#8 - Global, Cannot Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=5761)

The correct answer choice is (C)

Since G cannot learn Rundi, it can automatically be deduced that either H, L, or P must learn Rundi. Since H, L, and P each learn Yoruba, it must be the case that the researcher who learns Rundi also learns Yoruba. It follows that answer choice (C) cannot occur and is therefore correct.

[leslie7]

Hi - I understand the explanation but when I saw this I couldn't help but draw out a template because the AC had listed two variables -> learns T but not Y.

In that case would you suggest just selecting the AC and moving on, or if you have "doubts" like I did because I wasn't sure about the first piece - learns T, would you suggest working out templates?

I guess fear of getting the AC wrong would drive me to create the template but how would you suggest making a good "judgement" call on that.

I guess what I'm asking is that the explanation in the book only covered half of the answer but how could you be so sure during test time that knowing half of that is good enough to select an AC without a template?

[Adam Tyson]

Good question, leslie7! I'd start with this: whoever learns R must learn Y. If that is enough information to select one and only one answer, then we don't need to dig into it any further! It doesn't matter if they can or cannot learn T, because even if they can, the answer cannot be true. An answer that is half wrong is all wrong, so if part of the answer cannot be true then you know the answer cannot be true. Thankfully, that's enough for this question, and I would not dig any further than that!

The only time you should go further and test answer choices is when, after sorting losers and contenders, you had more than one contender. In this case, if none of the answers seemed immediately, obviously impossible, but two of them seemed worth checking because you weren't sure whether they were possible or not, that's when you would select one and test it. If it's impossible, select it, and don't bother testing the other one (because there can only be one impossible answer to a Cannot Be True question). If the answer you tested is possible, then select the other answer without testing it, because at that point it is the only contender still standing and you should be confident that you eliminated the other four with good reason. Pick it and move on!