LSAT Writing Tips - Support/Oppose Prompt

[iwishiwasbaking]

Hello! I am practicing for the writing portion of the LSAT and came across a prompt that is slightly different from the examples shown on many test prep websites (e.g., PowerScore, Kaplan, Khan Academy). On PrepTest 81, we are asked to argue for a city council person to either "support or oppose a proposal." The proposal has two separate elements -- a sales tax decrease and a new highway toll -- each with its own set of pros and cons described in the details of the prompt.

I started with PowerScore's suggested t-plot with option 1 (support) and option 2 (oppose) on the Y axis and pro and con on the X axis, but I had trouble making the plot work for this prompt. My LR brain also wanted to see the "oppose" option as 'one, the other, or neither' - but that didn't seem to fit this task. I ended up just having one list of pros (in support of the 'Support' side) and cons (in support of the 'Oppose' side). I also struggled to fit my essay into the standard format (paragraph 1 - support your choice, paragraph 2 - argue against the alternative). My final response moved topic-by-topic, and pros and cons were weaved throughout. Does PowerScore have any advice for planning and writing a response to such prompts?

[Robert Carroll]

baking,

The slightly unusual nature of this prompt masks the great similarity it has to most other writing prompts. Normally, you have two options - Do A, or Do B - and two goals. A does one goal well, but isn't as great for the other goal; the opposite is true of B.

Here, you really have quite a similar situation. Two things can be done - support or oppose. There are two goals to accomplish - cultivate an attractive shopping destination, and retain or gain support among the electorate. The slight twist here is that supporting means doing two things - decrease the taxes and implement the toll road. Oppose means refraining from both of those. So here, support means get all the benefits and costs of both proposals; oppose avoids the costs of the proposal, but also forgoes its benefits. So anything good about the proposal is a "pro" for support and a "con" for oppose; vice versa for anything bad about the proposal. With that in mind, I think the nature of this prompt is extremely similar to most other prompts. I leafed through 10 Actual, Official LSAT Preptests Volume VI, which includes Preptests 72-81 (so ends with this one), and the structure of all writing prompts is remarkable in its similarity.

I think the structure we suggest can work well with this - pick a side, show what's good about it, downplay the other side. I think it's not ideal that you brought up various points in various parts throughout, but, if I may, let me suggest that I'm sure you did fine. The writing sample is not scrutinized as much as other parts of your application!

Robert Carroll

[iwishiwasbaking]

Hi Robert,

Thank you for the reply. This is very helpful! I chose to oppose the proposal in my response, and I think my issues with writing were in part due to my troubles separating pros and cons to fit the suggested structure. Choosing to oppose means that my first paragraph should have shown the cons of the proposal, and my second paragraph should have mentioned some of the pros and then downplayed them.