Necessary Assumption

[BobNewbie]

Hello. I have been studying for the LSAT using the PowerScore books, and I continue to have difficulty with Assumption questions. I'm hoping that other users have some tips for me.

I can identify the conclusion, find the "conceptual leap" in the argument, and use the Negation Technique, but I still manage to get many of these questions wrong. I've read PowerScore's Assumption chapter multiple times, but I never find anything new that assists me.

For those that have struggled, what other tips can be recommended to help me break down these questions properly and find the right answer?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

[Adam Tyson]

Thanks for the question, Bob. Assumption questions do tend to be a challenge for a lot of my students, so you are not alone in this.

What might help us to better help you would be an example or two. Let's look at a specific assumption question and talk about your process of sorting the answers into contenders and losers, then look at which contenders are tripping you up to see if we can figure out why.

While we're waiting for that, remember to think of the Negation Technique as being based in Conditional Reasoning. The basic idea is that if the conclusion is true, the assumption MUST also be true. The Negation Technique is just the application of the contrapositive of that idea - if the assumption is false, the conclusion must also be false (or at least, the conclusion no longer has any support, and therefore cannot be logically concluded). When you find an answer choice which, negated, removes all support for the conclusion or else directly disproves the conclusion, you have a winner. Don't just bring it into question - cut its legs out from under it with a vengeance!

Let us know about an example or two that we can work on together, and we'll see if we can start getting to the bottom of it.