Summarizing The Stimulus/Question

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• 1 Like

  sheridjw Alum Member

  May 2020 936 karma

  Hey, this issue seems right up The Loophole's alley. Have you read that yet? If not, i think the translation drills that the author teaches and recommends doing would help tremendously with this. I was having the same issue and doing tons and tons of these drills helped me a lot! It really clarified the stimulus and showed me what is and is not important in it. If you have the time i think it would be worth your while for sure!
• 1 Like

  Confidence150 Alum Member

  May 2020 1422 karma

  Yes, I have realized that questions 15 and on are much difficult for me. I would recommend trying to look for indicators and signal words in the stimulus. This helps me to identify whether or not there is a shift in tone in the stimulus. In addition, I try to read referential phrases and piece the information in the stimulus together. If I cannot seem to summarize quickly during timed, I will flag the question and come back to it in the end. During blind review (untimed), I try to write down my reasoning, key indicators, evidence, and conclusion. The process during blind review helps me with summarizing, reasoning, and looking for key indicators in the stimulus.
• Gatsby96 Member

  May 2020 102 karma

  @sheridjw thanks for the response! what is the loopholes alley? can you provide a link to that? thanks
• sheridjw Alum Member

  May 2020 936 karma

  @sukhii17 No problem! I just meant that the summarizing of the stimulus is something that the book called The Loophole by Ellen Cassidy would help out greatly with.If you just google Loophole LSAT it will come up. It is very popular on here and has helped many including myself improve on LR.
• 1 Like

  FindingSage Alum Member ⭐

  May 2020 2042 karma

  I would also agree that The Loophole is value for teaching this skill, but I do believe it can be developed without it. Here is what I would reccomend. Take a LR section that you have already completed ( if you are in the testing phase) if,not grab an older section that you don't mind burning. Then, starting at question one read the stiumulus slowly and carefully. Then cover up the stiumulus and try to translate what you have just read into your own words. You don't need to remember every detail, and in fact I often mentally re arrange things so that if the conclusion is at the beginning of the argument I translate and write out in a more natual order of premises/conclusion. You may include background information here, but you will find with practice that you naturally strip away un needed details and simplify words in concepts into simple English.
  When you first practice, forget the answer choices, your focus is on the stimulus. You will find that as you move further into the section that these stiumulus' are getting harder, but they are actually getting harder because the grammer is harder ( heavier use of referrential phrasing, sub conclusions, odd arrangements of information ect) and in addition to harder grammer the subject matter is also significantly more complex and intimadating. Don't worry if you can't due this all from memory at first, or if you have to practice multiple times. It take time and patience to see the slow process of translating out stimulus' come to the point where you can process in your head but it is truly so worth it. I know that you feel the majority of your problem is with the stiumulus' later in the section but I was surprised that practicing these skills with easier stimuli means that instead of taking 1:20 and maybe having been down to two answer choices I know answer many of those questions in 30-50 seconds and now I am banking extra time. It is worth it to take the time to really understand the stimulus, it won't translate into results right away but when it starts coming together it is amazing.