You all talking about the grammatical challenge of using "their" instead of "her", and how it's women's turn now, just stop it! Why care about it. His or her???... the author can be a he or a she. Perhaps the person writing this is a female and that's her default method of writing, as mine is to use "his" in this context.
The use of “they” in this context is grammatically correct as expressed by the APA and MW Dictionary. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they
@Juan2025 For many many many years the default was “ his” when writing texts such as these that could/should have been “ their”. I think women deserve a turn.
@Juan2025 It's technically grammatically correct to use singular they/their in most contexts, I've been taught by professors in legal classes that on legal documents, using "they/their" when referring to one person can lead to confusion or ambiguity, unless specifying beforehand that it's their preferred pronoun.
Looking at some Logical reasoning questions: I always read the stimulus twice, but it is interesting to think of the stimulus as a reader speaking to you.
Pro-tip regarding the time crunch: read the Question Stem and Answer Choices first, before reading the stimulus passage. It primes the brain to ingest the stimulus in a purposeful way, sometimes even already knowing the correct answer by the end of first reading, so you can go straight to it and choose it. People who go "in order", i.e., reading the stimulus first, often end up needing to read it a second time after getting through the stem and choices, which consumes a lot of time.
The author is the person writing the passage to you. The passage is the same thing as the stimulus. The question stem lays out the directions for you to choose the correct answer choice.
i never had a mindset of viewing the author as someone that is speaking to me. that will be really helpful for myself moving forward and i am excited to try it.
I am so sorry for the trouble. I tried to reproduce the issue on my end but unfortunately, I was not able to. I was able to download the PDF for a Problem Set so that I could print it.
You can print a PDF of the Problem Set by tapping on “Printable” in the Digital Tester, then the big blue “View PDF” button. Just a reminder that the password for the PDF is your 7Sage account email address. See the sample GIF below:
Can you please let me know the error message that you are getting so I can look into this further?
Why isn't there an explanation video for PT15 S2 Q08? It's rated "harder". I got it incorrect, and could definitely use an explanation on it. I set up a problem set from CC with questions that were all ranked "harder" or "hardest". I got all of them correct besides that one. #help
Sorry, we haven't gotten around to making the explanation videos for some sections in the older PrepTests (PrepTests 1-16).
We do have Explanation Videos available for the following:
• Logical Reasoning: PrepTests 17 – 89
• Logic Games: every PrepTest ever published
• Reading Comprehension: PrepTests 1-89
For the questions that do not have an Explanation Video, you can search for any past discussion relating to that question on the Discussion Forum. You can search for any past PrepTest discussion, by typing in the PrepTest number, section number, and question number in the search box in the following format: PT#.S#.Q#.
You can also post your own discussion on the Forum. When posting a question in the Forum, please use the following formats:
• Reading Comprehension (RC) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# (P#) - brief description of stimulus" E.g. PT60.S1.Q7 (P4) - weakened immune system cancer
• Logic Games (LG) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# (G#) - brief description of question" E.g. PT40.S2.Q7 (G2) - could be true of the study
• Logical Reasoning (LR) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of question" E.g. PT37.S1.Q12 - Political scientist: Efforts to create a more egalitarian
You can see our Formatting Guidelines on this page.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.
The author is the person writing the passage to you. The passage is the same thing as the stimulus. The question stem lays out the directions for you to choose the correct answer choice.
It's up to you, other people prefer to read the stimulus first while some prefer to read the question stem first. I prefer to read the question stem first because then I know what I am looking for in the passages.
It is definitely more helpful to read the question stem first because you will know what to look for in the stimulus. For example, if the question stem asks you about the main conclusion, you don't need to focus on the structure of the argument in the stimulus.
I'm showing a broken thumbnail, also. Since I've been having different issues with the app on my Note 20, I'm not sure if it's a compatibility problem or not.
I have the same issues on the app. The picture doesn't show up and just shows the broken icon. I'm on a Galaxy Note 9. I'm guessing the app needs an update but I just got the app 4 or 5 days ago so I don't know if it's been fixed.
When J.Y. says "In the curriculum, I will often refer to the “author’s argument” as “our argument” or the “argument.” Take note of this when it happens." what is the significance of this and why should we take note of it? What difference does it make?
Ultimately, you'll be focusing on the argument, and the conclusion specifically, to answer the question. If you go into a question focused on the wrong thing, you'll likely get it wrong.
I believe the significance of identifying the author and their argument is to distinguish it from that of another persons argument that the author mentions and likely is disagreeing with.
We have the author who is the person presenting the argument. The stimulus which is the passage. The question stem which gives the direction then lastly the answer choices.
True. But, remember, if there is an argument present in the stimulus, there could be all kinds of questions that could come out of it because the arguments are all missing something for different reasons.
