Trying to most effectively use the process from RC book

[kyuya]

Hey there Manhattan,

I'm trying to use the process for RC outlined in the RC book as effectively as possible. I've yet to read about comparative passages, just did the first bit and trying to implement it before I move onto comparative ones. Been drilling so far from the cambridge RC bundle, untimed just trying to use the PEAR method, read for scale, and do a passage map.

So far what I've done is this:

I'll write PEAR on my page so I remember to utilize the process. As I'm reading, I'm seeing which parts of the passage fall on either side of the scale (assuming there is arguments) which helps me differentiate why information is there. Then, I do my annotations, and put in my summary of the paragraph which eventually leads to me having a completed passage map when I'm done.

How does this sound so far? If I could do ANYTHING to improve this please let me know. I sometimes miss up to 10 on reading comprehension so I'll take any advice. I've never really had a process for RC so I'm a bit slow making sure I'm doing this properly which is suggested in the book so I'm not to worried about that at the moment.

Thanks!!

[ohthatpatrick]

Sounds like you're really practicing great habits, from what you've described.

I'll just add on a few things:

Predict Purpose by the End of the First Paragraph
(or be mad / anxious that you can't yet)

Main points are unique to each passage, but there aren't that many templates to actual LSAT passages.

1. Clarify a Misconception
2. Discuss Problem / Possible Solutions
3. Defend Against Criticism
4. Present and Evaluate Implications of New Research (how does it differ from Old understanding)
5. Criticize Something
6. Present a Debate (maybe pick a side, maybe stay neutral)
7. Informative/Descriptive ... (unpacks an overarching thesis statement)

I found that the better I got to know these common passage trajectories, the easier it was early on to ask myself "Which ride am I riding? Should I expect straightforward, linear discussion or will we bounce back and forth between other people's points-of-view and the author's? Where will I be finding the author's opinion? Right up front and then fleshed out? Or will she save HER ideas until the last paragraph?"

If you get a sense, for example, that early on you're hearing some Problem discussed, it brings onto your radar the thirst for "Will there be a possible solution brought up? Will it be the author's? If not, will she endorse it or reject it?"

This is the "AR" in PEAR, Anticipate and Reassess.

Identify the Main Point Sentence (the MPS)
I used to think that Main Point was not something you'd EXPLICITLY see, but rather a holistic synthesis of everything. Not so. Most passages have an actual sentence that functions nicely as the author's crystallized purpose. You still need a holistic synthesis of everything to figure out what your author's purpose is and where she most clearly reveals it. But you should have an actual sentence (or two or three AT MOST) selected.

If you're into note-taking on RC, try to STOP marking up any detail sentences. ONLY mark up big ideas that get unpacked. You should almost never be marking more than one idea per paragraph, because most paragraphs have only one main point (and again, it's expressed in one sentence, then fleshed out in details).

When you read a Question Stem, take the passage keywords and FIND the sentence(s) being tested.
Students too often look at answers first and then consider looking at the passage if they need to. For most questions, I'm looking back at the passage before looking at answer choices. If a question stem has keywords, you can usually locate which sentence is being tested by finding a keyword lock.

Once you've locked in on your "Proof Window", you force yourself to pick whichever answer choice sounds the most like that.

When you pick an answer choice, you write a line reference next to it.
All correct answers have some supporting line(s). The hardest may have two or three sentences needed, but most answer choices are supported by one line. You need to have the mindset of, "I know my answer choice is right. I proved it." You will still find that your proof was inadequate sometimes, but that's how you better calibrate your brain to what sort of paraphrase of the passage LSAT will / won't accept in an answer choice.

When you eliminate an answer choice, pick the word(s) that's killing it.
The flipside of this is that all correct answers have garbage in them. You can actually make your brain get much faster at identifying the garbage if you're practicing underlining the "broken wording" in each wrong answer.

The most frequent answer killers:
most, typically, generally, usually, primarily, rarely, all, any, each, every, no, none, depends, requires, must, inevitably

Safe, likeable answer choice language:
could, can, might, may, not always, need not, not necessarily, not all, sometimes, can be relevant

Initially, go overboard spending time on RC passages trying to get all the questions right. i.e. do them untimed ... read the passage twice before you even start doing questions ... write down proof sentences and broken words.

Until you prove you can get almost everything right, your primary obstacle is not time, it's understanding and process.

Once you prove you can get through understanding the passage and measuring the language in the answer choices very carefully in comparison, then you can start to focus on how to speed up your process.

Hope this helps.

[kyuya]

Thanks Pat

[tommywallach]

Patrick does indeed work for us. You can tell from his red name in the forum.

-t