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Reading for Structure

eesLSAT2017eesLSAT2017 Alum Member
edited October 2017 in Reading Comprehension 59 karma

After receiving a shocking RC score on the September LSAT, I'm working on improving it for December. I've found that "read for structure" is a common suggestion. I've had trouble implementing that, but when I do manage to do so, the passage is super easy. I've found these common structures for LSAT passages:

  • Is about a study/experiment (find the conclusion as the main point;
  • Is about a shift (often in thinking - identify the old, the new, and similarities/differences);
  • Is about a phenomena (may include an effect or a solution as the main point);
  • Is about a comparison (identify the two - or more - things being compared and the similarities and differences).

If I manage to identify the passage as one of those four things, it's almost like having a road map. Often I won't miss any on that passage. Are there any other obvious structures I'm missing or am I maybe just bad at identifying them?

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  • SamiSami Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 7Sage Tutor
    10801 karma

    I feel like although having pre-set ideas of what the passage should be about can be immensely helpful, it may make you miss out on just reading for the way the passage really is. The difference between the two strategies is like one in which you are trying to fit the passage to a type of road map versus letting the passage guide you in creating a road map. The later I think fits the passage more and requires less work because you are not trying to see if this fits into certain type.

    For example, a passage can be about a study/experiment but the study explicates a certain principle. So the main point of the study although it occupies all the paragraphs of the passage may not be the main point of the passage -it's that little thing they talked about in the first line of the passage.

    But if this strategy consistently works for you in every scenario you should adopt it. However, if you find that sometimes it does not you may want to change it. A good strategy is something that is helpful in all scenarios.

    I find low resolution and connect backs between paragraph to me more helpful. JY added those recently to the RC core-curriculum so I would recommend checking that out.

    Let me know what you think <3

  • eesLSAT2017eesLSAT2017 Alum Member
    59 karma

    @Sami Thanks for your response! Sorry for the slow reply, I was away from my computer all weekend and moble refused to let me add any posts/comments for some reason.

    That definitely does make sense, and is totally the strategy I'm attempting to implement (I guess I just wanted use the basic ideas as a really low res map - like knowing that I probably need to head south to get somewhere, but willing to take a detour north if I need to ;). But I'm messing it up somehow.

    When I started studying for the LSAT a year ago, I took a practice LSAT. I got -3 on RC. Seems OK, I'm naturally a pretty decent reader, my parents read to us a ton when we were little and instilled a love of reading, so that seems about right. Just time to hone those skills, seemed like. I basically was consistently around -2 for a long time, and then took the PS class. I tanked RC. I have no idea what I'm doing differently now, or how it's so incredibly wrong. But I'm messing up so bad now. I got -11 on the real LSAT in September. If I hadn't, I would have been around 172. I'm kind of frustrated and lost. I don't have access to all the things on 7sage any more, I bought the basic course and completed that, but am low on funds now (so I can't really purchase it again). I did watch the high/low res video before, and I really like that. I'm trying going through a ton of RC passages. I don't know if that's helping or not. Sometimes I do OK, most of the time I'm hovering around -5/-7. What do? Thank you for your response already. That makes a ton of sense and I am trying to do that. I just suck at it, I guess.

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