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The
following passage is an extract from section #2, first chapter of the
LSAT Prep Course. There are totally three chapters
in the LSAT prep course, and each chapter is divided into several sections.
Section 2:
Two Styles
There is an endless number of writing techniques that authors use to present
their ideas. However, there are only two writing styles that may be used in a
LSAT
reading passage: presentation and argumentation.
1. Presentation
This technique is to present an idea that the author will agree or at least
partially agree. The author strengthens his position by citing relevant
evidences, each related to other in a highly structured manner. We call this
style of writing as presentation. Sometimes, the author may
intentionally contrast his position with an opposing view. But most often
the author is just anticipating an objection, he will soon refute it.
Here is a sample passage in presentation.
...................
2. Argumentation
The second
writing style is argumentation. This technique has a number of variations,
but the most common and direct is to develop two to three ideas and then
point out why one is better than the other or just simply refute all of them
and develop the author's own idea.
Some common
tip-off sentences to this method of analysis are:
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It was traditionally assumed...
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It was once believed...
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It was frequently assumed ..
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It was universally accepted..
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Many scientists have argued...
The following passage represents a typical argumentation. At the beginning,
the author presented a phenomenon and gave an explanation, but refuted that
explanation immediately. Then, the second explanation was introduced, but
was denied again in the same paragraph. Finally, a more fruitful one is
presented. The author used the remaining passage try to argue that this
explanation is the correct one.
...................
Why bother to identify the writing style?
Be familiar with the author's writing techniques can help you diagram the
mental road map of a passage, identify the author's intention to cite an
evidence, main idea of a passage, and most importantly, pick up the right
choice quickly and decisively.
Here is an example:
The fact
that superior service can generate a competitive advantage for a company
does not mean that every attempt at improving service will create such an
advantage. Investments in service, like those in production and
distribution, must be balanced against other types of investments on the
basis of direct, tangible benefits such as cost reduction and increased
revenues. If a company is already effectively on a par with its competitors
because it provides service that avoids a damaging reputation and keeps
customers from leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher
service levels may be wasted, since service is a deciding factor for
customers only in extreme situations.
This truth
was not apparent to managers of one regional bank, which failed to improve
its competitive position despite its investment in reducing the time
a customer had to wait for a teller. The bank managers did not recognize the
level of customer inertia in the consumer banking industry that arises from
the inconvenience of switching banks. Nor did they analyze their service
improvement to determine whether it would attract new customers by producing
a new standard of service that would excite customers or by proving
difficult for competitors to copy. The only merit of the improvement was
that it could easily be described to customers.
In the above passage, the author did not try to present his own position
(presentation). If any, the position is that he does not agree with the fact
that superior service can generate competitive advantage for a company. In
fact, the speaker here argued against a popular point of view by reasoning
and examples (argumentation).
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