Felt a little confused by the difference between what an illustration of a generalization and support of a conclusion so I made up this example/explanation. If I went wrong anywhere pls let me know, I would really appreciate it :)
A illustration of a generalization is an example.
Generalization is taken to be true. Example depends on generalization not the other way around
If generalization is that all dogs that are adopted from the shelter have superpowers. The illustration would be an example of my dog, Lafayette who (for the sake of this example) has laser vision
Support of a conclusion
Does not take a conclusion to be true, rather aims to give support via info that make conclusion more likely to be true (in this case causal support)
We don't know that my conclusion that all dogs that are adopted from the shelter have superpowers is true
I have premises that lend support to that idea
Dogs in the shelter are exposed to gamma rays and gamma rays have been known to cause superpowers.
My dog who was adopted from the shelter has laser vision
In this format the same statement - My dog having laser vision - has a different function, it is not an example of an already established generalization rather it provides support to my conclusion.
In this LSAT example
Author is not saying that premises are examples of how superconductor development will probably improve industrial productive (even though they could be used as examples if conclusion were a generalization) rather they are used as support for conclusion.
The moment I realized this excerpt was the conclusion I just hunted for it in the AC and got it right but I feel like that's not sustainable on the actual exam (I read the first two words on each AC and immediately discarded those that didn't say 'conclusion'). Does anyone else relate? I feel like this unit in particular relies more on pattern recognition which lends itself toward reflexively seeking an answer than combing through and doing PoE.
Darn, the grammar got me on this one. I correctly labeled it as the conclusion but when I went hunting for the answer, I couldn't fully comprehend AC A and POE made C look like a better choice.
Seems most of the difficulty for me is not knowing how the terms are used for me, maybe everyone understands it 100% im def struggling. Things like Claim, Assumption, generalization, make me question if I even know what they mean the way their used.
I think it would be helpful to have a lesson explaining these terms would help since they appear again and again.
@AutonomousTacticalTheory This is probobly too late, but maybe someone will see this.
Claim - Conclusion/statement. Generally won't be support or context (don't rely on that, but good indicators)
Generalization - These will refrance the general/broader subject than the stimulus. (Ex. Population vs. a few people).
Assumptions - Don't know yet, haven't come across them. But I think the excerpt won't be found in the stimulus but is needed/sufficent for it to be true.
@IsabellaP I think this is mostly correct. assumptions are implicit. However, I could see the lsat referring to another person's point in an argument as an assumption about that argument. rule of thumb is to never use absolutes when it comes to the lsat b/c the more difficult questions prey on the subtle tricks test takers use to solve the Qs
@Alyssam are you using the new website? I had the same issue so I reached out to support and they said that they took the BR off of the you try questions because they are untimed.
I've been getting through these all super fast. The main thing that I do is try to figure out what basic role the excerpt plays in the stimulus- is the excerpt a premise, context, conclusion, principle, etc.. Then I try to find the answer that best describes the role that the excerpt plays. I chose A in under a minute because it was the only answer that said the excerpt was the conclusion, and based on my reading I could tell the excerpt was the conclusion based on how all the other claims in the stimulus were supporting it. I only skimmed through the rest of the answers, and decided against them all because none of them really described the excerpt as the conclusion. Hope this makes sense to y'all and helps you improve.
I feel like taking a wrong answer choice and rewording it to show what it would look like if it was correct is confusing. If the answer I picked is wrong just beat sense into me. I want the answer choice dragged to the ground. Name every reason why it's a terrible answer choice. Don't confuse my brain by saying "Well, it would be correct if it was worded this way" pleaseeee.
so is the cheat code for AP questions just identifying whether or not the sentence(AP) is a premise or conclusion and making sure the answer choice matches the label?
"trading confidence for time" when picking answers is a great way to put it. It'll take a lot of work for me to get comfortable forgoing some confidence if I actually want to get to every question on test day
Defining the conclusion from the beginning is the best way to get these answers correct. I, also, mislabeled the conclusion the same way you did. When you're confused about whether something is a conclusion or not - ask yourself - "Does this claim receive any support anywhere else in this stimulus?" If no, it's not a conclusion. If yes, it is.
