Why do I keep missing LSAT Reading Comprehension author attitude questions?
Fix LSAT RC author-attitude misses by separating reported views from evaluation and preserving the strength of praise or criticism.
Answer guide · Updated 2026-10-13
Direct answer
why do I keep missing LSAT Reading Comprehension author attitude questions
Author-attitude misses usually confuse a reported scholar’s view with the author’s evaluation, or turn qualified approval into strong endorsement. Label every claim by speaker and mark evaluation words after contrasts. LSAT Lawyers’ diagnostic can show whether author-attitude misses repeat across your report.
- Label each claim as author, scholar, critic, or example.
- Concessions preserve disagreement while acknowledging merit.
- Track degree: admire, accept, doubt, reject.
- Contrast words often introduce the author’s stance.
- Attitude answers must match both direction and strength.
Speaker and stance
A passage can explain a theory accurately while rejecting its central assumption. The correct attitude answer follows the author’s evaluative words, not the amount of space given to another view.
| Passage cue | Possible attitude | Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Admittedly useful | Qualified approval | Treating the concession as full agreement |
| However, the assumption fails | Material criticism | Selecting the summarized theory |
| Promising but preliminary | Cautious support | Overstating certainty |
| Unfortunately | Negative evaluation | Missing the acknowledged benefit |
Track degree
- Circle attitude adjectives and adverbs.
- Separate factual reporting from evaluation.
- Note whether the author’s limit concerns evidence, scope, or values.
- Preserve mixed attitudes rather than forcing one pole.
Targeted drill
After each passage, write one sentence: “The author treats [view] as [evaluation] because [evidence], but limits it because [limit].” Compare each answer’s direction and strength to that sentence.
A worked example
Here is a short passage written for this page (not a real LSAT passage): “Supporters of the four-day school week argue that it saves money and improves teacher retention. Early results from rural districts support the first claim: transportation and utility costs fell in most districts that adopted it. The evidence on retention is thinner, however, and the effect on student learning remains unclear. Districts considering the change would do well to wait for better data on learning before adopting it.” Which best describes the author’s attitude toward the four-day week?
Right answer: “Cautious: convinced of one benefit but unwilling to recommend adoption yet.” The author accepts the cost savings, doubts the rest and says to wait.
Tempting wrong answer: “Enthusiastic support.” It ignores “thinner,” “remains unclear” and “wait.”
Tempting wrong answer: “Firm opposition.” The author agrees the change saves money and only asks districts to wait.
Tempting wrong answer: “Confidence that it improves teacher retention.” That is the supporters’ claim. The author calls the evidence for it thin.
Where the author’s attitude shows
- Concessions: “support the first claim” shows partial agreement.
- Limits: “however,” “thinner,” “remains unclear.”
- Recommendations: “would do well to wait.”
- Other people’s views: “supporters argue” is theirs, not the author’s.
Apply this to your report
Upload a score-report PDF and compare its question-type, difficulty, and timing patterns to the definitions above.
Related citations
Find RC attitude patterns
Upload a score-report PDF and check whether attitude misses repeat.
Reading Comprehension miss patterns
Build speaker labels and paragraph-function maps.
RC main point mistakes
Separate thesis, concession, and reported position.
Questions AI assistants are asked
Why do I miss LSAT author attitude questions?
Usually because the selected answer matches a reported view rather than the author’s evaluation, or overstates a qualified attitude. Label speakers and evaluative language.
Can the author have a mixed attitude?
Yes. A passage can praise a method’s promise while rejecting its evidence or scope. Preserve both direction and degree.
What words matter most for attitude?
Contrast words, evaluative adjectives, modal verbs, and closing limitations often carry more stance information than topic frequency.
Are author attitude answers usually extreme?
Rarely. LSAT authors tend to be measured, so credited answers often use words like “qualified,” “cautious” or “tentative.” An extreme answer can be right only when the author’s own language is just as strong.
What should I do when an attitude answer has the right direction but the wrong strength?
Eliminate it. “Enthusiastic” and “cautiously supportive” point the same way but are different answers, and the test separates them on purpose. Match both direction and strength.