Help With "Making Assumptions" For Weakening/Strengthening

MiliPatel1

So JY always predicts a assumption that closes the gap between the premises and conclusion, and its magically in the answer choices. For those of us who don't have this ability... WHAT DO WE DO. I honestly know there is an assumption that is being made, should I just use that thought alone to approach the answer choices or should I really try to pre-phrase an answer or something. It is just very discouraging to not even get the assumption correct because how do you expect to get the answer right.

Any responses or your own thoughts on how to approach weakening/strengthening would really help!

vandyzach

You should see the assumption. If you can't analyze the argument and see how the premises don't NECESSARILY lead to the conclusion, then you need to blind review problems (starting with easy ones) until you are good at it and/or look back at the relevant lesson.

Now, seeing the assumption and predicting the correct answer choice are two different things. You need to see the assumption. But you likely aren't going to predict the answer word-for-word a whole lot, especially on more difficult questions.

A prephrase is something that is based on the assumption. For example, if the assumption in the argument is that correlation ----> causation, the correct answer can weaken this argument in multiple ways.

It can point out the effect without the cause, it can introduce an alternate cause for the effect, it can show that it is actually the effect that is causing the cause! All of these are weakeners.

I recommend blind reviewing problems, starting with a few easy ones with an eye for seeing the gap and also of course picking the right answer.

MiliPatel1

Okay thanks so much for the reply. So for the weaken questions. Depending on if its a correlation or coincidence the correct "weaken" answer will do one of the following: 1) introduce a alternate cause 2) show the effect is actually causing the cause 3) or we check the data set... cause we learned that was the "method" by JY never really applied that method to his videos explicitly. So is that what I should be applying to weakening questions?

I just watched the strengthen lessons today and will do the problem sets tomorrow. Hopefully with a fresh mind I will see the assumptions more clearly (wishful thinking).

How long does it take for these assumptions to "click" does it help when you do a bunch of tests? Because I am just watching lessons now and probably till the end of summer. Probably won't start drilling till the first week of September.

Thanks for all your help!!!!