LNAT Verbal Reasoning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage argues: 'Freedom of speech must be absolute, or it means nothing.' This is an example of which fallacy?
- Straw man
- False dichotomy (Correct answer)
- Appeal to authority
- Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Correct answer: False dichotomy
The argument presents only two extremes — absolute freedom or meaninglessness — ignoring the possibility of principled, limited restrictions.
Question 2: Which best describes the function of a 'rebuttal' in legal argumentation?
- Restating the original claim in stronger terms.
- Providing new evidence unrelated to the opposing argument.
- Countering the opposing party's specific arguments. (Correct answer)
- Summarizing points of agreement between parties.
Correct answer: Countering the opposing party's specific arguments.
A rebuttal directly addresses and counters the specific arguments made by the opposing side.
Question 3: A passage says: 'The more education a person has, the higher their earning potential.' Which best describes the logical structure of this statement?
- A definitional claim about education.
- A causal correlation between two variables. (Correct answer)
- A normative claim about what education should achieve.
- A deductive conclusion from established premises.
Correct answer: A causal correlation between two variables.
The statement asserts a directional relationship between education level and earnings, making it a causal-correlation claim.
Question 4: Which word is closest in meaning to 'perfidious'?
- Loyal
- Treacherous (Correct answer)
- Impulsive
- Eloquent
Correct answer: Treacherous
'Perfidious' means guilty of betrayal or treachery, especially in breaking trust or faith.
Question 5: A passage argues regulation stifles innovation. Which evidence would most SUPPORT this argument?
- Heavily regulated industries show slower rates of patent filing than unregulated ones. (Correct answer)
- Regulations vary significantly between countries.
- Some innovations occur despite heavy regulation.
- Innovation increased after certain regulations were introduced.
Correct answer: Heavily regulated industries show slower rates of patent filing than unregulated ones.
Slower patent rates in regulated industries directly supports the claim that regulation inhibits innovative output.
Question 6: In a passage, the author concedes a point to the opposition before reasserting their own view. What rhetorical technique is this?
- Parallelism
- Concession and refutation (Correct answer)
- Begging the question
- Anaphora
Correct answer: Concession and refutation
Concession and refutation involves acknowledging a valid opposing point before explaining why your overall argument still holds.
Question 7: A passage claims: 'If the defendant was at the scene, they must be guilty.' Which is the most significant flaw in this reasoning?
- It ignores the possibility of being at the scene without committing the crime. (Correct answer)
- It relies on hearsay evidence about the defendant's location.
- It assumes the defendant had motive.
- It fails to consider the defendant's alibi.
Correct answer: It ignores the possibility of being at the scene without committing the crime.
Presence at a scene is not sufficient to establish guilt — it conflates proximity with culpability, ignoring innocent explanations.
LNAT Verbal Reasoning 3
A passage argues: 'Freedom of speech must be absolute, or it means nothing.' This is an example of which fallacy?