LR Question 22 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: On Wednesdays, Kate usually buys some guava juice…
QUESTION TYPE: Parallel Reasoning
CONCLUSION: Kate must sometimes shop at the local health food store Wednesdays.
REASONING: Kate sometimes buys guava juice Wednesdays, and the local health food store is the only place to do that.
ANALYSIS: This is a good argument. It shows that Kate must shop at the health food store, because that’s the only place she could do what we know she does do.
Note the specific words used. Usually Kate buys Guava, so sometimes she must go to the health food store, which is the only place that sells it. These words are what make A right and B wrong, since B talks about all dinners.
The other answers fail because they don’t eliminate other possibilities. It’s possible that other cooks made the meals (C and D) or that the meals were made in another kitchen (E).
___________
- CORRECT. This matches exactly, except the order of the first two sentences is switched. Note that usually = most, on the LSAT.
- This is too much. It’s a good argument, but it is talking about “all” dinners, whereas the stimulus just said that Kate must “sometimes” shop at the health food store.
- This is a bad argument. It says all teachers can use the kitchen, but it doesn’t say that only teachers can use it. Maybe professional caterers can use the kitchen and make all the meals at Cafe Delice.
- Like C, this answer says that teachers are allowed. But it doesn’t say that only teachers are allowed. So it’s possible other people cooked the dinners at Cafe Delice.
- This isn’t a good argument. It never says whether dinners can be prepared in other kitchens. If they can be, then we have no reason to think that dinners are sometimes prepared in the main kitchen at the institute.
More Resources for Parallel Reasoning Questions
- Conditional Reasoning Article: Learn about conditional statements.
- LR Diagrams Guide: Learn how to draw LR diagrams.
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Parallel Reasoning questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers parallel reasoning questions.
Why did “the only” in this case not introduce a sufficient condition? and served instead as a necessary ?
Special rule for “the only”. It introduces sufficient. Always helpful to think of english phrases you understand to grasp them.
For example: the only way to get to iceland is to fly. Is this:
Fly —> iceland
Iceland —> fly
Definitely the second. You can fly on a plane without going to Iceland!
So the answer to your question is: it just is haha. Which can be frustrating but that’s grammar for you. Using sample sentences can help make rules like this stick.
Now that I now know that “usually” = “most” on the LSAT , does “sometimes” (at least in this question) = some ?? ? In review, I diagrammed the stimulus as follows:
Wed –m–> Juice
Juice —-> Health Store
Wed Health Store
Thanks.
Yes, that’s right. “Sometimes” = “some” on the LSAT. So, you’d diagram the last statement as follows:
Wednesday SOME Health Store
This translates to: On some Wednesdays she goes to the health store, and sometimes when she’s at the health store, it’s a Wednesday.
Yes, that’s right. “Sometimes” = “some” on the LSAT. So, you’d diagram the last statement as follows:
Wednesday SOME Health Store
This translates to: On some Wednesdays she goes to the health store, and sometimes when she’s at the health store, it’s a Wednesday.
We know that Wednesday MOST Juice –> Health Store
We can follow the chain of reasoning here to see that at least sometimes she’s at the health store on a Wednesday.
Yes, that’s right. “Sometimes” = “some” on the LSAT. So, you’d diagram the last statement as follows:
Wednesday SOME Health food store
This translates to: On some Wednesdays she goes to the health food store, and sometimes when she’s at the health food store, it’s a Wednesday.
We know that Wednesday MOST Juice –> Health food store
We can follow the chain of reasoning here to see that at least sometimes she’s at the health store on a Wednesday.