LSAT Method of Reasoning

What It Is

Method of Reasoning questions ask you to describe the argumentative technique the author uses -- not what the argument concludes, but HOW it argues. These are meta-questions about logical strategy.

How to Identify the Question Type

• Which of the following describes the technique used in the argument?
• The argument proceeds by...
• The author's strategy in responding to the criticism is to...

Common Argumentative Techniques

• Counterexample: offering a specific case that disproves a general claim
• Analogy: drawing a comparison between two situations to support a conclusion
• Eliminating alternatives: ruling out other explanations to support one
• Appealing to consequences: arguing for or against a position based on its results
• Distinguishing cases: showing that two situations the opponent treats as similar are actually different
• Conceding and rebutting: acknowledging a point then showing it does not support the conclusion

Example Problem

Stimulus: 'My opponent claims all tax cuts benefit the wealthy. But the 2003 child tax credit expansion benefited millions of middle-income families.' Technique: The author offers a counterexample to disprove the opponent's general claim.

Top Tips

• Read the stimulus and narrate what the author is doing step by step before looking at answers
• The correct answer describes the technique at the right level -- not too specific (content-tied) and not too vague
• Wrong answers often describe techniques that WOULD strengthen the argument but are not what the author actually does