The 2 contenders for the conclusion were sentence 1 and 2. They are both predictions but the weaker prediction, the one that says probably, is more likely to be the conclusion.
Think about what probably implies too--likely to be true or not, which is the definition of a conclusion.
I used "referential phrasing" more as a check to make sure that the author was not introducing a whole different idea from the first sentence which, if true, would make sentence 2 a premise.
@rdsilva1188 Haha almost a year late in response but you can tell the first sentence is not the conclusion because it subsequently supports the excerpt, meaning the second sentence is the main conclusion at the very least
I did the same thing! In every question type we've encountered so far, identifying the conclusion correctly seems like an absolutely baseline/necessary achievement in order to get a correct answer.
it is; the giveaway for the first sentence not being the conclusion is its factual nature. it is not a claim that receives support, it is being used as a fact which supports the next sentence. a test i like to use sometimes is saying the two claims together with the word "thus" switched from the first to the second. whichever one logically makes sense would be the conclusion.
for example, in this question, we can say "superconductor development will enable energy to be transported farther with less energy lost in transit. thus, this will probably improve industrial productivity." if it was flipped around, it would not make logical sense: This will probably improve industrial productivity. thus, superconductor development will enable energy to be transported farther with less energy lost in transit. the grammar does not matter; just which statement supports the other (the one being supported is conclusion).
Why is C not considered an assumption? It says it probably will improve productivity. Is that not an assumption that it will improve something. I would also understand it being a hypothesis.
I realize that I misunderstood that it was the conclusion, but, from a feedback point, can each answer choice be explained or identified. Like generalization, hypothesis etc. In terms of the way LSAT uses them.
I looked at it as an opinion, the author states that it probably will improve productivity. The author has some sort of belief (or an opinion) that it'll help productivity and then states an example that'll support his belief. Opinions from the authors can be conclusions.
C can be an assumption indeed, however the issue is that the conclusion is not Superconductors are more efficient. If you look at the entire stem, the first sentence is mere context for the argument, the last two sentences revolve around how "a type of new energy lowered costs for factories long ago", which is providing support to the conclusion "this will improve productivity".
I think this is a good explanation. The conclusion is what is ultimately being said. Everything from the stimulus is flowing into the statement that superconductor development will "probably improve industrial productivity." The analogy is supporting this meaning that it is our conclusion, even if the word probably sounds uncertain.
a conclusion and hypothesis serve the same purpose right? A premise/phenomenon support a conclusion/hypothesis. If I am having trouble identifying the conclusion I always use the 'why' test.
If we ask why will it probably improve industrial productivity? Well, because of the example that follows. The conclusion/hypothesis are only being supported, they do not offer support (unless it is a sub conclusion).
I felt bad it took me almost 8 minutes to look at A more thoroughly and second guess myself but JY confirmed that was an answer we needed to look at very closely. I don't feel slow now lol. This was really tough my brain felt like it was taking a beating on this
I was drawn to C because of the word "probably". The word made me somewhat lean towards C and not get rid of it immediately until it says supporting the conclusion.
The claim is the conclusion so you cant support the conclusion when you are the conclusion lol
C is very attractive trap and it took me 8 minutes to decide between A and C. C was because it said it supported the first line, which it does but I know the first line was not a conclusion. I did have to double check that and go over A which I chose. Very tough.
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62 comments
Felt a little confused by the difference between what an illustration of a generalization and support of a conclusion so I made up this example/explanation. If I went wrong anywhere pls let me know, I would really appreciate it :)
A illustration of a generalization is an example.
Generalization is taken to be true. Example depends on generalization not the other way around
If generalization is that all dogs that are adopted from the shelter have superpowers. The illustration would be an example of my dog, Lafayette who (for the sake of this example) has laser vision
Support of a conclusion
Does not take a conclusion to be true, rather aims to give support via info that make conclusion more likely to be true (in this case causal support)
We don't know that my conclusion that all dogs that are adopted from the shelter have superpowers is true
I have premises that lend support to that idea
Dogs in the shelter are exposed to gamma rays and gamma rays have been known to cause superpowers.
My dog who was adopted from the shelter has laser vision
In this format the same statement - My dog having laser vision - has a different function, it is not an example of an already established generalization rather it provides support to my conclusion.
