Identify the principle | Quick guide

In this question, you’re asked to identify the principle that underlies the argument in the passage. You might be asked to identify the principle that will justify the argument, in some cases. Or, you might be asked to identify the principle that’s illustrated by the passage, where the passage contains a situation rather than a conclusion/support-based argument.

Wrong choices will often contain pieces that aren’t relevant to the scope of the argument. In principles that justify questions, wrong choices will be very similar to wrong choices in strengthen questions—they’ll either weaken the argument, or have no impact.

Usually, you won’t want to make a prediction for argument-based passages, but you may be able to make one for situation-based passage. A principle for a situation-based passage would resemble principles that we use in everyday life, such as, “It’s better to be safe than sorry”, or, “Sometimes the solution to one problem creates a new problem.”

✓ Restate the argument or situation in your own words. If the passage is an argument, it's good to identify the conclusion and support. If the passage is situational instead of argumentative, restate the situation in your own words. What’s happening, and how do the pieces of action affect each other?

✓ Compare each choice against the stimulus and consider the impact of each choice. Which one accomplishes the task?

✓ Diagram if necessary. This will be most often helpful in questions that give you the principle in the passage, then ask you to find the situation that illustrates or conforms to that principle. The principle is often presented in the form of conditional logic, which many students find helpful to map out with their pencil.