LSAT Reading Comprehension: How to Predict Paragraph Structure Ahead of Time

lsat RC

The higher-level RC skill almost no one teaches — but top scorers all use.

Most LSAT students open a passage and immediately start reading.
Top scorers don’t.
Before their eyes even hit the first sentence, they predict the shape of the passage — the likely roles, tone shifts, and argumentative moves each paragraph will make.

This sounds like magic, but it’s not.
LSAT RC passages follow extremely predictable structural templates, and once you know them, you can anticipate the skeleton before you fill in the details.

Below is the full system Kingston students learn — the same approach that repeatedly moves students from –12 to –4, from –8 to –1, and from “I don’t get RC at all” to “RC is my most reliable section.”

STEP 1: Identify the Passage Type (Before Reading)

There are only three structural categories on modern LSAT RC. Each has its own predictable paragraph pattern:

1. Argumentative (Law/Philosophy/Ethics)

  • Paragraph 1 = introduces a debate or problem
  • Paragraph 2 = develops one view or introduces a counter-view
  • Paragraph 3+ = evaluates, synthesizes, or presents the author’s perspective

You can predict:

  • There will be a shift
  • The author will have an opinion
  • Later paragraphs refine, not surprise

2. Explanatory (Science/Tech/Social Science)

  • Paragraph 1 = introduce phenomenon
  • Paragraph 2 = explain mechanism
  • Paragraph 3+ = complexities, implications, or exceptions

You can predict:

  • Neutral tone early
  • Increasing detail
  • A “but” or “however” moment mid-passage

3. Descriptive/Historical (History/Arts/Humanities)

  • Paragraph 1 = person/event/trend is introduced
  • Paragraph 2 = development of the narrative
  • Paragraph 3 = implications or evaluation

You can predict:

  • Chronology > argument
  • Paragraphs unfold linearly
  • Final paragraph zooms out

Already, before reading a word, you know what each paragraph probably does.

STEP 2: Predict the Author’s Job in Each Paragraph

Once you know the passage type, you can map out expected paragraph roles:

Typical Argumentative RC Structure

  • P1: Define debate + preview positions
  • P2: Develop Position A or give historical background
  • P3: Introduce Position B / author’s critique
  • P4: Author’s resolution, refinement, or preferred view

Typical Explanatory Structure

  • P1: What is happening
  • P2: Why it happens
  • P3: Complication / exception / application

Typical Historical Structure

  • P1: Set the stage
  • P2: Explain the shift, evolution, or conflict
  • P3: Show outcome + reflect on significance

Once you internalize these shapes, surprises disappear — because the LSAT almost never deviates.

STEP 3: Scan the First 1–2 Sentences of Each Paragraph (Micro-Prediction)

Before fully reading, get a sense of “what job is this paragraph doing?”

Look for:

  • Debate markers: “some scholars argue…”
  • Purpose markers: “to understand this…”
  • Contrast markers: “however,” “in contrast,” “nevertheless”
  • Zoom-out markers: “more broadly,” “in general,” “ultimately”

These are structural road signs.
If Paragraph 1 introduces a problem, Paragraph 2 must either:

  • propose an explanation, or
  • introduce a viewpoint.

If Paragraph 2 ends on a contrast, Paragraph 3 must be the contrasting side.

Predicting structure prevents cognitive overload because you’re fitting details into expected buckets rather than trying to process everything equally.

STEP 4: Pre-Label Paragraphs with Roles (Before Reading Fully)

Examples:

  • “P1 = setting up debate”
  • “P2 = theory A / explanation step 1”
  • “P3 = pushback / complication”
  • “P4 = author resolution / takeaway”

Write extremely short labels. They become your anchors.

STEP 5: Read With the Structure in Mind (Not Like a Novel)

Now you read — but you’re not discovering structure.
You’re verifying the structure you already predicted.

This reverses the mental effort:
Instead of “What is going on?” you’re thinking, “Does this match what I expected?”

RC gets easier because uncertainty disappears.

STEP 6: Use Structure Awareness to Crush Question Types

Knowing the shape of the passage gives you a roadmap for:

Main Point

→ Almost always the final paragraph’s job.

Author Attitude

→ Almost always emerges in contrast paragraphs.

Function Questions

→ Easy when each paragraph has a pre-labeled role.

Inference Questions

→ Depend heavily on the paragraph type (e.g., explanatory passages favor mechanism inferences, historical passages favor trend inferences).

Why This Works Better Than Any “Read Faster” Strategy

Because the LSAT isn’t testing reading speed — it’s testing whether you understand:

  • structure,
  • author position,
  • argument shape,
  • and the relationships between ideas.

Predicting structure first means you’re already oriented before you dive in.

This is the difference between reading a city with no map…
and walking through a city with its grid memorized.

Why Kingston Students Excel at RC

Our structure-prediction system is:

  • taught every week, across multiple passages
  • reinforced through nightly 2-hour classes
  • personalized through instructor feedback
  • practiced with weekly drills targeting structure-only reading
  • clarified through constant real-time correction

Because our class meets 4 nights a week, students don’t just learn the structure; they internalize it through repetition.
And because communication with the instructor is open and ongoing, students quickly fix misunderstandings before they fossilize.

This is why Kingston students reliably say the RC stopped feeling random and started feeling natural.