In this LSAT example
Author is not saying that premises are examples of how superconductor development will probably improve industrial productive (even though they could be used as examples if conclusion were a generalization) rather they are used as support for conclusion.
The moment I realized this excerpt was the conclusion I just hunted for it in the AC and got it right but I feel like that's not sustainable on the actual exam (I read the first two words on each AC and immediately discarded those that didn't say 'conclusion'). Does anyone else relate? I feel like this unit in particular relies more on pattern recognition which lends itself toward reflexively seeking an answer than combing through and doing PoE.
Darn, the grammar got me on this one. I correctly labeled it as the conclusion but when I went hunting for the answer, I couldn't fully comprehend AC A and POE made C look like a better choice.
@rjon27 I did the same..
5+ minute video explanations are just too long...
can i generally classify predictions as conclusions?
@di003 totally agree
Seems most of the difficulty for me is not knowing how the terms are used for me, maybe everyone understands it 100% im def struggling. Things like Claim, Assumption, generalization, make me question if I even know what they mean the way their used.
I think it would be helpful to have a lesson explaining these terms would help since they appear again and again.
@AutonomousTacticalTheory This is probobly too late, but maybe someone will see this.
Claim - Conclusion/statement. Generally won't be support or context (don't rely on that, but good indicators)
Generalization - These will refrance the general/broader subject than the stimulus. (Ex. Population vs. a few people).
Assumptions - Don't know yet, haven't come across them. But I think the excerpt won't be found in the stimulus but is needed/sufficent for it to be true.
I found this lesson to be less explicit in approach. What has helped me thus far has been:
Asking (as JY recommends) - does this AC prescribe the correct category to the excerpt?
Asking - is the AC saying what the stim is?
Hi! Is this thinking correct? The correct answer choice can never say the excerpt is an assumption? #feeback
@IsabellaP I think this is mostly correct. assumptions are implicit. However, I could see the lsat referring to another person's point in an argument as an assumption about that argument. rule of thumb is to never use absolutes when it comes to the lsat b/c the more difficult questions prey on the subtle tricks test takers use to solve the Qs
Is there a way to Blind Review the you try questions? I feel like I press submit and the result immediately pops up
@Alyssam are you using the new website? I had the same issue so I reached out to support and they said that they took the BR off of the you try questions because they are untimed.
i'm over this section, i gotta log off and try again tomorrow
I am getting most of them right timed like 2 I got right until BR but I am taking like 2 minutes to do each one
ME TOO this is exhausting
I've been getting through these all super fast. The main thing that I do is try to figure out what basic role the excerpt plays in the stimulus- is the excerpt a premise, context, conclusion, principle, etc.. Then I try to find the answer that best describes the role that the excerpt plays. I chose A in under a minute because it was the only answer that said the excerpt was the conclusion, and based on my reading I could tell the excerpt was the conclusion based on how all the other claims in the stimulus were supporting it. I only skimmed through the rest of the answers, and decided against them all because none of them really described the excerpt as the conclusion. Hope this makes sense to y'all and helps you improve.
I feel like taking a wrong answer choice and rewording it to show what it would look like if it was correct is confusing. If the answer I picked is wrong just beat sense into me. I want the answer choice dragged to the ground. Name every reason why it's a terrible answer choice. Don't confuse my brain by saying "Well, it would be correct if it was worded this way" pleaseeee.
#feedback
so is the cheat code for AP questions just identifying whether or not the sentence(AP) is a premise or conclusion and making sure the answer choice matches the label?
"trading confidence for time" when picking answers is a great way to put it. It'll take a lot of work for me to get comfortable forgoing some confidence if I actually want to get to every question on test day
lol
"C"
"not textually identical. But are substantively identical as long as you recognize referential phrasing."
If "referential phrasing" changes context, how did those who identified it as a conclusion do so?
Defining the conclusion from the beginning is the best way to get these answers correct. I, also, mislabeled the conclusion the same way you did. When you're confused about whether something is a conclusion or not - ask yourself - "Does this claim receive any support anywhere else in this stimulus?" If no, it's not a conclusion. If yes, it is.
