This is an explanation of the second logic game from Section IV of LSAT 68, the December 2012 LSAT.
Five witnesses testify at a hearing: Franco, Garcia, Hong, Iturbe and Jackson (F, G, H, I, J). They testify on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (M, T, W).
I normally refer to all the people by letters. In this case I’m going to use Iturbe’s full name. Calling him ‘I’ makes for some weird sentences.
Main Diagram
This is a grouping game. It’s easiest to draw vertically.
If you’re ever unsure how to draw a game, look to the first question. Usually, the way things are set up in the first question is also the best way to draw the game, though there are some exceptions.
That’s the basic template.
Rules
The first rule is that F and G don’t testify on the same day. You can’t show that on the diagram. Here’s how you should draw it:
The other rules can all be shown on the diagram.
I placed Iturbe directly on Wednesday. I filled in a blank spot for Monday, since the final rule says at least one person testifies then.
I drew two lines for Tuesday, thanks to rule 3. The vertical line shows that no more than two people testify.
The final thing you should do is identify the random variables. In this case, J has no rules. You can represent random variables with a circle:
Pay Attention To Numbers
The F/G rule is important. There are only three groups in this game: M, T, W. Some questions artificially fill one group. The means F and G are split between the remaining groups.
It’s also important to think about the total number of spaces. There are only five, and Tuesday always has two people who testify.
Monday always has one person, and Wednesday always has Iturbe. That leaves just one more spot. So either two people will testify Monday, or two people will testify Wednesday.
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