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LR
Method of Reasoning
Overview
Method of Reasoning questions ask HOW the argument proceeds — what technique or strategy it uses. Describe the method in abstract terms.
1.Focus on what the argument does, not what it says
2.Common methods: analogy, counterexample, reductio ad absurdum, appeal to authority
3.Match the answer's abstract description to the argument's actual structure
4.Watch for answers that describe what the argument doesn't do
Critic: Your proposal won't work because a similar plan failed in City X. Response: City X's plan differed in key respects, so the comparison is invalid.
The response proceeds by...
Answer B:
The response challenges the analogy by showing relevant differences. It doesn't attack the critic personally or offer new evidence.
✗Describing content rather than method
✗Choosing overly specific or overly vague descriptions
✗Confusing what the argument concludes with how it argues