How do you tackle MP questions for the RC section?

plutofireball21

I am having a weird problem where I get the details in the passage correct but then I miss the MP questions. I am usually good with the harder RC passages but if I mess up, it is usually with the MP questions. Solutions?

Alex

@dannyshaw said:
I am having a weird problem where I get the details in the passage correct but then I miss the MP questions. I am usually good with the harder RC passages but if I mess up, it is usually with the MP questions. Solutions?

For MP questions the wrong answers will be either too specific or too broad. I am usually hyper aware and careful of the language used when answering MP questions.

While reading always be asking yourself after every paragraph how everything is connecting.

dennisgerrard

same question asked. @"Alex Divine" agree with you that specific questions are likely wrong.

Cant Get Right

Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with this as well. The answer choices all just seem so similar, and the main point is such a big, nebulous concept. One thing that really helped me was retaking old RC sections. It allows you to approach a passage with a level of familiarity which serves to heighten your level of comprehension of the passage. For me, this exercise taught me to see the underlying mechanics of how RC gets constructed, and I was able to begin distinguishing between what had previously been multiple attractive answer choices on MP.

plutofireball21

Great thanks. I'll look at old RC passages and focus on the MP to see why the wrong answer choices are plain wrong. And thanks for your advice Alex! I'll do that tonight

jurisprudent

I try to avoid answer choices that are factually accurate (i.e. supported by the passage) but either too broad or too specific to the main point. My first round of elimination goes from reading each answer choice and stopping to cross it out if I find anything that is not factually accurate. This usually gets me down to 4 or even 3 choices if I'm lucky.

I also read in the LSAT Trainer that the main point has to do with the author's conclusion or argument in the passage, if such a thing exists. If the passage is neutral, with the author not presenting his or her view, then the main point is the central "thesis" or the take-away of the passage. Basically, it comes down to if you had to summarize the passage to a friend with only one line at your disposal, what would it be? Hope this helps!