Read _______________ first!
Question
Three parts of an argument:
1. Conclusion
2. Premises
3. Assumptions
Most important POE technique:
Eliminating answer choices outside the SCOPE of the argument.
Eight Question Types Acronym
1. All
2. Sheep
3. Wear
4. Insulated
5. Reversible
6. Eco-friendly
7. Indigo
8. Parkas
A
S
W
I
R
E
I
P
Assumption
Strengthen the argument
Weaken the argument
Inference
Resolve/Explain
Evaluate
Identify the reasoning
Parallel reasoning
Assumption
- Unstated premises that support the conclusion
- Look for flaw in the argument that is fixed by the assumption.
Strengthen the argument
- Look for answers with info supporting the conclusion
- Find gap in argument and try to close it
Weaken the argument
- Look for answer choice that points out flaws in the reasoning of the passage.
- Find gap in the argument and widen (expose) it.
Inference
- Do not actually want you to infer. Typically focuses on premises (not conclusion).
Use Scope and POE to eliminate answer choices.
Resolve/Explain
- Choose answer choice that explains an apparent contradiction between two incompatible facts.
- Which answer allows the contradictions to be true at the same time?
Evaluate the argument
- Choose answer that would help evaluate an unspoken assumption about the argument.
- Look for unspoken assumptions in the passage.
Identify the reasoning
- Choose an answer that identifies the purpose of a word or phrase or the type of reasoning used in the passage.
- Determine the conclusion, premises, and assumptions and see how they relate.
Parallel the reasoning
- Which answer mimics the method of the reasoning used in the passage?
- If A, then B.
Three Types of assumptions:
1. Casual
2. Assumptions of Analogy
3. Statistical
Casual Assumptions
- Look for alternate causes before assuming.
Assumptions of Analogy
- Are the two situations analogous?
Statistical Assumptions
- Are the statistics representative?