LSAT Strengthen Question Advice on Eliminating Alternatives

This is an LSAT prep post dealing with logical reasoning questions that ask you to strengthen an argument.

One way to strengthen an argument on logical reasoning LSAT questions is to eliminate an alternative.

For example, let's say there is an argument that goes like this:

Jimmy drives to work. Jimmy is healthy. Therefore, driving to work leads to good health.

When you look at this argument, you intuitively can tell that there may be other causes of Jimmy's good health. For example, Jimmy may be eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Jimmy may be exercising regularly. Jimmy might have a low stress job. These could all be the actual reasons why Jimmy is healthy instead of the fact that he drives to work.

To strengthen the argument, you can eliminate one of those potential other reasons for Jimmy's good health. Thus, the right answer for a strengthen question in this scenario can look like this:

Jimmy does not eat a diet that is particularly high in vegetables and fruit.

By getting rid of a different possible explanation that Jimmy's diet is what is causing Jimmy's good health, you are strengthening an argument. Even though you are not explicitly talking about the "driving to work" aspect of the question, this is an allowable right answer on the LSAT and comes up repeatedly.

Remember to look out for answers that eliminate alternatives in strengthen questions.

Crown LSAT

#lsatprep #lawschooladmissions