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How can I practice negating English statements more...

LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
in Logical Reasoning 13286 karma

I just got to this spot in the CC. I have a basic understanding of what is going on, but I am slow and I can tell this is a HUGE weak spot for me. What can I do to drill this into my head? I took the four quizzes in the CC and did poorly, I reviewed and watched the video explanations but I want to do more. How did you guys drill this into your heads?

For example:

Negation 4 w/ Answers, Question 3 (CC)

There is little variation in the ratio of energy output to body weight among animals.

My gut reactions was to say;

There is A LOT of variation in the ratio of energy output to body weight among animals.

The answer was;

There is anywhere from a moderate amount to a great amount of variation in the ratio of energy output to body weight among animals.

Moderate did not even cross my mind....

So where can I go to get a lot more practice on this, how can I drill this all into my head to the point where I spit out correct negations without hesitation?

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Comments

  • MsM1998_MsM1998_ Alum Member
    117 karma

    I mean, the negation of little could be not little. This would then include a range from moderate to a great amount. Remember, contrapositives are not oppositions but rather contradictions. You opposed little with a lot. That's like going from hot to cold. Whereas, you are supposed to negate it by saying not hot.

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    @MrYC1995 said:
    I mean, the negation of little could be not little. This would then include a range from moderate to a great amount. Remember, contrapositives are not oppositions but rather contradictions. You opposed little with a lot. That's like going from hot to cold. Whereas, you are supposed to negate it by saying not hot.

    Yes! I want to train my mind to become more accustom to that. I just don't know the best strategy to use :(

  • AllezAllez21AllezAllez21 Member Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    1917 karma

    Just as a short answer, plop "not" in front of any statement to negate it. Then think about how that impacts the meaning of the statement.

    I'm not sure how far into the lessons you are, but JY has some great videos about the idea of none, some, and all falling on a spectrum from 0 to 100. That helps to solidify what it means to negate.

    Anyway, I would just take a bunch of statements and shove "not" into them. Or you can put "It's not the case that..." in front of any statement. You are just trying to keep to something that is more strictly 'logical' than the everyday opposites we think of when we use terms like "a little/a lot" or "rich/poor."

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