Week 6, Day 2: Continue Critical Reasoning

 Locating assumptions:

·       Never explicitly stated in the passage but they are implied thereby because the claims made rely on these assumptions to be true

·       In order for the claims in the passage to be true and connect to each other, there are certain unsaid ideas that also have to be true

·       These assumptions are necessary for the argument to be successful, otherwise the argument would fail

·       Look for the “gap” or “hole” in the reasoning – what may seem obvious, but is unsaid

 

Critical Reasoning question types:

·       Reasoning

o   Identify the argumentative roles of highlighted statements

o   Identify the function of statements

o   Identify what conclusion the statements lead to

o   Do not require identifying assumptions

o   Look for the premises & conclusion

o   Correct answers will either be premises or conclusions or talk about their relationship

·       Assumption

o   Identify what the argument assumes

o   Identify what the argument relies on

o   Identify what the argument presupposes

o   Look for the premises & conclusion, try to spot the “gap”

o   Correct answers will NOT be explicitly stated in the passage

·       Strengthen

o   Identify what would most strengthen the argument

o   Identify what would most support the argument

o   Identify what would provide additional evidence

o   Find the premises, conclusion, spot assumptions

o   Correct answers will support assumptions

·       Weaken

o   Identify what would most weaken the argument

o   Identify what would cast most doubt on the argument

o   Identify what will most undermine the argument

o   Find the premises, conclusion, spot assumptions

o   Correct answers will contradict or attack assumptions

 

Basic approach:

·       Read the question carefully – it might just be reading comprehension

·       Analyze the argument – identify the premises and conclusion, look for hidden assumptions

·       Know what the answer needs to do – which characteristic of the argument is relevant?

·       Process of elimination – eliminate wrong answers

o   Assumption questions eliminate answers:

§  Giving brand new information

§  Having the wrong tone

§  Weakening the argument

o   Strengthen questions eliminate answers:

§  Half right

§  Weakening argument

§  Doing nothing

§  KEEP: strong tone

o   Weaken questions eliminate answers:

§  Half right

§  Strengthening the argument

§  Doing nothing

§  KEEP: new information & extreme language

 

Other Critical Reasoning question types:

·       Inference

o   Eliminate answers going beyond the given information

o   Eliminate answers that only could be true

o   Eliminate answers with extreme language

o   Good answers have to be true of logical necessity

·       Resolve/Explain

o   Identify an apparent contradiction

o   Figure out how to explain or solve that contradiction

o   Eliminate answers that do nothing

o   Eliminate answers only half right

o   Eliminate answers that make the contradiction worse