The 2 contenders for the conclusion were sentence 1 and 2. They are both predictions but the weaker prediction, the one that says probably, is more likely to be the conclusion.
Think about what probably implies too--likely to be true or not, which is the definition of a conclusion.
I used "referential phrasing" more as a check to make sure that the author was not introducing a whole different idea from the first sentence which, if true, would make sentence 2 a premise.
@rdsilva1188 Haha almost a year late in response but you can tell the first sentence is not the conclusion because it subsequently supports the excerpt, meaning the second sentence is the main conclusion at the very least
Oops. Thought the first sentence was the conclusion.
I did the same thing! In every question type we've encountered so far, identifying the conclusion correctly seems like an absolutely baseline/necessary achievement in order to get a correct answer.
Brilliant insights, very helpful!
it is; the giveaway for the first sentence not being the conclusion is its factual nature. it is not a claim that receives support, it is being used as a fact which supports the next sentence. a test i like to use sometimes is saying the two claims together with the word "thus" switched from the first to the second. whichever one logically makes sense would be the conclusion.
for example, in this question, we can say "superconductor development will enable energy to be transported farther with less energy lost in transit. thus, this will probably improve industrial productivity." if it was flipped around, it would not make logical sense: This will probably improve industrial productivity. thus, superconductor development will enable energy to be transported farther with less energy lost in transit. the grammar does not matter; just which statement supports the other (the one being supported is conclusion).
at 9:06 I think the narrator meant to say, it cant be an assumption. They instead said "it can't be a conclusion"
I've been reading some of these quickly, and going with my gut, but I was getting a lot wrong. Finally got this one, though I took a lot more time.
Lesson learned, AP questions require slower thinking for me.
Why is C not considered an assumption? It says it probably will improve productivity. Is that not an assumption that it will improve something. I would also understand it being a hypothesis.
I realize that I misunderstood that it was the conclusion, but, from a feedback point, can each answer choice be explained or identified. Like generalization, hypothesis etc. In terms of the way LSAT uses them.
The probably also made me think it was an assumption, glad I'm not alone in that.
I looked at it as an opinion, the author states that it probably will improve productivity. The author has some sort of belief (or an opinion) that it'll help productivity and then states an example that'll support his belief. Opinions from the authors can be conclusions.
I still don't understand how C isn't an assumption. Saying something will probably do something is an assumption. Can someone help?
C can be an assumption indeed, however the issue is that the conclusion is not Superconductors are more efficient. If you look at the entire stem, the first sentence is mere context for the argument, the last two sentences revolve around how "a type of new energy lowered costs for factories long ago", which is providing support to the conclusion "this will improve productivity".
I think this is a good explanation. The conclusion is what is ultimately being said. Everything from the stimulus is flowing into the statement that superconductor development will "probably improve industrial productivity." The analogy is supporting this meaning that it is our conclusion, even if the word probably sounds uncertain.
I got it right even though I was second guessing myself but still ultimately decided on my answer.
Same. I literally closed my eyes when I clicked "see results" lmao.
How do we know that its a conclusion and not a hypothesis since its trying to explain something?
a conclusion and hypothesis serve the same purpose right? A premise/phenomenon support a conclusion/hypothesis. If I am having trouble identifying the conclusion I always use the 'why' test.
If we ask why will it probably improve industrial productivity? Well, because of the example that follows. The conclusion/hypothesis are only being supported, they do not offer support (unless it is a sub conclusion).
I would like to know this too !
It's both.
They definitely seem not mutually exclusive.
Switched to C last second and I could've got it right!! ;(
SAME HERE
I felt bad it took me almost 8 minutes to look at A more thoroughly and second guess myself but JY confirmed that was an answer we needed to look at very closely. I don't feel slow now lol. This was really tough my brain felt like it was taking a beating on this
I was drawn to C because of the word "probably". The word made me somewhat lean towards C and not get rid of it immediately until it says supporting the conclusion.
The claim is the conclusion so you cant support the conclusion when you are the conclusion lol
C is very attractive trap and it took me 8 minutes to decide between A and C. C was because it said it supported the first line, which it does but I know the first line was not a conclusion. I did have to double check that and go over A which I chose. Very tough.
Also, something that's explicitly stated can't be an assumption (implicit)!