#13 - Emissions from automobiles that burn gasoline and

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Assumption. The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[mfranco]

The conclusion reads as follows:
"Therefore, the only effective way to reduce such emissions is to replace the conventional diesel fuel and gasoline used in automobiles with cleaner-burning fuels, such as methanol, that create fewer emissions".

This seemed fairly straightforward, so I diagrammed; Replace ----> ERE. I got the right answer, however the explanation said the diagram should of been in reverse; ERE ----> Replace. Could you explain this? Wouldn't "only" introduce the necessary condition which is "ERE" and the sufficient be what follows which is "Replace"?

Mike

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Mike,

You ask a good question, and one that has a useful explanation because this phrasing appears on other questions. So, let's look at this one more closely and break it down.

The word "only" in this problem does indeed introduce a necessary condition. But, what does "only" actually modify (this is the key to understanding this diagram)? In this case, "only" modifies "effective way," and "way" refers to "replace the conventional diesel fuel..." Thus, "replace the conventional diesel fuel..." is the necessary condition, and the problem is diagrammed as you see in the book.

Consider this parallel example:

The only way to the top of the mountain is the switchback trail

"Way" modifies "trail," and thus the diagram is:

Top of mountain switchback trail

So, if you see someone on top of the mountain, then according to the author they took the switchback trail. On the other hand, if someone took the switchback trail, does that mean they got to the top of the mountain? No, so switchback trail is not a sufficient condition.

So, just because "only" is close to a condition doesn't mean it is actually attached to that condition; you need to make sure that it actually refers to that condition (and this is one example where it doesn't refer to the closest condition).

Please let me know if that helps out. Thanks!

[mfranco]

Yes you answered my question, I see what you mean entirely. The way I see it now is "only" modifies way and what follows (ERE) is a repitition of what was stated in the first sentence which for more clarity purposes can be put in paranthesis. Moreover, way refers to "Replace...". The top of the mountain example really helped to put it in perspective.

If accomplishable; is there other examples, besides the use of the word "way", where I can use such a construct? So I really can take this concept home and cement it.

[Nikki Siclunov]

This may sound unorthodox, but I've always considered "the only" to be a sufficient condition indicator, because it's always directly proximate to the sufficient condition:

The only people who drink are those who smoke:

Drink Smoke

The only way to succeed is to work hard:

Succeed Work hard

The only place to get a good slice of pizza is Luzzo's.

Good pizza Luzzo's

And so on. It's imperative to make a distinction between "the only," "only," and "only if." The last two directly precede a necessary condition, whereas "the only" directly precedes a sufficient condition. Technically, they are all necessary condition indicators because in the case of "the only," the actual referent is elsewhere in the sentence. But it's easier to think of it as a sufficient indicator for the reasons mentioned above.

[ilovemydog]

Hi Powerscore,

I'm having a difficulty understanding the conditional in problem 3 of page 5-40.

When I read the question, trying to do it exactly as it came, the "only" signaled the necessary indicator and so I put whatever followed it as the necessary (effective way to reduce emissions). Turns out, I did it the other way.

I'm having a hard time understanding the language. Did I do it too literally when putting whatever came after the only as the necessary? Because it turns out that "effective way to reduce emissions" is the sufficient on the page. I'm looking at the specific wording of the sentence, and am wondering if the "is to" in between "reduce..." and "replace..." is what signals the sufficient to the necessary condition.

Originally when bluntly reading the conditional, I put, Replace Effectively reduce emissions

But, it's actually Effectively reduce emissions Replace

[Francis O'Rourke]

"The only" is a bit tricky to work with if you are applying indicators too quickly. It does seem like that is what happened here.

Remember that the indicators are only a tool for you to use, and you still need to do some analysis of your own to make sure that you are applying them correctly.

Many people think of "The only" as a sufficient indicator. In this sense, the phrase that follows "The only" will be a sufficient condition and we get the relationship ERE Replace

That's the quickest way of dealing with this issue, but it leaves some people confused, wondering "wait, so only is sometimes a sufficient indicator!?"

Furthermore, it is acceptable to switch around the grammar of a sentence in English so that "the only" precedes a necessary condition. For example, I might say "in order to reduce emissions, the only option is to replace conventional fuels with cleaner ones." This wording preserves the same meaning as the original sentence, but sticks "the only" in front of the necessary condition.

Here is where things get a bit hard hard grammatically. "The only" in the original sentence directly preceded the word "way." What does "way" refer to then? The necessary condition "replacing conventional fuels with cleaner fuels."

In my hypothetical example, "the only" directly preceded "option." What option was I talking about there? The necessary condition "replacing conventional fuels with cleaner fuels."

For more information about interpreting this phrase, check out Dave Killoran's great explanation on the following forum post: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=7614

[AspenHerman]

Hi!

I was doing the question that starts "emissions from automobiles" and I am wondering why the conditional in the final sentence was written the way it was.

I initially did:
Replace ERE because I thought that "only way" modified ERE.

However, based off the answer, does "only way: really reference to replace? And if so, how do I catch these in the future?

Thanks for your help!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Aspen,

The phrase "the only" is complicated, because the term it modifies is not directly following it. We usually see terms that immediately next to the indicator word are the term modified by the indicator word. "The only" works differently.

The only way to win is to play.

What's required? Playing. That has to be the necessary term.

The only way to dream is to sleep.

What's required? Sleep. So sleep is necessary, and the other term (dream) is sufficient.

There are a few different ways to keep this straight. One is to just remember it's a quirk about "the only." Another is to think of the phrase as "the only way....is" which makes it easier to see what the term is modifying. It's modifying what is the "is." We just have to fill in the blank here. Whatever goes into the blank is what is required.

Screaming is the only way to beat the cicadas at their own game.

Here, we have to rearrange things a bit, but we can still see screaming as the required term. I don't personally recommend this method of dealing with cicadas, but I also am sympathetic to anyone having to listen to them all night long.

In our stimulus, we have that the only way is to replace the fuels in order to reduce emissions. So replacement is necessary, and reduce is sufficient.

Hope that helps!

[AspenHerman]

Hi Aspen,

The phrase "the only" is complicated, because the term it modifies is not directly following it. We usually see terms that immediately next to the indicator word are the term modified by the indicator word. "The only" works differently.

The only way to win is to play.

What's required? Playing. That has to be the necessary term.

The only way to dream is to sleep.

What's required? Sleep. So sleep is necessary, and the other term (dream) is sufficient.

There are a few different ways to keep this straight. One is to just remember it's a quirk about "the only." Another is to think of the phrase as "the only way....is" which makes it easier to see what the term is modifying. It's modifying what is the "is." We just have to fill in the blank here. Whatever goes into the blank is what is required.

Screaming is the only way to beat the cicadas at their own game.

Here, we have to rearrange things a bit, but we can still see screaming as the required term. I don't personally recommend this method of dealing with cicadas, but I also am sympathetic to anyone having to listen to them all night long.

In our stimulus, we have that the only way is to replace the fuels in order to reduce emissions. So replacement is necessary, and reduce is sufficient.

Hope that helps!

It does! thank you. Are there any other examples of these separated modifiers?