CR Para is called an Argument

Types of CR
1) Draw inferences from the argument
2) Strengthen the argument
3) Weaken the argument
4) Resolve the contradiction/paradox in the argument
5) Identify assumptions in the argument
6) Complete the argument
7) Identify the role of boldface parts in the argument

Argument = author’s data + author’s main point

Argument = Facts + conclusion
Facts = anything used to make a conclusion
Facts = example, data, research, survey, situation, etc

NEVER CHALLENGE ANY FACT

 Inference/Conclusion
Q will contain words like inference, conclusion must be true,
has to be true, infer, deduce, deductions, has to follow, etc

Try,
My dog died today.
Therefore, _________
a) I am sad
b) I need a new pet
c) It was alive yesterday
d) It was sick

Which of the above must be true?

Only C
Remember, an inference answer
1) Cannot add new facts at all
2) Will be a restatement of either a part of the argument or
the entire argument itself.
 Find the underlying assumption
Q will contain – assumption, assume, implicit/underlying
premise, which of the following can be added as an additional
premise

Try this,
Study every day for 3 hours. If you don’t, you won’t get a good
score in the exam.
What’s the fact?
What’s the conclusion?
What’s the assumption?
a) The exam is really difficult
b) Nobody has scored well w/o studying for 3 hrs
c) There’s no other way of scoring well in the exam
d) Nobody can cheat the exam
e) The portion is vast

An assumption is the bridge between the fact and the

conclusion.
Your assumption answer must:
1) Be derived from the argument itself
2) Not contain anything new
3) Strengthen the argument by filling the gap between the
facts and the conclusion

Method:
Read every suspected option between the fact and the
conclusion in the argument. The option that sounds like the
perfect bridge between the fact and the conclusion is the
correct answer.
Let’s try this with options A, B and E above.
A – Study for 3 hrs. Exam is difficult. If u don’t study for 3 hrs,
you’ll fail.
B – Study for 3 hrs. Nobody scores well w/o 3 hrs. If u don’t
study for 3 hrs, you’ll fail.
E – Study for 3 hrs. Portion is vast. If u don’t study for 3 hrs,
you’ll fail.

Which makes the best bridge? Option B!

Another one, find the assumption:
SS reduces harmful emissions by 25%
PS reduces harmful emissions by 20%
Therefore, by adopting SS, my company is doing the most it can
to reduce harmful emissions.
a) Some other method may reduce emissions more
b) SS and PS can’t be combined to have a cumulative
reduction in emissions
c) Company is not concerned with reducing pollution and
emissions

Correct answer – B

Strengthen/weaken the argument

Strengthen - Q will contain words like strengthen, supports,
bolster, adds evidence, best helps etc
Weaken - Q will contain words like weakens, undermines, calls
into Q, flaws, fallacy, criticism, etc
How to strengthen/weaken? We have to add new facts.
1) Read the argument
2) Identify the main conclusion
3) Add the word “prove” or “disprove” to the main
conclusion, when it is strengthen or weaken respectively
4) Read the options. Which one strengthens/weakens?
5) Never go against the stated facts but you can add new
facts
6) Don’t eliminate the options because they seem
impossible.

An argument
John ate a lot of butter. John was diagnosed with heart
diseases. Clearly, eating a lot of butter causes heart diseases.
What’s the conclusion? Is this conclusion only for John?
Which of the following support/weaken?
a) Mary ate a lot of butter and was diagnosed with heart
diseases.
b) Stress, smoking or drinking has been known to cause heart
diseases.
c) John had a genetic predisposition towards heart diseases.
 Evaluate
Q will be – what info/evidence is needed to
determine/evaluate/judge the validity of the
argument/conclusion?

Options are not statements/definite values/info (John is

good/bad)
Options are either range of data/info or a question (Behavior
of John [could be good or bad] or Whether John behaves nicely
[could be yes or no]
Thus, no specific info but a range of possibilities
Because, we don’t have to prove the conclusion valid or invalid
We need to find info that when answered, will prove the
conclusion valid or invalid.

