Picking out assumptions

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• 1 Like

  inactive Alum Member

  January 2018 12637 karma

  Bumping this to the top.
• 2 Likes

  Eric25 Member

  January 2018 720 karma

  What always helps me on a NA question is imagining myself making the argument and as I read the answer choices I ask myself "do I NEED this to be true?" If I do, then great its probably my NA, I'll negate it to check and go from there. If I read an answer choice and shrug my shoulders like eh I don't absolutely require this to make my argument work, then that is a good indication its not the NA. Before I check the answer choices I always have a rough idea of what the argument's assumption is, but I read the answer choices with the expectation that my idea of the assumption and the actual NA might be very different. I hope this helps!
• NovLSAT2019 Alum Member

  January 2018 620 karma

  @"Dillon A. Wright" Thanks Dillon!

  @estouten25 Thank you for the input! Yes, I think we're on the same page here regarding the approach. It's my understanding that SA is blatantly obvious while NA requires a bit more creativity. I have the same issue where I pick out the assumption and it's not one of the answer choices which is frustrating at times because I'd lose time negating the AC's to find the NA. That's the struggle. I think the shielding NA works fine with the negation for me even if I don't get the expected assumption but bridging NA isn't as concrete.

  So my question is, how do I let the stimulus tell me the correct NA? Do I just need to use brute force?
• 2 Likes

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 edited January 2018 23929 karma

  @BrianSeo said:
  @"Dillon A. Wright" Thanks Dillon!

  @estouten25 Thank you for the input! Yes, I think we're on the same page here regarding the approach. It's my understanding that SA is blatantly obvious while NA requires a bit more creativity. I have the same issue where I pick out the assumption and it's not one of the answer choices which is frustrating at times because I'd lose time negating the AC's to find the NA. That's the struggle. I think the shielding NA works fine with the negation for me even if I don't get the expected assumption but bridging NA isn't as concrete.

  So my question is, how do I let the stimulus tell me the correct NA? Do I just need to use brute force?

  For necessary assumption questions in LR you need to be able to weed through the excess verbiage in the stimulus and identify the argument core with surgical precision, identify the conclusion first then the reasoning and figure out why the premises do not substantiate the conclusion (there will always be at least one reason, there has to be). If you're able to pre-phase an answer it'll make it easier for you to identify the correct answer, that said don't fall in the trap of eliminating wrong answer choices because they don't match up with the answer you pre-phased. The arguments almost always have many reasoning issues and sometimes the correct answer choice will either be one that you did not anticipate or if it is it may be worded in a different way so be cognizant of that too. Also, one important thing when eliminating wrong answer choices work from wrong to right, not vice versa. A skeptical state of mind is imperative to doing well on this test, especially when eliminating answer choices. Usually there are 1 or 2 blatantly wrong answer choices which that you can eliminate pretty quickly. Of the remaining choices, the wrong answers will often contain a quantifier/modifier like "most" that extends the scope of the argument or something, so play close attention to stuff like that, one word can make an otherwise seemingly correct answer incorrect. Come up with one reason for why an answer choice is incorrect, if you can't don't eliminate it because it could be the correct answer.

  Hopefully if you start tackling them that way you'll avoid getting trapped by being spoon fed answers.
• NovLSAT2019 Alum Member

  January 2018 edited January 2018 620 karma

  @"Alex Divine" said:

  @BrianSeo said:
  @"Dillon A. Wright" Thanks Dillon!

  @estouten25 Thank you for the input! Yes, I think we're on the same page here regarding the approach. It's my understanding that SA is blatantly obvious while NA requires a bit more creativity. I have the same issue where I pick out the assumption and it's not one of the answer choices which is frustrating at times because I'd lose time negating the AC's to find the NA. That's the struggle. I think the shielding NA works fine with the negation for me even if I don't get the expected assumption but bridging NA isn't as concrete.

  So my question is, how do I let the stimulus tell me the correct NA? Do I just need to use brute force?

  For necessary assumption questions in LR you need to be able to weed through the excess verbiage in the stimulus and identify the argument core with surgical precision, identify the conclusion first then the reasoning and figure out why the premises do not completely substantiate the conclusion (there will always be at least one reason, there has to be). If you're able to pre-phase an answer it'll make it easier for you to identify the correct answer, that said don't fall in the trap of eliminating wrong answer choices because they don't match up with the answer you pre-phased. The arguments almost always have many reasoning issues and sometimes the correct answer choice will either be one that you did not anticipate or if it is it may be worded in a different way so be cognizant of that too. Also, one important thing when eliminating wrong answer choices work from wrong to right, not vice versa. A skeptical state of mind is imperative to doing well on this test, especially when eliminating answer choices. Usually there are 1 or 2 blatantly wrong answer choices which that you can eliminate pretty quickly. Of the remaining choices, the wrong answers will often contain a quantifier/modifier like "most" that extends the scope of the argument or something, so play close attention to stuff like that, one word can make an otherwise seemingly correct answer incorrect. Come up with one reason for why an answer choice is incorrect, if you can't don't eliminate it because it could be the correct answer.

