LSAT (Law School Admission Test) Reading Comprehension Syllabus

What does a 'main idea' or 'primary purpose' question ask, and how do correct answers differ?

Both ask for the passage as a whole; 'main idea' captures the central thesis/content, while 'primary purpose' captures the author's intent expressed as an action (e.g., 'to argue,' 'to compare,' 'to refute').

What is the most common error trap in main-idea answer choices?

Choices that are true but too narrow (covering only one paragraph) or too broad (going beyond the passage's scope); the credited answer captures the whole passage and nothing more.

What verbs typically begin correct 'primary purpose' answer choices for an argumentative passage?

Action verbs like 'argue,' 'advocate,' 'criticize,' 'refute,' 'defend,' or 'evaluate'—matching the author's persuasive stance, not neutral 'describe' or 'summarize.'

How should you approach a specific-detail / explicit-information question?

Return to the text and locate the relevant lines; the correct answer is directly stated (often paraphrased), and you should verify it against the passage rather than relying on memory.

What distinguishes an inference question from a detail question on the LSAT?

A detail question asks what the passage states; an inference question asks what must be true or what the passage implies based on its statements, requiring a small logical step beyond explicit text.

What standard must an LSAT inference answer meet?

It must be strongly supported by/follow from the passage—ideally something that must be true given the text; avoid choices requiring outside assumptions or going beyond what's supported.

How do you answer an author's-attitude / tone question?

Identify the author's evaluative language toward the subject and match its direction and intensity; correct answers reflect the right valence (positive/negative/neutral) AND the right strength (e.g., 'qualified approval,' not 'unbridled enthusiasm').

Why are extreme attitude words like 'contempt,' 'hostility,' or 'unqualified admiration' usually wrong on tone questions?

LSAT authors typically adopt measured, qualified academic stances, so extreme-intensity choices overstate the attitude and are usually incorrect unless strongly supported.

What does a 'function' or 'purpose of a passage element' question ask?

Why the author included a specific detail, example, sentence, or paragraph—its role in the argument (e.g., to support a claim, provide a counterexample, qualify a point), not what it literally says.

How do you determine the function of a cited example or quotation in a passage?

Read the surrounding context to see what claim it serves—does it illustrate, support, challenge, or qualify the nearby point?—and choose the role that fits the author's argument.

What do analogy / application (extrapolation) questions require?

Identifying the underlying principle or relationship in the passage and recognizing it in a new, often unrelated scenario in the answer choices.

What is the method for solving an RC analogy question?

Abstract the passage's relationship into a general principle, then test each choice to find the situation that matches that principle most closely in structure, not surface topic.

How do strengthen/weaken questions work in the RC section?

They ask which new fact would support or undermine a specific argument or claim made in the passage—applying logical-reasoning skills to a position stated in the text.

To weaken a claim in an RC passage, what should the correct answer typically do?

Introduce information that contradicts the claim, attacks its support, or shows the author's reasoning/assumption fails—reducing the likelihood the conclusion holds.

How much time, on average, should you allocate per passage in an LSAT RC section (4 passages, 35 minutes)?

Roughly 8-9 minutes per passage including the questions—about 3-4 minutes reading and the remainder answering, adjusting for difficulty.

Why is time allocation across the four RC passages a strategic decision rather than equal splitting?

Passages vary in difficulty; banking time on easier passages lets you spend more on harder ones, and triaging order can maximize the number of questions answered correctly.

What is 'passage difficulty triage' and why is it useful?

Quickly assessing each passage's difficulty and question count to decide an attack order—doing accessible, high-yield passages first to secure points before tackling the hardest one.

What cues suggest an LSAT passage will be relatively hard during triage?

Dense/abstract subject matter, heavy technical vocabulary, multiple competing viewpoints, convoluted sentence structure, or comparative (dual) format.

Why must you 'return to the text' for evidence on most RC questions?

Correct answers are anchored in specific lines; verifying against the passage prevents memory errors and eliminates tempting choices that aren't actually supported.

What is the danger of answering RC questions from memory instead of rereading?

You may select choices that 'sound right' or match your impression but distort, exceed, or contradict the actual text, falling for trap answers.

What is the recommended strategy for managing a dense, technical passage you find confusing?

Don't get bogged down decoding every term—grasp the structure, main point, and viewpoints, mark where technical content lives, and return only as questions require.

What does it mean that the LSAT RC section is 'open book,' and how should that shape strategy?

The passage is in front of you, so prioritize a structural read over memorization and plan to return to specific lines to confirm answers.

What is a 'viewpoint' in RC, and why track shifts between them?

A viewpoint is a stance held by the author or another party; tracking shifts prevents confusing the author's position with views they merely report or oppose—a frequent trap.

How can you predict the answer before reading the choices on an RC question?

After returning to the relevant text, formulate your own answer in your head, then match it to the closest choice—reducing susceptibility to attractive wrong answers.

What is the difference between a 'soft' and 'hard' qualifier in detecting author attitude?

Soft qualifiers ('some,' 'may,' 'often') signal a measured/tentative stance; hard/absolute words ('all,' 'never,' 'must') signal strong commitment—both calibrate how strong the attitude is.

On comparative passages, what is a common wrong-answer trap for 'both passages agree' questions?

A statement that is true of only one passage, or that distorts the level of agreement; the credited answer must be genuinely supported by BOTH passages.

What should you note about the author's purpose in a passage that mostly describes others' theories?

Determine whether the author is neutrally surveying, endorsing one theory, or critiquing them all—the purpose hinges on the author's evaluative stance, even amid heavy description.

How do you handle a 'most strongly supported' / inference question with multiple plausible choices?

Choose the option with the most direct textual support and the smallest inferential leap; eliminate choices that require unstated assumptions or exceed the passage's scope.

What role do examples typically play in LSAT science passages, and how does that aid reading?

They usually illustrate or test a hypothesis or mechanism; recognizing an example as support lets you skim its detail and focus on the claim it serves.

Why is identifying the 'pivot' sentence valuable when mapping passage organization?

The pivot (often after 'however' or 'but') frequently introduces the author's main contention or the turn from background/others' views to the central argument, anchoring the structure.

What is the best general sequence of steps for attacking a single RC passage efficiently?

Triage and choose order, read for structure (main point, purpose, viewpoints, organization), make light annotations, then answer questions by returning to the text and predicting answers before checking choices.