Argument vs. Explanation on the LSAT
Not every passage on the LSAT is an argument. Learn to tell an argument (trying to convince you) from an explanation (accounting for an accepted fact) — and why it changes your approach.
2026-06-01 · 6 min read
The core distinction
An argument tries to convince you that a claim is true by offering support for it. An explanation takes a fact everyone already accepts and tells you why it happened. Same grammar, different purpose: the argument's conclusion is in question; the explanation's outcome is taken as given.
Why it matters
Many LSAT questions assume you have correctly identified the structure. If a stimulus is an explanation, asking "what's the conclusion?" or "what assumption does the argument need?" can lead you astray. Resolve-the-paradox questions, in particular, hinge on recognizing that you are being asked to explain a surprising fact, not evaluate an argument.
Worked example
Explanation: "Sales fell last quarter because a competitor cut prices." The drop in sales is accepted; the sentence accounts for it.
Argument: "A competitor cut prices, so our sales will fall next quarter." Here the falling sales are a prediction the author is trying to support — that is a conclusion in question.
Ask yourself: is the outcome already accepted (explanation) or is the author trying to get me to accept it (argument)? Verbloom's drills label stimuli by type so you choose the right toolkit immediately.
Frequently asked questions
How can I quickly tell an argument from an explanation?
Ask whether the final claim is something the author is trying to prove (argument) or something already accepted that the passage accounts for (explanation).
Which question types depend on this distinction?
Resolve-the-paradox questions especially, since they present an accepted but surprising fact to be explained rather than an argument to be evaluated.
Can the same sentence be either one?
Yes — the wording can be nearly identical. Context and the surrounding sentences tell you whether the outcome is in dispute or assumed.
Related Verbloom guides
Sources
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