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Link assumption

(LinkA)

Arguments that feature an unjustified shift from one concept to another, which don't fit neatly into other common flaw categories (e.g. moving from premises about "buildings" to a conclusion about "houses").

Avg. 3.1 per section
9%
20%
35%
24%
13%

Avg. difficulty: 3.1

Key tactics

  • A huge part of why the LSAT has a reputation as a persnickety, pedantic test is because it constantly asks us to notice tiny changes in wording that lead to substantive differences.
  • Most of the common flawed reasoning patterns can be described in Link assumption terms - jumping from correlation to causation, from sufficiency to necessity, from pecentages to amounts, etc.
  • "Link assumption" is the catch-all tag for conceptual jumps that don't fall into common categories (e.g. from "hiking" to "outdoor recreation").
  • Whenever an author uses two different phrasings to refer to (supposedly) the same concept, ask yourself whether those two concepts are ACTUALLY the same.
  • Sometimes the two concepts are the same. For example, "ways to hide" and "methods of concealment" are functionally the same despite their different wording.
  • Sometimes the two concepts are different. For example, "hiking" and "outdoor recreation" are different because hiking is a specific kind of outdoor recreation, and there are other kinds too (like playing tennis).

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Logical reasoning question types

Alternate explanation Analogy (LR) Argument part Bad authority Causal chain Causal mechanism Causal reasoning Circular reasoning Conditional reasoning Confusing sufficiency and necessity Correlation Diagram? Directionally wrong Eliminating options Equivocation Evaluate Except (LR) Failed alternate explanation False dichotomy Fighting the hypothetical Fill in the blank Flaw or descriptive weakening Illusory inconsistency Inference Internal contradiction Irrelevant corroboration Kick it up Lack of support v. false conclusion Link assumption Main conclusion or main point Math Mental state v. reality Method of reasoning or descriptive Miscellaneous (LR) Misdirected response Most strongly supported Must be false Must be true Necessary assumption Parallel flawed method of reasoning Parallel method of reasoning Part v. whole Phenomenon-hypothesis (LR) Plausibility Point at issue: agree Point at issue: disagree Principle PSA - find or complete the application PSA - find the rule Quantifier Relative v. absolute Resolve reconcile or explain Rule-application Sampling Source attack Strengthen Sufficient assumption Time Unwarranted assumption Value judgment Weaken Weighing factors

Reading comprehension question types

Analogy (RC) Application Art Author’s attitude Author’s perspective Comparative Critique or debate Describe approach Describe organization Describe relationship Except (RC) Humanities Implied Law Logical continuation Main point Meaning in context (of word, phrase, or idea) Miscellaneous (RC) Other’s perspective Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC) Principle or generalization Problem-analysis Purpose in context (of word, phrase, or idea) Purpose of paragraph Purpose of passage Science Single position Spotlight Stated Structure WSE (RC)

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