Term matching LR Forum

[ltowns1]

For LSAT Folks. We're told the you should not "term match" (when looking for a right answer in assumption family questions you find an answer that has similar words). However, should there be a caveat to that? While you don't want to term match, logically speaking, we have to see relevant nouns that occur in the premise or conclusion (our core) stated in some way back in the correct answer choice right? Maybe not explicitly stated just as it was, but they do have to be related right? From a intellectual point of view, that question has always made me wonder.

[Op_Diom]

Yeah this is something that has really helped me recently, especially for assumption questions. When finding the appropriate assumption to pre-phrase, I always look for terms that are assumed to be equivalent in normal day-to-day standards but which really aren't in terms of the LSAT. Therefore, the missing link can be easily found if you think about how the meaning of the term changes in the argument, which easily leads you to the correct answer. Also, I find that being leery of identical terms in answer choices in regard to the argument, helps me to spot a falsification because correct answers usually change the way a concept/idea is described or implemented in general.

[Manhattan Prep Matt]

I always look for terms that are assumed to be equivalent in normal day-to-day standards but which really aren't in terms of the LSAT.

We call that detail creep, and it's very dangerous! There's an especially tricky question that has answers that would be correct(er) if you assume that free speech is an inalienable human right, which most Americans wouldn't even think twice about.

For me, matching language doesn't make me discount an answer; it makes me wary of it. Correct answers will have to match some language, otherwise they're completely out of scope. However, if there's a really close language match, I'm always going to check to make sure that they're not using the big nouns/topic to distract me from the smaller words, where most answer choices go wrong.

Also, to address some specific issues raised here, Sufficient Assumption questions have a ridiculously large number of arguments that feature a new term in the conclusion - that term, in some form, MUST show up in the correct answer. If you start looking for that, you'll be shocked how often that alone gets you down to 2 answers (or even just the correct answer).

[Binghamton1018]

^Manhattan Prep Matt-can you direct me to that first amendment question? Thank you!

[Manhattan Prep Matt]

^Manhattan Prep Matt-can you direct me to that first amendment question? Thank you!

PT30, S4, Q1.

[Binghamton1018]

thank you!

[Op_Diom]

I always look for terms that are assumed to be equivalent in normal day-to-day standards but which really aren't in terms of the LSAT.

We call that detail creep, and it's very dangerous! There's an especially tricky question that has answers that would be correct(er) if you assume that free speech is an inalienable human right, which most Americans wouldn't even think twice about.

For me, matching language doesn't make me discount an answer; it makes me wary of it. Correct answers will have to match some language, otherwise they're completely out of scope. However, if there's a really close language match, I'm always going to check to make sure that they're not using the big nouns/topic to distract me from the smaller words, where most answer choices go wrong.

Also, to address some specific issues raised here, Sufficient Assumption questions have a ridiculously large number of arguments that feature a new term in the conclusion - that term, in some form, MUST show up in the correct answer. If you start looking for that, you'll be shocked how often that alone gets you down to 2 answers (or even just the correct answer).

Yeah, you're right. I apologize, didn't want to give out any misleading info, but all I meant by that was a term-shift seems to lead me in the right direction in assumption questions -- not that one should totally rely on a shift itself in regard to finding a correct answer.

[ltowns1]

I think I've come to the conclusion that when look at assumption family question its best to find terms that are relevant (most of the time that will finding something stated in the premise and conclusion) and then analyzing the answer to see if the rest of the answers fits my profile of the correct answer. While having said that, I realize that matching terms are mp it sufficient or necessary to find the correct answer, but I would venture to say that most of the times it is at least helpful. Especially when considering strengthening/weakening questions.