Logical Reasoning Question Stem Flashcards (Brad Barbay)
Point at Issue
A point on which Randy and Salvatore's views differ is whether
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
Amy's reply is structured to lead to which one of the following conclusions?
How To Solve: Resolve the Paradox
First, you need to identify the paradox within the stimulus. What is weird about the situation in the stimulus? Then, pick the answer choice that would explain why this paradox (weird situation) exists.
Flaw
Ralph's reasoning in his response to Jessica is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
Evaluate The Argument
The answer to which one of the following questions would contribute most in evaluating the argument?
Sufficient Assumption
The argument above can be logically drawn, if which one of the following is assumed?
Necessary Assumption
The argument assumes that?
Necessary Assumption
The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?
Flaw
The argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
Role
The claim in the first sentence of the passage plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
Role
The claim that taxes should increase in proportion to a person's income plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
Point at Issue
The dialogue most supports the claim that Heather and Mike disagree about whether
Parallel Flaw
The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following?
Parallel Flaw
The flawed reasoning in which one of the following arguments most closely resembles the flawed reasoning in the professor's argument?
Main Conclusion
The important thing to remember, is that the right answer choice is not going to list the conclusion word for word. The right answer choice will re-word, summarize, or paraphrase the conclusion in a way that has different words, but still the same meaning!
How To Solve: Role
The most important step here is to identify your main conclusion. From there, compare the statement you are being asked about and compare it to your main conclusion. Is it supporting the conclusion? Is it supporting another sub-conclusion? Does it support the conclusion at all? Could the statement you are being asked about actually be the main conclusion?
Parallel Reasoning
The pattern of reasoning in which of the following is most similar to that in the mayor's argument?
Flaw
The reasoning above is questionable because it fails to exclude the possibility that
Principle Conform
The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following principles?
Parallel Reasoning
The reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels that in which one of the following?
Flaw
The reasoning in the politician's argument is flawed because this argument
How To Solve: Necessary Assumption
The right answer to a necessary assumption MUST BE TRUE for the argument to work. This is because it's a NECESSARY assumption. The assumption is necessary, so it has to be there. Because of this, if you negate the correct answer choice, you are taking away a necessary component from the argument. This causes the argument to be destroyed. If you are ever doubtful about how to negate an answer choice, just put the phrase "it is false that" in front of it.
How To Solve: Principle Conform
The stimulus will present either a principle (rule) or a specific situation. If the stimulus provides a principle, then pick the answer choice that conforms, or follows that rule. If the stimulus provides a specific situation, then pick the principle that the specific situation would conform to.
How To Solve: Evaluate The Argument
The task for Evaluate The Argument is to pick the answer choice that has the biggest weight on the validity of the argument. In essence, if the answer choice is interpreted one way, it could really strengthen the argument. However, if it's interpreted the opposite way, it could really weaken the argument. . Remember, we want to pick the answer choice with the most weight. Which answer choice is going to have the biggest impact on the validity of our argument?
How To Solve: Principle Justify
These work the same exact way as sufficient assumption questions. Pick the answer choice that justifies (strengthens 100%) your argument.
How To Solve: Sufficient Assumption
This answer choice will be sufficient or ENOUGH to guarantee the argument is 100% complete and correct. The right answer to a sufficient assumption question will fill any and all gaps that the argument has. In other words, your sufficient assumption will strengthen the argument 100%. You can think of sufficient assumption questions as justify the reasoning questions.
How To Solve: Strengthen/Weaken
This is all about knowing your argument so that you can strengthen or weaken it! First identify the conclusion, then your evidence. Your goal is to strengthen or weaken the relationship between the conclusion and the evidence. For strengthen questions, think: How can I best support this argument? For weaken questions, think: How could I best poke a hole in this argument?
Point at Issue
Todd's and Andy's positions indicate that they disagree about the truth of which one of the following?
Principle Conform
Which one of the following conforms most closely to the principle illustrated above?
Parallel Flaw
Which one of the following contains questionable reasoning most similar to that in the argument above?
Principle Conform
Which one of the following employee behaviors most clearly violates the company policy outlined above?
Principle Conform
Which one of the following illustrates a principle most similar to that illustrated by the passage?
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the information above?
Flaw
Which one of the following is a questionable argumentative strategy employed in the above argument?
Necessary Assumption
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
Necessary Assumption
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument requires?
Role
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the passage by the claim that fish have gills?
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the information above?
Evaluate The Argument
Which one of the following would be most helpful to know in evaluating the argument?
Principle Justify the Reasoning
Which one of the following, if established, does most to justify the position advanced by the passage?
Resolve The Paradox
Which one of the following, if true, does the most to reconcile the apparent conflict in the system described above?
Resolve The Paradox
Which one of the following, if true, helps to reconcile the statements above?
Flaw
Which one of the following, if true, identifies a flaw in the plan for the program?
Resolve The Paradox
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the finding of the caffeine study?
Resolve The Paradox
Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain why the people mentioned continued to grow beans?
Strengthen
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
Strengthen
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the proposal?
Weaken
Which one of the following, if true, would be the strongest challenge to the author's conclusion?
Point at Issue
William and Max disagree over whether
How To Solve: Must Be True
You need to find the answer choice that can be supported with direct evidence from the stimulus. If the answer you are looking at could potentially be false, then it does not have to be true, and is incorrect.
How To Solve: Flaw
Identify your conclusion, then identify your evidence. In a flaw question, the evidence will not be logically fit to reach the conclusion that the argument reaches. The goal is to try and identify what this potential gap is before going to the answer choices. If you can't come up with a prediction, then look through the answer choices to see if the argument could be flawed in one of the five ways presented.
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
If the environmentalist's statements are true, they provide the most support for which one of the following?
How To Solve: Parallel
If the reasoning is logical, then you need to come up with some sort of diagram or summary of the reasoning that you can take with you when you are looking for the right answer choice. The right answer choice will be an exact match to the summary you come up with.If the reasoning is flawed, identify the flaw in the argument, and then locate the answer choice that is making the same exact flaw. Remember that in either of these question types, the right answer choice may have the sentences presented in a different order than the stimulus does!
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true on the basis of them?
Role
Joshua's statement that "this claim simply cannot be proved" plays which one of the following roles in his argument?
How To Solve: Point At Issue
Like a must be true question, the right answer needs to be backed up with evidence from both speakers in order to conclude that the two speakers disagree or agree on it. For a disagree point question, one person will agree with your answer choice, while the other will disagree with the answer choice. This causes the two people to be in disagreement about the answer choice.
Principle Justify the Reasoning
Which of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the scientist's reasoning?
Principle Justify the Reasoning
Which of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the scientist's reasoning?
Sufficient Assumption
Which of the following, if assumed, would allow the conclusion to be properly drawn?
Weaken
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
Parallel Reasoning
Which one of the following arguments is most similar in its reasoning to the argument above?
Must Be True/Most Strongly Supported
Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the argument above?
