Approaching Assumption Questions

[cpando1995@gmail.com]

I seem to be having a hard time finding what is necessary for the conclusion. When the stimulus contains conditional statements or causality, it's easier to see what the author is assuming, but in stimuli where neither of those are present, it becomes much more difficult. Is there a tool to find what's necessary regardless of stimulus?

[Adam Tyson]

The way to start your approach to any assumption question, whether it is causal or conditional or something else, is by pre-phrasing. Ask yourself what is missing, what did the author leave out. Don't be afraid of the blatantly obvious - often the answer to an assumption question really is staring you right in the face and may sound too easy to be the right answer, but if it's right, it's right.

Next, sort your answers into losers and contenders. If the answer is clearly junk, cross it out - it's a loser. If you are not sure, or if you think it's good, then keep it - that's a contender. Very important step there - KEEP any answer that you do not understand. If you can't reject it with certainty, it has to be a contender.

Finally, if you have more than one contender on an assumption question, apply the Assumption Negation technique, discussed in our course materials in the lessons on assumptions. Take each contender and negate it - that is, make it into a false statement. Sometimes that is as simple as adding or removing the word "not" from the answer, other times it gets a little more tricky and involves some re-wording. Just make sure your negation is the logical opposite of the original answer, and denies the truth of the answer. Now, does the negated answer wreck the argument by either undermining all the support for the conclusion or directly contradicting the conclusion? If so, you've found the correct answer. If it merely weakens, or has no impact, then that answer choice was not an assumption of the argument and you can add it to the pile of losers like so many vanquished foes.

Keep up the good work!

[cpando1995@gmail.com]

Prephrasing seemed so difficult when doing assumption questions, but in doing what you suggested, it's easier. I kept thinking that the assumption had to be more solid.

Thanks, Adam!