Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts tests critical reading, argument analysis, and interpretation rather than memorized facts. Expect passages that ask for the main claim, an assumption, a valid inference, the author's tone, or the function of a paragraph.
Core rules
- Separate claim from evidence. A claim is what the author wants accepted; evidence is what supports it.
- An assumption is an unstated premise needed for the argument to work. An inference is a conclusion that follows from stated evidence.
- Watch qualifiers such as some, most, all, and only. Strong words change the logical scope of a statement.
- Tone is the author's attitude; purpose is the author's aim. They are related but not identical.
- In comparative passages, identify agreement, disagreement, and the point each author would concede.
Worked example
Passage: Cities that added bike lanes saw retail sales rise; therefore bike lanes boost retail. The conclusion is that bike lanes boost retail. The evidence is a correlation between bike lanes and sales. The argument assumes no other factor, such as a simultaneous economic boom or road closures, caused the rise. Because correlation does not prove causation, the strongest criticism is that an omitted variable may explain both. A valid inference is only that bike-lane cities tended to have rising sales in the observed period.
Traps
Choosing an answer because it is true in the real world but not supported by the passage; confusing restatement with inference; ignoring extreme wording such as always or never; and mistaking the author's tone for the passage's subject. Also check whether a question asks what is stated, what is implied, or what weakens the argument.