So, it is crucial to first identify the author's argument from any other argument presented. This may be a silly question but will the pattern always consist of The passage, QS, and then answer choices in that particular order?
Yes. Back in the 1990s, some LSAT tests would contain two LR questions in a row that would refer to the same passage/stimulus. The post-2000s LSATs have pretty much done away with that practice but it's helpful to know when taking those practice tests from the '90s.
I feel like you should have switched the lesson before this with this one because you use a lot of these keywords in the previous lesson and it would have been more helpful to know what they meant earlier on in the lesson.
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89 comments
Is Stem short for Stimulus?
but why there is an e instead of i ?
@Hfa No. Stem literally means "stem", as in stem.
This matches how stem is used in everyday English:
the stem of a plant = the main supporting structure
the stem of a wine glass = the central piece everything attaches to
Stimulus = stim, or the passage.
Stem = question stem
AC = Answer Choices
@NoNamed92 Thank you for the clarification! I appreciate it :)
@NoNamed92 This guy will get accepted to Yale
Imagine being completely unbothered by the F bombs and other profanity, but upset over the use of "her" instead of "his" or "their." I can't even.
@pamelajkok lit
@pamelajkok Imagine being triggered by words in general and you want to be a lawyer?
@ThePainter You seem to be the one triggered here… But sure, Jan, go on. 😂
@pamelajkok If words alone are enough to throw you off this much, the internet might be a rough place for you.
You all talking about the grammatical challenge of using "their" instead of "her", and how it's women's turn now, just stop it! Why care about it. His or her???... the author can be a he or a she. Perhaps the person writing this is a female and that's her default method of writing, as mine is to use "his" in this context.
so basically the author is writing a stimulus
then it ill be questioned by the question stem and then answers
The author write the passage or STIMULUS to you persuading you of their argument. Think of them as speaking to you.
The question aka QUESTION STEM is a question which points to a direction for you to pick the right answer choice.
←#feedback
They should change "trying to sell you on her conclusion" to "trying to sell you on their conclusion". No reason for it to be gender specific.
Technically ungrammatical, but I see your point. Could say his or her.
The use of “they” in this context is grammatically correct as expressed by the APA and MW Dictionary. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they
@Juan2025 For many many many years the default was “ his” when writing texts such as these that could/should have been “ their”. I think women deserve a turn.
@Juan2025 7Sage microfeminism 🙂↕️😌
@Juan2025 It's technically grammatically correct to use singular they/their in most contexts, I've been taught by professors in legal classes that on legal documents, using "they/their" when referring to one person can lead to confusion or ambiguity, unless specifying beforehand that it's their preferred pronoun.
@Juan2025 not that deep bruh
Looking at some Logical reasoning questions: I always read the stimulus twice, but it is interesting to think of the stimulus as a reader speaking to you.
Sometimes these stimulus are super long, and you'll be crunching for time.
Pro-tip regarding the time crunch: read the Question Stem and Answer Choices first, before reading the stimulus passage. It primes the brain to ingest the stimulus in a purposeful way, sometimes even already knowing the correct answer by the end of first reading, so you can go straight to it and choose it. People who go "in order", i.e., reading the stimulus first, often end up needing to read it a second time after getting through the stem and choices, which consumes a lot of time.
MEGA FAX
Good advice!
The author is the person writing the passage to you. The passage is the same thing as the stimulus. The question stem lays out the directions for you to choose the correct answer choice.
i never had a mindset of viewing the author as someone that is speaking to me. that will be really helpful for myself moving forward and i am excited to try it.
The example of what the different components are for each question was incredibly helpful!
the author (writes the)→passage/stimulus (for context of)→the question stem (which lays out directions to)→the correct answer
Hi Laurel,
This was really helpful for me. Thanks !
I am having problems printing the problem set on. The communication send me to an Intercom space. Does anyone else have this issue and can you help?!
Hi there,
I am so sorry for the trouble. I tried to reproduce the issue on my end but unfortunately, I was not able to. I was able to download the PDF for a Problem Set so that I could print it.
You can print a PDF of the Problem Set by tapping on “Printable” in the Digital Tester, then the big blue “View PDF” button. Just a reminder that the password for the PDF is your 7Sage account email address. See the sample GIF below:
Can you please let me know the error message that you are getting so I can look into this further?
Logical reasoning
Three parts
- The passage/stimulus
- The question stem
- Answer choices
Author is the person writing the passage
That's a good way to boil it down.
Why isn't there an explanation video for PT15 S2 Q08? It's rated "harder". I got it incorrect, and could definitely use an explanation on it. I set up a problem set from CC with questions that were all ranked "harder" or "hardest". I got all of them correct besides that one. #help
Hi there,
Sorry, we haven't gotten around to making the explanation videos for some sections in the older PrepTests (PrepTests 1-16).
