LSAT 142 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q9

LR Question 9 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Musicologist: Classification of a musical instrument depends…

QUESTION TYPE: Identify the Conclusion

CONCLUSION: Pianos are percussion instruments.

REASONING: We should classify instruments based on how they make sound. Pianos make sound due to the impact of hammers.

ANALYSIS: On “identify the conclusion questions”, you should look for structural indicators. These questions are important practice for all arguments, because identifying the conclusion is central to every logical reasoning argument.

“So” is a word that indicates a conclusion. What comes before “so” is evidence, and what comes after “so” is the conclusion.

(“Even though” often confuses people: it’s not a conclusion or a reasoning indicator. Instead, it usually shows that the thing being mentioned is not a decisive factor. Here, the strings are not decisive.)

To find the conclusion, another method is to consider the direction of the evidence. It’s clear that the final sentence supports the second sentence. Pianos make noise by hammers, so this supports the conclusion that pianos are percussion instruments.

___________

1. This is the first sentence. This supports the conclusion, which is the sentence starting with “so”.
2. This fact didn’t even appear in the stimulus. It can’t possibly be the conclusion.
3. This contradicts the argument; it can’t be the conclusion. The author said that pianos are not stringed instruments.
4. This contradicts the argument. The second sentence says that pianos are not stringed instruments.
5. CORRECT. This comes after “so”, in the second sentence. The use of “so” shows that this is the conclusion.