Drawing Valid Inferences from Passages

The previous lesson introduced what inferences are. This lesson focuses on the practical skill of drawing valid inferences from longer, more complex passages — the kind you will encounter on the LNAT. You will learn a systematic method for determining what logically follows from a passage and, crucially, what does not.

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The Golden Rule of Inference

An inference must be supported by the passage. If you need information from outside the passage to justify the inference, it is not valid.

This rule sounds simple, but it is remarkably difficult to apply under time pressure. Your brain naturally fills in gaps using your existing knowledge and beliefs. On the LNAT, you must consciously resist this tendency.

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Types of Information in a Passage

When reading an LNAT passage, recognise that it contains different types of information: