Should I label the argument structure for every question in LR?

TheDeterminedC

I always see J.Y. breaking down argument structures in the video explanations, but I was wondering if it is a recommended process to do during the timed portions. I have got to the point where I can naturally tell/take mental notes of what exactly is context and where the various arguments begin and end. That said, is it worth the time spent?

Edit: I also do not break down the structure in BR. The same question applies for that as well.

Thank you!

Alex

I bracket the conclusion on all LR questions, but that's just me. DEFINITELY break down the argument for BR though.

Sami

@TheDeterminedC said:
I always see J.Y. breaking down argument structures in the video explanations, but I was wondering if it is a recommended process to do during the timed portions. I have got to the point where I can naturally tell/take mental notes of what exactly is context and where the various arguments begin and end. That said, is it worth the time spent?

It really depends on you. Try doing a section of LR without writing it down during time. If it doesn't effect your score and you realize in blind review that you didn't miss the questions you did because you weren't focused on the conclusion, then you don't need to physically write it down. It's all up to you.

Edit: I also do not break down the structure in BR. The same question applies for that as well.

I would say in BR definitely write it down. You want to break down the stimulus as much as possible and breaking down the argument in its parts is key to decoding a question you had difficulties with during timed test.

brigitte

How do you do argument-based questions without identifying the conclusion and the premises? Do you mean that you just don't write them out or note them with pencil, but you do in fact note them in your head? Or that you don't identify the specific argument parts at all?

TheDeterminedC

Thank you all for the comments, I will strive to mark the conclusion of the argument the question stem is asking for. I guess that would not take very long and it would be well worth it. Similarly, I will tweak my BR and do a full breakdown.

In hindsight, I believe this process might actually help me identify the argument structure easier, considering I will be practicing it on every question.

Thank you again!

extramedium

Over time, the argument structures start to become way more obvious. There's usually a pattern of argument structure and flaws, most commonly conditional, causation, analogy and survey, which become easier to identify after more practice. Trying to see what type of argument you're presented with in the stimulus during the process of reading or right after reading the stimulus has helped me quite a bit. From there, you start to develop specific strategies for different question types. For a weaken question, you'll eventually end up saying, "Oh, it's a correlation/causation in a weaken question. Let's show that the effect can appear without the cause or maybe it mistakes the cause for the effect." Hope that helps.