Parallel Questions

ZaTabler

I am having some real difficulty with parallel questions. Could anyone explain how to do these in their own words? How do you guys attack them?

FixedDice

I summarize or diagram the argument in abstract, general terms, and then look for something similar.

BinghamtonDave

I look at the general form of the argument given, flawed or not, I get an abstract idea of what that form is and then try to conform each answer choice to that form. To this end, I have found a familiarization with the valid argument forms from the core curriculum to be indispensable.
You can find that starting here:
https://7sage.com/lesson/validity/

The next thing I will recommend is when you have a really good grasp of argument forms: start practicing eliminating answer choices on some old questions. Elimination for me is key on parallel questions. How do we eliminate? We eliminate when we have read the premises of the answer choice and already have in our mind a projection of what the conclusion is committed to expressing if that answer choice wants to be our selection. That sounds abstract, but it really is useful. Mr. Ping does this all the time in the lessons.

Say we are given the form:
A--->B--->C in the premises of stimulus.
The argument in the stimulus then concludes:
We have a particular A
therefore we have a C

Imagine answer choice (E) says in the premise:
A--->B--->C
What is the conclusion committed to saying?
We have a particular A
Therefore we have a particular C

But, answer choice (E) says:
We don't have a C
Therefore We don't have an A

We eliminate this answer choice and move on.

We can employ this skill several different ways, with each step increasing our chances of finding the the argument that best parallels without sinking too much time.

I will note in conclusion here that some of these problems look daunting, some take up half the page, but inch by inch, if we have strategies to apply to the answer choices and we have a good understanding of the form provided, we can eliminate and match with a high degree of certainty for a good chunk of parallel questions.

-I hope this helps
David