Try,
In City G, insurance premium for accidents is slightly higher
than in City F. Also, the number of accidents in G is lower than
in F. Clearly, G is making more profit on accident insurance than
is F.
Which of the following would it be useful to know to evaluate
the argument?
a) Condition of roads and cars in G.
b) Cost of other insurance in G.
c) Cost of repairing accident damage in G.
d) Cost of accident insurance in other cities.
e) Level of traffic congestion in F.

Which option is most relevant to the conclusion?

If you can’t decide, just answer the possible options with “yes”
and with “no, or with “very high” and with “very low”,
whichever applicable. The option that strengthens and
weakens the conclusion with its answers is the right answer.
Let’s try with option B and C.
Option B: cost of other insurance in G
Very high: impact on conclusion that G is making more profit –
nothing
Very low: impact on conclusion that G is making more profit –
nothing
Hence, option B is not the answer.
Option C: cost of repairing accident damage
Very high: impact on conclusion that G is making more profit –
weakened
Very low: impact on conclusion that G is making more profit –
strengthened
Hence, option C is the answer.

Resolve the contradiction

Q will contain words like resolve/reconcile/justify/explain the
paradox/discrepancy/contrast/contradiction/contrasting
incidence, etc

What’s a paradox?
Two things happening together that shouldn’t be happening
together.
Thing 1 – RT and CG are two activities available to SC, of which
RT is more profitable and less damaging to environment.
Thing 2 – SC is still pursuing CG.
Explain the paradox.
Remember,
Never challenge any fact
You have to add a new fact that addresses both the things, and
not just one part of the contradiction.
A usual trick in the paradox Q is that it is stuffed with other
facts that are not part of the paradox. So, first identify the
paradox and then resolve it while not going against any of the
other, if any, facts given in the argument.

Resolve the above paradox

a) SC has had lot of trouble getting permissions for CG.
b) Other companies have also pursued CG in other places.
c) There’s a lot of demand for RT products in the market.
d) It is difficult to train personnel in getting CG done
correctly.
e) RT requires enormous amounts of startup costs.

Boldface
Q is fairly easy to identify because it has words in boldface.
The Q is always - what role do the boldface parts play in the
argument
The basic premise is that an argument = facts + conclusion
Therefore, the boldface parts can either be a fact or a
conclusion.
The options use various fancy words but those words mean and
imply fact or conclusions.
A list of option words commonly used
Fact Fact Conclusion Conclusion
Circumstance Objection Assertion Claim
Situation Premise Case-at-hand Opinion
Judgment Justification Argument Prediction
Data Explanation Recommendation
Evidence Strategy (main) point
Consideration Causation (main) position
Challenge Example (main) conclusion
Findings Support
Observation

Methodology
Determine whether the BF is a fact/conclusion: Read the BF
sentence from the beginning.
If right before the BF words such as known that, fact that,
since, because, as, studies, research, etc are present, the
said BF is a FACT
 If right after the BF words such as known that, fact that,
since, because, as, studies, research, etc are present, the
said BF is a CONCLUSION
If right before the BF, words such as therefore, thus, so,
surely, clearly, certainly, concluded that are present the
said BF is a CONCLUSION.
Scan vertically to check whether any contrast words such as
however, nevertheless, but, although, though, despite, etc are
present.
The part from contrast words onwards is the author’s
area. Whatever lies after the contrast word is supporting
the author, be it a fact or a conclusion. Check whether the
BFs lie in or out of this area. If they lie in author’s area,
they’re supporting or are the author’s main point. If they
lie outside, the author and the argument are against those
BFs.

Careful though:
Look at the following
Although you are a girl and although you’re Indian, you will get
the job.
Are the two “although” bits against each other?
When you spot “and although” in BFs, look for the first
“although”. Be careful to not consider those two against each
other.

‘If’ statements
Such sentences always have two parts, the ‘if’ part and the
‘result’ part.
If the ‘if’ part is bold, consider the BF a fact.
If the result part is bold, consider the BF a conclusion.
If the entire conditional sentence is bold, look for options that
call that BF “a pattern of cause and effect”.