  Hopefully if you start tackling them that way, you'll avoid getting trapped by being spoon fed answers.

  @"Alex Divine" Thank you so much for the detailed advice! Really helpful stuff for the test!!

  (1) Weed through the excess verbiage and identify the argument's core with surgical precision.

  (2) Pre-phase an answer (disclaimer: sometimes the correct answer choice will either be one that you did not anticipate or if it is it may be worded in a different way).

  (3) When eliminating wrong answer choices work from wrong to right, not vice versa.

  (4) A skeptical state of mind is imperative to doing well on this test.

  (5) The wrong answers will often contain a quantifier/modifier like "most" that extends the scope of the argument or something.

  (6) Come up with one reason for why an answer choice is incorrect, if you can't don't eliminate it because it could be the correct answer.

  I think the root of the problem with me was exactly (2). As the lesson on assumptions in CC states, basically the same as the intro to NA, there are MANY of them within an argument. Most of the times I would get one of the assumptions and forget that there might be more of them--which in turn yields frustration and triggers the time consuming process of negating the ACs.

  I arrogantly assumed that the assumption I picked out was presumably the correct assumption.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  January 2018 edited January 2018 23929 karma

  @BrianSeo said:

  @"Alex Divine" said:

  @BrianSeo said:
  @"Dillon A. Wright" Thanks Dillon!

  @estouten25 Thank you for the input! Yes, I think we're on the same page here regarding the approach. It's my understanding that SA is blatantly obvious while NA requires a bit more creativity. I have the same issue where I pick out the assumption and it's not one of the answer choices which is frustrating at times because I'd lose time negating the AC's to find the NA. That's the struggle. I think the shielding NA works fine with the negation for me even if I don't get the expected assumption but bridging NA isn't as concrete.

  So my question is, how do I let the stimulus tell me the correct NA? Do I just need to use brute force?

  For necessary assumption questions in LR you need to be able to weed through the excess verbiage in the stimulus and identify the argument core with surgical precision, identify the conclusion first then the reasoning and figure out why the premises do not completely substantiate the conclusion (there will always be at least one reason, there has to be). If you're able to pre-phase an answer it'll make it easier for you to identify the correct answer, that said don't fall in the trap of eliminating wrong answer choices because they don't match up with the answer you pre-phased. The arguments almost always have many reasoning issues and sometimes the correct answer choice will either be one that you did not anticipate or if it is it may be worded in a different way so be cognizant of that too. Also, one important thing when eliminating wrong answer choices work from wrong to right, not vice versa. A skeptical state of mind is imperative to doing well on this test, especially when eliminating answer choices. Usually there are 1 or 2 blatantly wrong answer choices which that you can eliminate pretty quickly. Of the remaining choices, the wrong answers will often contain a quantifier/modifier like "most" that extends the scope of the argument or something, so play close attention to stuff like that, one word can make an otherwise seemingly correct answer incorrect. Come up with one reason for why an answer choice is incorrect, if you can't don't eliminate it because it could be the correct answer.

  Hopefully if you start tackling them that way, you'll avoid getting trapped by being spoon fed answers.

  @"Alex Divine" Thank you so much for the detailed advice! Really helpful stuff for the test!!

  (1) Weed through the excess verbiage and identify the argument's core with surgical precision.
  
  (2) Pre-phase an answer (disclaimer: sometimes the correct answer choice will either be one that you did not anticipate or if it is it may be worded in a different way).

  (3) When eliminating wrong answer choices work from wrong to right, not vice versa.

  (4) A skeptical state of mind is imperative to doing well on this test.

  (5) The wrong answers will often contain a quantifier/modifier like "most" that extends the scope of the argument or something.

  (6) Come up with one reason for why an answer choice is incorrect, if you can't don't eliminate it because it could be the correct answer.

  I think the root of the problem with me was exactly (2). As the lesson on assumptions in CC states, basically the same as the intro to NA, there are MANY of them within an argument. Most of the times I would get one of the assumptions and forget that there might be more of them--which in turn yields frustration and triggers the time consuming process of negating the ACs.

  I arrogantly assumed that the assumption I picked out was presumably the correct assumption.

  Of course!

  Usually the gap in the reasoning is obvious, but every once and a while there's something you didn't expect. So be aware, haha.

  I'm a fan of pre-phrasing answers with assumption family questions but you have to remain flexible, always!