We do have Explanation Videos available for the following:
• Logical Reasoning: PrepTests 17 – 89
• Logic Games: every PrepTest ever published
• Reading Comprehension: PrepTests 1-89
For the questions that do not have an Explanation Video, you can search for any past discussion relating to that question on the Discussion Forum. You can search for any past PrepTest discussion, by typing in the PrepTest number, section number, and question number in the search box in the following format: PT#.S#.Q#.
You can also post your own discussion on the Forum. When posting a question in the Forum, please use the following formats:
• Reading Comprehension (RC) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# (P#) - brief description of stimulus" E.g. PT60.S1.Q7 (P4) - weakened immune system cancer
• Logic Games (LG) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# (G#) - brief description of question" E.g. PT40.S2.Q7 (G2) - could be true of the study
• Logical Reasoning (LR) questions: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of question" E.g. PT37.S1.Q12 - Political scientist: Efforts to create a more egalitarian
You can see our Formatting Guidelines on this page.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.
The author is the person writing the passage to you. The passage is the same thing as the stimulus. The question stem lays out the directions for you to choose the correct answer choice.
Squib is also the same thing as passage
Would it be more helpful to read "question stem" or the "stimulus" first when approaching an LR question?
#help (Added by Admin)
It's up to you, other people prefer to read the stimulus first while some prefer to read the question stem first. I prefer to read the question stem first because then I know what I am looking for in the passages.
It is definitely more helpful to read the question stem first because you will know what to look for in the stimulus. For example, if the question stem asks you about the main conclusion, you don't need to focus on the structure of the argument in the stimulus.
I've heard that reading the question stem first costs more time, because you inevitably read it again once you finish the stimulus.
Of course, now I just started the next lesson where step zero is "identify the question stem." 😳
The components picture is a broken thumbnail.
I'm showing a broken thumbnail, also. Since I've been having different issues with the app on my Note 20, I'm not sure if it's a compatibility problem or not.
Hi there,
The above logical reasoning question was intentionally blurred to highlight each of its 3 components labelled at the right side.
I hope that helped. Let us know if you have any questions!
Hi there,
Sorry for the trouble. I am able to view the picture on my end. See the screenshot below of what it should look like:
I would like to get to the bottom of this so that it works on your end too. Please try the following troubleshooting tips:
1. Force refresh the page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap on "Force Refresh." See the screenshot below:
2. Clear your browser's cache with these steps: https://7sage.com/clear-cache/
3. Use a different browser. We find that the Chrome browser works best with our course but Firefox and Safari work well too.
Let us know if you are still having trouble after trying these tips.
I have the same issues on the app. The picture doesn't show up and just shows the broken icon. I'm on a Galaxy Note 9. I'm guessing the app needs an update but I just got the app 4 or 5 days ago so I don't know if it's been fixed.
Hi there,
Sorry for the trouble. I was unable to reproduce the issue on my end.
Can you try deleting and reinstalling the app?
Also, you can also try accessing the Lesson using the Chrome browser.
Let me know if you are still having trouble.
#help
When J.Y. says "In the curriculum, I will often refer to the “author’s argument” as “our argument” or the “argument.” Take note of this when it happens." what is the significance of this and why should we take note of it? What difference does it make?
Ultimately, you'll be focusing on the argument, and the conclusion specifically, to answer the question. If you go into a question focused on the wrong thing, you'll likely get it wrong.
I believe the significance of identifying the author and their argument is to distinguish it from that of another persons argument that the author mentions and likely is disagreeing with.
We have the author who is the person presenting the argument. The stimulus which is the passage. The question stem which gives the direction then lastly the answer choices.
Recap: The LR questions will have: 1) The passage or "Stimulus" 2) The question 3) The answer choices.
Need to keep in mind that although we might see other arguments in the passage, the one we need to focus is the Author's.
The question stem will lay out the directions to the answer choice.
TRUE, but I'm also thinking that each particular stem defers to a question type, which operate with their own internal logics.
True. But, remember, if there is an argument present in the stimulus, there could be all kinds of questions that could come out of it because the arguments are all missing something for different reasons.
So, it is crucial to first identify the author's argument from any other argument presented. This may be a silly question but will the pattern always consist of The passage, QS, and then answer choices in that particular order?
Yes. Back in the 1990s, some LSAT tests would contain two LR questions in a row that would refer to the same passage/stimulus. The post-2000s LSATs have pretty much done away with that practice but it's helpful to know when taking those practice tests from the '90s.
Is it just me or is the content above suppose to be blurry and unreadable?
Yes, it's supposed to be that way.
I feel like you should have switched the lesson before this with this one because you use a lot of these keywords in the previous lesson and it would have been more helpful to know what they meant earlier on in the lesson.
Totally agree.