the conclusion at the end of the sentence.

For I haven’t eaten all day, I am hungry.
Since I haven’t eaten all day, I am hungry.
Because I haven’t eaten all day, I am hungry.

The argument doesn’t change.  The premise is the same.  It’s still locked in after the “for, since, because.”  The conclusion now drops in after the premise.


127 comments

(Thanks for pointing out the "empolyees" typo! It's on our to-do list to fix.)

It’s very important to be able to tell when context ends and when argument begins. Often, in Logical Reasoning questions, the passage will throw a lot of fluff at you.  I call it "fluff" because it just situates you before the author delivers his argument.

For example, we’re talking about environmental issues as it pertains to the auto industry. Okay, got it.  So, what's your argument?  That electric cars will save us?  Or is it that mass transportation is really the only solution for metropolitan areas of the future?

Sometimes, the "fluff" will be other people’s argument.  The author first reports to you that most auto industry experts believe that electric cars are the future.  But, the author will tell you in his argument that he disagrees.  He's going to offer a response to the other people’s argument.  You have to be able to tell the two apart.

So, context can be background information or other people’s argument.  Let’s look at these two types of context in turn and the words or phrases that indicate their presence.

"But," "although," "however"

These words typically indicate a turn away from context - we’re now switching from contextual information, background information - into argument.

Consider this example.

All Jedi are powerful.  However, Tom, who is not a Jedi, is powerful.  Therefore, one does not have to be a Jedi to be powerful.

"However" is introducing the turn. “All Jedi are powerful.” Okay, so what? It’s just context.  The author doesn’t actually care if you believe it.  He just wants you to believe his conclusion that you don’t have to be a Jedi to be powerful.  And why should you believe him?  Well, because look at Tom.  He is not a Jedi, but he is powerful.

So what does “All Jedi are powerful” have to do with the argument?  Nothing really.  How strongly the premise supports the conclusion has nothing to do with this contextual statement.  Sure, it shares the same words, “Jedi” and “powerful,” but it’s got nothing to do with the argument.  It’s just context.

"But," "although," "however" indicate a turn.  It’s the author saying “Now, listen up.  Now, I'm going to say something important.  Now, this is what I care about persuading you of. "

"Some people say"

This phrase (and its variations) are a common way for Logical Reasoning passages to begin. This phrase always introduces someone else’s argument.

Consider this example.

Some managers believe that the best way to incentivize employees to work harder is to intimidate them.  But, employees who are intimidated cannot concentrate on their work.  Therefore, there is probably a better way to incentivize employees to work harder.

In this example, the variation we see on the phrase "some people say" is "some managers believe." What do the managers believe?  That "the best way to incentivize employees to work harder is to intimidate them."  Okay, but that's simply the author reporting to you what some people believe. This is not a part of the author’s argument. The author’s argument begins with “but.”  With that word, he's signaling to us that now he wants us to pay attention to what he has to say.

First, he wants us to believe that employees who are intimidated cannot concentrate on their work.  From that, he really wants us to believe that there is probably a better way to incentivize employees to work harder.  That’s his argument. The stuff above is just context, someone else's position.

Remember to ask yourself where the background information ends.  Where does other people’s argument end?  Where does our argument begin?

Highlighted student discussion

7Sager RaeD4512 asked, "I know that especially in LR it is important to have a good grasp of the argument, but does that mean you can put the context out of your mind?"

7Sager Accounts Playable responded, "I’d say no. The LSAC writers are very particular with their language when they write questions, so literally every word on the exam has been picked apart by the test writers. Sure, sometimes the context doesn’t end up mattering, but I think it is impossible for a test taker to know if the context actually matters until after the question has been answered, which makes it a moot point. Also, some questions don’t contain arguments (this is the case for many most strongly supported questions and must be true/false questions), so context is the entire passage, meaning that the correct answer is context dependent. Lastly, the questions that do have arguments often use referential phrasing to refer back to things that were originally context (this is especially more common on the more recent exams). In these situations, context is essential for fully understanding the argument as a whole."

7Sager GSU Hopeful added, "A lot of time, the premise, conclusion and esp the answer choices will reference the context. I would notate what it is and just keep it in the back of your mind."


237 comments

Print This

Quiz Instructions: Identify and bracket premises and conclusions for the following arguments.

When you reveal the answers, conclusions are in this color, premises are in this color.

Question 1


Answer

Question 2


Answer

Question 3


Answer

Question 4


Answer

Question 5


Answer


891 comments

Print This

Quiz Instructions: Identify and bracket premises and conclusions for the following arguments.

When you reveal the answers, conclusions are in this color, premises are in this color.

Question 1


Answer

Question 2


Answer

Question 3


Answer

Question 4


Answer

Question 5


Answer


259 comments

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