strengthen/weaken

[brandonhsi]

Hello,

I have a question regarding how to approach strengthen/weaken questions that ask to strengthen/weaken some claim/conclusion instead of the argument.

For example,
PT43, S2, Q8
PT37, S2, Q20

I guess if there is no argument, there are more possibilities to strengthen/weaken some claim/conclusion?

Using an example from Ch6 MLSAT book:

Core:

Sally owns more cookbooks than Finn ---> Sally is better cook than Finn

One answer choice:
"Finn is a good cook" - doesn't weaken the core.

However, if there is no core, just the conclusion "Sally is better cook than Finn" given, the the question asking to weaken the conclusion, then "Finn is a good cook" does weaken the conclusion??

[tommywallach]

Hey Brandon,

There are only two types of question that use the language strengthen:

Strengthen questions (which of the following strengthens what you just read)

AND

Inference questions (which of the following is best strengthened by what you just read).

Everything you seem to be describing fits in the first category. Any time there's a conclusion, there is a CORE.

-t

[brandonhsi]

Thanks! However, in the MLSAT LR book, page 237 and page 255, saying the questions on those pages don't have a core, only the conclusion... I guess I should have stated that what I am asking is rare question in the LSAT (as stated in the MLSAT LR book).

[tommywallach]

Hey Brandon,

Sorry, but I don't understand that sentence you wrote (it's not grammatical, sir!). But yes, there are always rare question types, but the in general, a CORE is, by definition a conclusion and a premise. Hope that helps!

-t