Notating Arguments

Notations made to the passage are different than diagramming in response to a
form of reasoning. In the chapter on sufficient and necessary conditions we will
discuss the diagramming of conditional statements, and most people will find that
making those diagrams is extremely helpful.
When first studying Logical Reasoning, many students ask if they should
make notations on or next to each question. The answer depends on the
student. Some people feel very comfortable making notes in the margin and
marking important words or phrases; other students feel these notes waste time
and are distracting. In our experience, either approach can be successful—it is
simply a matter of personal preference.
In general, because so many people get used to note-taking and highlighting
text in college, we feel that you should make notes unless you find them
bothersome. Although most students develop their own personal system, here
are a few symbolizations that you might find useful:
Basic Underlining or Circling
This is the simplest and most common technique of all: attempt to pick out
words or phrases that give decisive information or indicate a turning point in
the stimulus. One or two quick underlines can help crystallize the information,
allowing you to more easily handle the information. Some students prefer to
circle key words instead of underlining, and that works equally well. Here is
an example of underlining:
Scientist: Isaac Newton’s Principia, the seventeenthcentury
work that served as the cornerstone of
physics for over two centuries, could at first be
understood by only a handful of people, but a
basic understanding of Newton’s ideas eventually
spread throughout the world. This shows that the
barriers to communication between scientists and
the public are not impermeable. Thus recent
scientific research, most of which also can be
described only in language that seems esoteric to
most contemporary readers, may also become part
of everyone’s intellectual heritage.
LSAT rules do allow the use of a highlighter pen, and some students use
that instead of underlining. In our experience, switching between your pencil 
and the highlighter pen uses up too much time so try to underline instead
of highlighting. Conversely, highlighting on the Reading Comprehension
section works well because the passages are so much longer.
Bracketing Text
This technique is best for denoting the conclusion. Example:
In his book, published in 1892, Grey used the same
metaphor that Jordan used in her book, which was
published in 1885. The metaphor is so unusual that
there is little chance that two different people
independently created it. Therefore, it is highly likely................C
that Grey read Jordan’s book.
The “C” stands for “conclusion.”
With many test takers, notating becomes so habitual as to be second nature.
When this occurs, the amount of time used by notating is minimal.
Remember, notation systems are simply a helpful tool to keep track of the
information in each stimulus. Although it will help you organize and quickly
locate information, you are still responsible for identifying the conclusion and
overall structure of the passage. Most importantly, be consistent in your
notations! By always notating the same elements in the same way, you can
move through the test as fast as possible with maximum accuracy.