#21 - Global, Cannot Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=10929)

The correct answer choice is (E)

To answer this question correctly, proceed by the process of elimination: any answer choice that could be true will be incorrect. This may require you to create several local diagrams as you examine each answer choice, but your job will be relatively straightforward. After all, there are very few rules to speak of.

Answer choice (A) is incorrect, because a single I feature occupying slot 1 does not violate any of the rules. In that case, the newsletter would contain no F or T features, in accordance with the second rule, and also no other I features in accordance with the third rule. So, there must be at least two M features occupying at least two of the remaining four slots. Here’s a hypothetical solution:

June15_game_4_#21_diagram_1.png

Answer choice (B) is incorrect. Contrary to what some test-takers may have assumed, a single F feature occupying slot 2 does not violate the second rule of the game. In fact, there are two ways to comply with this rule: First, the F feature does not need to occupy slot 2 only. If that feature occupies multiple, consecutively number slots, then it can easily occupy both slots 1 and 2, in accordance with the second rule:

June15_game_4_#21_diagram_2.png

Alternatively, we can comply with the second rule by including a T feature in slot 1. If you find that confusing, take a moment to realize that the rule did not say this:

• F F1
  T T1

Rather, it said this:

• F or T (F or T)1

The difference is small, but important.

Answer choice (C) is incorrect for same reason why answer choice (B) is. A single T feature occupying slot 3 does not violate any of the rules. Again, there are two ways to comply with the second rule here: First, the T feature does not need to occupy slot 3 only. If that feature occupies multiple, consecutively number slots, then it can easily occupy slots 1, 2, and 3 in accordance with the second rule:

June15_game_4_#21_diagram_3.png

Alternatively, we can satisfy the second rule by simply including an F feature in slot 1. See discussion above.

Answer choice (D) is incorrect, because there is nothing preventing every feature except the one occupying slot 1 to be either F or M. Here are a few hypothetical solutions, none of which violate the rules in this game:

June15_game_4_#21_diagram_4.png

Answer choice (E) is the correct answer choice. If each feature except the feature occupying slot 5 is I or M, then slot 1 too would be occupied by I or M, not T or F. So, the newsletter would have no F or T features at all, in compliance with the second rule. This leaves no available features to occupy slot 5, which is impossible.

But what about a graphic, you may ask. Can’t we just have G in slot 5 with up to four different features (a collection of I’s and M’s) in slots 1-4? Well, that would be fine in general, but not in this case. Answer choice (E) clearly states, “Each feature except for the feature occupying slot 5…”, suggesting that slot 5 needs to be occupied by a feature and not a graphic. Since this is impossible, as discussed earlier, answer choice (E) is the correct answer to this Cannot Be True question.

[juandresmc]

Hi PS.

I have to admit that during my practice drills I understood that the 2nd rule stated F F1 or T T1 and that led me to the wrong inference of F T. I thought it was ok since there was one “or” in each of the sides of the 2nd rule. However I recall that the LGB or the LG Type Training contains a game in which there is a similar rule and it could be divided into 2 “independent” rules. When is it ok to divide a rule that contains multiple sufficient and/or necessary conditions into independent rules to avoid confusion?

Regards,

Andrés

[James Finch]

Hi Andres,

The way that the second rule is written is ambiguous, and your initial reading of it would be be valid, as would the intended reading that having either F or T requires an F or T in slot 1 (ie that F1/T1 would be a necessary condition for either variable to be included, so an F1 would also enable a T5). This is an issue that occasionally comes up on the LSAT, at which point we have to use other clues to help work through this ambiguity. This question itself provides two answer choices that definitively show that the game's creator intended for the rule to be understood differently. Both (B) and (C) implicate this rule in the same way, albeit with different variables, and thus cannot both be correct. Moreover, (E) would also still be correct, so you're faced with three correct answers to a question that only allows one. However, if read as intended, only (E) would be correct. So you have to go back and change your understanding of the rule.

As to the general question of what to do when faced with potential ambiguity, read the phrase both ways and then use the answer choices to guide you to the intended reading. Here the fact that your initial reading would lead to 3 correct answer choices would be a huge red flag that your understanding was not the intended one. As a rule, remain flexible and don't jump to any unwarranted conclusions, especially when two possibilities are equally valid.

Hope this helps!

