Assumption Help Forum

[Drobinson87]

Any advice on how to quickly answer assumption questions?

[Kurst]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Any+advice+on+how+ ... estions%3F

[tomwatts]

Well, broadly speaking, you're looking for something that connects what the argument has said in its premises to what it gives for a conclusion. If the argument reads, "Assumption questions are a problem, so doing lots of assumption questions is crucial," then it's assuming the doing lots of assumption questions has anything to do with fixing the problem associated with them (i.e. that the premise and the conclusion are at least related). This is the first step in understanding these; there's a whole lot more that could be said.

But that why, you know, you get a book of technique.

[accuratesite2020]

You definetly need to isolate the tactic your going to use by deciding whether the question stem is looking for the Necessary or the Sufficient Assumption. If looking for the former, you must attack the stimulus carefully looking for what the author is leaving out. The correct answer choice can be located by knocking out some obvious wrong answer choices and then isolating 1 or 2 Ans choices. Use the denial test to knock one answer choice into a weaken answer choice and that is the answer.

With Sufficient assumptions look for term linking between the premise and the conclusion in the answer. Get the LRB now and go over the chapter dealing w/ assumptions. I do about 10-15 assumption problems a day and it has helped. Also, after I come up with my answer untimed I ask myself if the answer is a DEFENDER or SUPPORTER. Again, the LRB will clear this up for you. Its a slow process, but it will pay off with alot of question practice.