Some Method of Reasoning answer choices can be difficult to understand because they are
written in a way that is obviously designed to be confusing. The test makers excel at using
deceptive language to make wrong answers attractive and to hide the correct answer.
In Chapter Four we discussed several types of incorrect answers that appear in
Must Be True questions. In this section we will review selected answer types
from that chapter that apply to Method of Reasoning questions and add an
additional wrong answer type.
1. “New” Element Answers
Because correct Method of Reasoning answers must be based on
elements of the stimulus, an answer that describes something that did not
occur or describes an element new to the argument cannot be correct. All
of the wrong answer choices described below are simply very specific
variations on this theme.
2. Half Right, Half Wrong Answers
The makers of the LSAT love to present answers that start out by
describing something that in fact occurred in the stimulus. Unfortunately,
they often end by describing something that did not occur in the stimulus.
The rule for these answers is that half wrong equals all wrong, and these
answers are always incorrect.
3. Exaggerated Answers
Exaggerated Answers take a situation from the stimulus and stretch that
situation to make an extreme statement that is not supported by the
stimulus. Be careful, though! Just because an answer choice contains
extreme language does not mean that the answer is incorrect.
4. The Opposite Answer
As the name suggests, the Opposite Answer provides an answer that is
exactly opposite of correct.
5. The Reverse Answer
The Reverse Answer is attractive because it contains familiar elements
from the stimulus, but reverses them in the answer. Since the reversed
statement does not describe what occurred in the stimulus, it must be
incorrect.
Interestingly, the incorrect answer choices in any Method of Reasoning question
can be a helpful study aid in preparing for future questions. Since the makers of
the LSAT tend to reuse certain methods of reasoning, familiarizing yourself
with those methods and the language used to describe them helps you prepare
for when you encounter them again. You should carefully study all Method of
Reasoning answers—correct and incorrect—and it would not be unreasonable
to keep a list of the different types of methods you encounter. Remember, the
wrong answer choice on one question could be right answer choice on another
question. After you complete the problem and are reviewing each wrong
answer choice, try to imagine what type of argument would be needed to fit that
answer. This exercise will strengthen your ability to recognize any type of
argument structure.
As part of the First Family, Method of Reasoning questions are grouped with Must Be True,
Main Point, etc. Each type of question shares similar characteristics, but the exact execution of each is different. For example, one way to compare Must Be True questions to Method of Reasoning questions is to use an analogy about trees in a forest. A Must Be True question is like examining a single tree and looking at the details: the bark, the branches, the leaves, etc. A Method of Reasoning question requires you to look at that same tree,
but from a different perspective, one that is farther away and places that tree in the
context of the forest. You are no longer looking at the individual branches and leaves, but rather at the general structure of the tree.
written in a way that is obviously designed to be confusing. The test makers excel at using
deceptive language to make wrong answers attractive and to hide the correct answer.
In Chapter Four we discussed several types of incorrect answers that appear in
Must Be True questions. In this section we will review selected answer types
from that chapter that apply to Method of Reasoning questions and add an
additional wrong answer type.
1. “New” Element Answers
Because correct Method of Reasoning answers must be based on
elements of the stimulus, an answer that describes something that did not
occur or describes an element new to the argument cannot be correct. All
of the wrong answer choices described below are simply very specific
variations on this theme.
2. Half Right, Half Wrong Answers
The makers of the LSAT love to present answers that start out by
describing something that in fact occurred in the stimulus. Unfortunately,
they often end by describing something that did not occur in the stimulus.
The rule for these answers is that half wrong equals all wrong, and these
answers are always incorrect.
3. Exaggerated Answers
Exaggerated Answers take a situation from the stimulus and stretch that
situation to make an extreme statement that is not supported by the
stimulus. Be careful, though! Just because an answer choice contains
extreme language does not mean that the answer is incorrect.
4. The Opposite Answer
As the name suggests, the Opposite Answer provides an answer that is
exactly opposite of correct.
5. The Reverse Answer
The Reverse Answer is attractive because it contains familiar elements
from the stimulus, but reverses them in the answer. Since the reversed
statement does not describe what occurred in the stimulus, it must be
incorrect.
Interestingly, the incorrect answer choices in any Method of Reasoning question
can be a helpful study aid in preparing for future questions. Since the makers of
the LSAT tend to reuse certain methods of reasoning, familiarizing yourself
with those methods and the language used to describe them helps you prepare
for when you encounter them again. You should carefully study all Method of
Reasoning answers—correct and incorrect—and it would not be unreasonable
to keep a list of the different types of methods you encounter. Remember, the
wrong answer choice on one question could be right answer choice on another
question. After you complete the problem and are reviewing each wrong
answer choice, try to imagine what type of argument would be needed to fit that
answer. This exercise will strengthen your ability to recognize any type of
argument structure.
As part of the First Family, Method of Reasoning questions are grouped with Must Be True,
Main Point, etc. Each type of question shares similar characteristics, but the exact execution of each is different. For example, one way to compare Must Be True questions to Method of Reasoning questions is to use an analogy about trees in a forest. A Must Be True question is like examining a single tree and looking at the details: the bark, the branches, the leaves, etc. A Method of Reasoning question requires you to look at that same tree,
but from a different perspective, one that is farther away and places that tree in the
context of the forest. You are no longer looking at the individual branches and leaves, but rather at the general structure of the tree.
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