Help with Necessary Assumption and Flaw Questions

cpilish

Hi all- I was wondering if you had advice on these two question types.

I don't always get stumped with these, but when I do get questions wrong they tend to be one or the other. I get thrown off with the language when I'm down to 2 answer choices.

What has helped you all in tackling these particular questions?

Thanks in advance!

June LSAT Retake

Look at necessary assumptions in a way that the conclusion has to prove the necessary assumption. I read this in Loophole in LR book (Conclusion --> Necessary Assumption), treat it just like any premise and conclusion instead this time the conclusion is the premise proving the NA (conclusion), just a trick.

Whatever the Conclusion is, it has to prove whatever the necessary assumption will be. The NA is provable.

She gives example that a conclusion has bread that will disappear in 20 minutes. A necessary assumption, that the conclusion depends on, is that the banana bread is movable

The conclusion here, banana bread moving in 20 minutes, PROVES that the bread is movable (the NA). If the banana bread was not moveable, then your conclusion is invalid

This is a trick in the answer choices to negate the answer choice, to negate the necessary assumption. If you negate what you think is the right answer choice, and it destroys the conclusion, that's probably your answer

Hope this helps

FaviPapi-1-1

Here is quick example that might help explain the difference between SA and NA

"Tom is smart; therefore, he will be intelligent and intuitive."

SA: the answer must connect the premise to the conclusion

SA: fast --> intelligent and intuitive

NA: the answer must be necessary. In the right occasion, such as this, a NA can be a SA.

NA1: fast --> intelligent [This is necessary; if you negate it, then the argument would not make sense since the author is assuming that there is a connection between fast and both intelligent and intuitive: the connection, explicitly is fast --> intelligent and intuitive]

NA2: fast --> intuitive [This is necessary]

NA3: fast --> intelligent and intuitive [This is also necessary]

Do note that NA2 and NA3 are necessary but they are not sufficient

Final comment

All that said, you need to ask yourself whether something is necessary. Just asking that question has helped me tackle the most difficult NA questions. Moreover, intuition plays a big role in getting them right. You can build your intuition by practicing and really understanding why the one answer is correct and the other 4 are wrong.

Good luck

cpilish

Thank you both! Very helpful.