wrong answer choice in RC

LSATaker

Hi,

Hi, just wondering...anyone noticed the characteristics of wrong answer choices in RC?
I mean...do they come from the same paragraph or close place? I know for some answer choices they are factually incorrect but for some others they twist the details ect, and part of the choice is correct, and this confuses me a lot. Do correct answer choices and wrong answer choices come from the same paragraph?
Especially for those detail questions...

nessa.k13.0

Hi @LSATaker ! One of the things that makes RC difficult for people to improve is that the test rewards people who are able to synthesize the main points of each paragraph and parse out many strands of reasoning within an entire passage. Additionally, having a clear sense of the author's tone and opinion if applicable to the passage (before going into the questions) helps immensely. In the core curriculum RC section, JY's Memory Method really helps you habitualize reading for structure and comprehension. This is important so you can efficiently answer questions. The more you are able to do that (remember the main points, arguments made, tone, author opinionetc) effectively and understand the passage, the less you'll have to waste time and go back to the passage and answer a good portion of the questions on a section.

Regarding the nature of wrong and right answers----a lot of RC questions are main point, must be true, and argument part questions. If you understand the main point of each paragraph (along with tone and function of the section within the entire passage) and then how they relate to each other you'll be able to more easily select the right answer and eliminate the wrong ones. Thus you'll be able to answer more questions efficiently (i.e. not wasting time searching through the passage to answer each question). Unfortunately RC isn't as simple as saying, wrong answers always have certain attributes, because it depends on what the question is asking and the arguments/reasoning in the relevant parts of the passage. I do think one can say with certainty that mostly wrong answers are wrong because they are unsupported within the passage and this applies for correct answers in the sense that they are supported within the passage. For detail questions where the question stem references a line number, you should go back to the specific line mentioned in the passage to answer the question.

LSATaker

Thank you @nessa.k13.0 !!
So...I guess I should not worry too much but if I feel something "wrong" even though partly the answer choice is correct, I should eliminate it, correct?

nessa.k13.0

You are welcome! I wouldn't rely on how you feel about an answer especially if you haven't sharpened your instincts with practice. I would be rigorous in my prep and focus on knowing what must be true, what argument part the question addresses or the definition of terms in context of the passage. Know for sure what the answer is don't try to "feel" it. I say that because the LSAT answer choices (in RC, LG, and LR) punish you when you make assumptions or choose an answer because you feel that it is likely to be the right one. The hard questions have answer choices that will easily and slightly exploit what you "feel" looks like a right answer, so don't fall for it. The LSAT has answers that feel right so practice knowing because you can know why something is right or wrong. When you prep focus on knowing what the passage is (what the paragraphs are saying), know what the question is asking, know why you are eliminating answer choices and know why you are selecting the right answer.