C can't be right

Hi Srodgers151, thanks for the question! Hopefully this will clear up the confusion. Answer choice C is correct because author A brings up two specific examples of papers written by historians that adopted the fad of incorporating the word "narrative" into their titles, but do not actually engage the audience. These examples were, "Oral History and the Narrative of Class Identity" as well as "Meaning and Time: The Problem of Historical Narrative". If we look in passage B for any specific example, we fail to find it. Everything spoken about in author B's passage is in general terms. You're right to point out that answer choice E is attractive. However, I would say that neither passage A nor passage B actually outlines a theory. The reason being that everything said in the last paragraph of passage B is that something could be the case. This isn't really a theory. The author uses the following: "may well turn out" and "could perhaps". This doesn't really predict or hypothesize in any direction. But let's imagine that we do consider B to outline a theory, then we will count these as theorizing that something could be true. Or even consider the statement that "perhaps the currently fashionable call for attention to narrative in legal education could have an effect on this" to be a theory. But if we hold these as theories, then A would technically include a theory as well. They are theorizing that historians teach students in the manner that they do because of the way that they were taught themselves in graduate school. So if we consider B to have no theory, then answer choice E is wrong. If we extend the acceptable idea for a theory, then A includes one too. Typically it will be very clear when a theory is or is not presented. An idea will be made clear and the potential outcomes of the hypothesis outlined or obvious. Hope this helps!

Where in Passage A does it/could indicate a theory the same way B does? Moreover, the list of presentation titles at the AHA conference are not specific examples of "the phenomenon" ie the narrativelessness of the historiography genre. We know the theses of these two passages from #42. They argue the respective professions' writings could benefit from storytelling. The examples presented are of the failure to execute adding narrative - not examples of the writing benefiting from adding narrative. Passage B does not address the legal fields attempt to execute change. To assert those are specific examples, misinterprets the thesis of passage A and makes the two passages entirely unparallel.

Hi Srodgers151, I see what you are saying about these examples not being related to "the phenomenon" however, the answer choice only refers to "a phenomenon". Sometimes the evidence for our answers can be portions of the passage that may seem irrelevant to the main point of the passage, but so long as it satisfies the question, then it is perfectly fine to use.

Lsac's reliance on an indefinite article is tenuous at best - but I'll take it. Even so, you did not address why E is wrong - re: where is passage A does it use language that suggests it is presenting a theory. There is no hedging or speculation in your "historians teach the way they were taught" example so I find it inadequate to satisfy my request.

Hi @srodgers151, (E) isn't wrong because passage A actually does present a theory. (E) is true in that it states that passage A doesn't present a theory. Where (E) is wrong, however, is in saying that passage B does present a theory, since no such theory is presented in passage B. Hope this helps!