#8 - Must Be True, Author’s Perspective

[SherryZ]

Thank you for you guys' help!!

Dec 2000 LSAT, Sec 2 RC, Q8:

I hesitated between A "complete rejection" and B "reluctant rejection". I have no idea where I can find a word, or a sentence, or a paragraph to determine the author's tone is "complete"/"reluctant" rejection.

Coule you help me out?

Thank you very much!

--Sherry
'

[BethRibet]

Hi Sherry,

You're welcome!

It sounds like you're at least on the right track, in recognizing that the author is rejecting the critics' argument. There is no single word that would allow us to differentiate between complete and reluctant. The best way to rule out reluctant is simply that there is nothing in the passage indicating that the author seems to want to side with the critics. For instance, s/he does not say something like "despite their compelling argument, they are not completely persuasive".

The best way to affirm that it is a "complete" rejection is that the author appears to counter their argument without qualification -- explaining essentially why the critics are entirely wrong, on several counts.

Hope this helps!

Beth