PrepTest 157

[lcid:3725] Prep Test 157 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S2 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Buyer: As a buyer Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: B

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Valid

Strategy Overview

Argument or facts? Always argument, so identify premises and conclusions of argument Diagrammable? If yes, diagram out premises and conclusion. Note key identifiable characteristics of argument (How many premises? Quantifiers? Ands/ors? Contrapositives? Transitives?) Can also convert specific terms in diagram to As, Bs, Cs, Ds, etc. Eliminate an answer choice as soon as you notice it doesn't possess a key identifiable characteristic the passage possesses Diagram remaining until you find a matching diagram If not, paraphrase the method of reasoning Keep in mind common methods of reasoning, like argument by analogy Select answer choice that uses the same method of reasoning

Answer Anticipation

Parallel Reasoning questions task us with finding the answer choice with the same argumentative structure as the argument in the passage. There are two ways we can look beyond the subject matter of the passage to uncover its underlying structure. One route is to diagram the premises and conclusions (if they're "if-then" or "most"/"some" statements ). Alternatively, we can describe the argumentative strategy (if the premises and conclusion are not conditional and do not involve quantifiers). This question features the "then" keyword "only," so we should diagram it. There's an "if-then" premise, a factual premise about a Peruka dress, and a factual conclusion about that dress. We'll also take the flipside of the "if-then" premise. P: Buy → Fashionable and NOT Expensive / NOT Fashionable or Expensive → NOT Buy P: Fashionable and Expensive

Answer choices

  1. A
    A snowflake will melt Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited

    This answer choice's conclusion resembles the passage's conclusion that "I will not buy the dress." However, its premises do not resemble the passage's premise. Remember, we're looking for an "if-then" premise that has an "and" on the "then" side. This answer choice's "if-then" premise has an "and" on the "if" side, which is enough to eliminate (A) without diagramming it.

    If we did diagram out this entire answer choice, we'd see that it does not resemble the passage's structure:

    P: Warm Place and NOT Insulated → Snowflake Melt / NOT Snowflake Melt → NOT Warm Place or Insulated

    P: Warm Place and Insulated

    Conclusion: NOT Snowflake Melt

    Unlike the passage, this is not a valid argument. It makes a conclusion about the flipside's "if" condition. When we only have one "if-then" statement, we can only make valid conclusions about the "then" condition.

  2. B
    A stuffed animal, in Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem

    This answer choice's conclusion resembles the passage's conclusion that "I will not buy the dress." At a glance, its premises resemble the passage's premises, too. Like the passage, this answer choice features an "if-then" premise with an "and" on the "then" side and a factual premise.

    Since this answer choice's identifiable characteristics match the passage's, we can diagram this entire answer choice to confirm that it also parallels the passage's structure:

    P: Pass Inspection → NOT Sharp Edges and Sealed / Sharp Edges or NOT Sealed → NOT Pass Inspection

    P: NOT Sharp Edges and NOT Sealed

    Conclusion: NOT Pass Inspection

    Like the passage, this is a valid argument. It also mirrors the way the passage draws a valid conclusion. Like the passage, this answer choice applies the flipside of the "if-then" statement. It concedes that an item lacks one of the flipside's "if" conditions ("NOT Sharp Edges"). But the answer choice shows that the item also has one of the flipside's "if" conditions ("NOT Sealed"), which is sufficient to conclude that the item has the flipside's "then" condition ("NOT Pass Inspection"). This mirrors the passage's structure, so we can select (B) and advance straight to the next question.

  3. C
    A sidewalk is accessible Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited

    This answer choice's conclusion doesn't quite resemble the passage's conclusion that "I will not buy the dress." Instead of a "not" statement like the passage, this answer choice's conclusion is a positive statement. Moreover, its premises do not resemble the passage's premise. Remember, we're looking for an "if-then" premise that has an "and" on the "then" side. This answer choice's "if-then" premise has an "and" on the "if" side, which is enough to eliminate (C) without diagramming it.

    If we did diagram out this entire answer choice, we'd see that it does not resemble the passage's structure:

    P: Fully Graded and NOT Sizeable Bumps → Sidewalk Accessible / NOT Sidewalk Accessible → NOT Fully Graded or Sizeable Bumps

    P: Fully Graded and NOT Sizeable Bumps

    Conclusion: Sidewalk Accessible

    Although this answer choice is a valid argument, it doesn't apply the flipside of the "if-then" statement. Rather, it shows that a sidewalk possesses both conditions that are together sufficient to guarantee its accessibility. So, this answer choice does not have the same structure as the argument in the passage.

  4. D
    A poetic translation is Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited

    This answer choice's conclusion doesn't quite resemble the passage's conclusion that "I will not buy the dress." Instead of a "not" statement like the passage, this answer choice's conclusion is positive. That said, this difference probably isn't enough to guarantee that (D) is incorrect. Plus, (D)'s premises resemble the passage's, as (D) features an "if-then" premise that has an "and" on the "then" side (notice how the two conditions are introduced with the "then' condition "only"). So, if we hadn't already selected the correct answer and moved on, it would be worth diagramming out this answer choice.

    If we did diagram out this entire answer choice, we'd see that it does not resemble the passage's structure:

    P: Translation Accurate → Expresses Original Meaning and Meter / NOT Expresses Original Meaning or NOT Meter → NOT Translation Accurate

    P: Expresses Original Meaning and Meter

    Conclusion: Translation Accurate

    Unlike the passage, this is not a valid argument. It makes a conclusion about the flipside's "if" condition by providing its "then" conditions. This is often called a "converse fallacy" or an "illegal reversal." Remember, when we only have one "if-then" statement, we can only make valid conclusions about the "then" condition by providing the "if" condition — it doesn't work the other way.

  5. E
    An assembly may call Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited

    This answer choice's conclusion doesn't quite resemble the passage's conclusion that "I will not buy the dress." This conclusion is an "if-then" statement (notice how it uses the "if-denying" keyword "unless") rather than a factual conclusion. Plus, this answer choice's conclusion is not expressed with the same strength. Rather than the bold, certain statement in the passage, this answer choice presents a softer "may" statement. This is enough reason to eliminate (E) without diagramming it.

    If we did diagram out this entire answer choice, we'd see that it does not resemble the passage's structure:

    P: Board May Meet → Quorum and Motion Passes / NOT Quorum or NOT Motion Passes → NOT Assembly May Meet

    P: Quorum

    Conclusion: Motion Passages → Board May Meet

    Although this answer choice is a valid argument, it doesn't apply the flipside of the "if-then" statement. Rather, it shows that an assembly possesses one of the two "if" conditions to guarantee that the board may call a meeting. The conclusion specifies that the board may call a meeting if the second "if" condition is present. So, this answer choice does not have the same structure as the argument in the passage.

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