3.9 - Role

Role questions are similar to Reasoning questions, but they shift our focus from how to what. They're also pretty rare—seen maybe once or twice in a given LR section.

Roles involve identifying argument parts and the role played by each part.

The passage will present an argument, then the question will cherry pick some clause or sentence in the argument for you to assess. The right answer could describe the argument's conclusion, some of its evidence, a concession... the list goes on.

These questions are totally predictable, but like Reasoning, you may struggle with them while improve your at dissecting arguments.

Role questions tend to look something like this:

• The claim that Tim must be Erik's brother plays which of the following roles in the argument?
• Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the researchers' hypothesis is unfounded?

Let's work through some examples.

Examples

June 2007 PrepTest, Section 2, Question 11

We'll start with June 2007 PrepTest, Section 2, Question 11:

It is now a common complaint that the electronic media have corroded the intellectual skills required and fostered by the literary media. But several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being destroyed by the spread of literacy. So, what awaits us is probably a mere alteration of the human mind rather than its devolution.

The question asks us to focus on this bit:

...several centuries ago the complaint was that certain intellectual skills, such as the powerful memory and extemporaneous eloquence that were intrinsic to oral culture, were being destroyed by the spread of literacy.

What job does it play? Well, let's start with the conclusion—the last sentence. The author argues that despite what people suggest about electronic media, the human mind will simply change, not rot away. And they support this claim by analogizing the complaints about changes in the electronic media landscape with centuries-old complaints about oral traditions changing to literate ones.

So the argument part in question is evidence by way of example. That's our prediction.

We reap our reward in the answer choices. And while the correct answer doesn't match our prediction word-for-word, it's remarkably close. Check out the link above for our full explanation.

PrepTest 73, Section 3, Question 9

Next, let's look at PrepTest 73, Section 3, Question 9:

Fraenger's assertion that the artist Hieronymus Bosch belonged to the Brethren of the Free Spirit, a nonmainstream religious group, is unlikely to be correct. Fraenger's hypothesis explains much of Bosch's unusual subject matter. However, there is evidence that Bosch was a member of a mainstream church, and no evidence that he was a member of the Brethren.

We're asked to assess the final clause, that there's "no evidence that [Bosch] was a member of the Brethren."

Again, let's work back from the author's conclusion: Fraenger's assertion that Bosch was part of this fringe religious group is unlikely. From there, the author concedes that Fraenger's work accounts for Bosch's peculiar subject material, but then provides counter evidence that Bosch was a member of the mainstream church. The author finishes up with more evidence—the part we're meant to evaluate—that says we have no evidence that Bosch was a member of the group Fraenger's hypothesis mentions.

The clause in question serves as evidence supporting author the author's conclusion that Fraenger's hypothesis about Bosch is probably wrong.

Four answer choices here account for the clause being support, but only one accurately reflects whose argument it supports and how it supports it—D. Check out the link above for our full explanation of each answer choice.

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That's a wrap on Role questions. Next, we'll walk through how to handle Principle questions. See you there.