[Nicholas Noyes]

So just to clarify, Answer E is the correct choice because It says that an issue has to be in slot 5.But either feature I and M can only be used in slots 1-4...Therefore F or T cannot be in slot five because an F or T does not occupy slot 1? So for instance say that F occupied slot one, would T then be allowed to occupy slot 5?

-Nicholas

[Paul Marsh]

Hi Nicholas - you are exactly right! The issue is that if the first slot is occupied by anything besides a Finance or Technology feature, then there can be no Finance or Technology features anywhere in the issue (this is the contrapositive of the game's second rule). So since Answer Choice (E) tells us that the first four slots (including the first slot) are only occupied by Industry and Marketing features, that means there can be no Finance orTechnology features anywhere in the issue. This leaves us with nothing to fill slot 5, so (E) can't be allowed and is therefore the right answer.

And yes, to answer your final question, if Finance could go in slot one, Technology could be in spot 5 without any problems. But again, (E) tells us that only Industry and Marketing can go in the first four slots. Hope that helps!

[rachelbernard]

I'm really struggling with this idea that both D and E can be read as saying that the "except" slot inherently excludes the two mentioned feature types (i.e. that in Choice E, by saying that all other features except for the feature in slot 5 inherently excludes I and M from being in slot 5). My understanding of this rule is that all you can take away is that the features outside of the "except" slot MUST be the two types mentioned. I just don't see how you read these choices as excluding the mentioned types from the "except" slot.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Rachel,

The language can be a bit tricky, so let's take a look at how we would diagram this conditionally. Sometimes it is easier to see a relationship by diagramming it. Answer choice (E) has an "except" so we want to make sure that we diagram carefully. The term modified by "except" is necessary, and the other term is sufficient. That looks like this:

Not I and not M slot 5

The contrapositive would be

Not slot 5 I or M

It sets up the relationship described in the explanation above. If a feature isn't in slot 5, it has to be I or M. Slot 5 has to be not I and not M (so either F or T). However, if we use F or T, we must have one of them in slot 1. That would violate the contrapositive (all features not in slot 5 have to be I or M). This contradiction means that answer choice (E) is our correct answer.

The two types have to be excluded from slot 5 based on the conditionality presented in the answer choice.

Hope that helps!
Rachael

[Shonan]

Hi Rachael,

Not I and not M slot 5

The contrapositive would be

Not slot 5 I or M

I appreciate your explanation, and so far I got what you mean.

"If a feature isn't in slot 5, it has to be I or M." In this part, I totally agree with you.

"Slot 5 has to be not I and not M", I am confused about how to get here based on your diagram.
We only know "Not I and not M slot 5".
If we want to infer "slot 5 has to be not I and not M", I think we need "slot 5 not I and not M"

Hope someone can help me out with this problem.

[Adam Tyson]

Interesting that you should bring that up, Shonan, because I think this question actually creates a double arrow relationship, aka a biconditional. "Each feature except the feature in slot 5" tells us that if there is a feature in slot 5, it is not I or M, and if a feature is not in slot 5 it is I or M. It goes both ways - it's either in slot 5 and not I or M, or else it is not in slot 5 and is I or M. So you are correct, and so is Rachel!

Complicating matters is that this answer only deals with features and ignores graphics, which could be in slots 1 through 4. so the "if not in 5 then I or M" does not preclude a graphic from being in there somewhere. It's "If it is a feature that is not in 5, then it is I or M."

I think it may help here to set aside a conditional analysis and just visualize the situation. The answer requires some features to be somewhere in slots 1 through 4, and those features can only be I or M or some combo thereof. It also requires a feature in slot 5 that is NOT an I or an M, meaning it has to be an F or a T. But that would trigger the second rule and force an F or T into slot 1, which conflicts with the first part of the answer. There's the problem that makes this answer impossible and therefore correct!

Good observation!

[Azimat]

I am struggling with this game and this particular question.

First, the stimulas says "The policy of the newsletter requires that there are at least three features per issue." I read that as graphics is NOT being considered a feature and that only finance, industry, marketing, or technology can be features.

Answer A says - There is exactly one industry feature, and it occupies slot 1. In the example above, your explantions suggest that I - MM -M-G does not violate any rules but doesn't it violate that part of the stimulas that reads "The policy of the newsletter requires that there are at least three features per issue" coupled with "Each feature can be one of four types—finance, industry, marketing, or technology?" In this example only 2 features are present.

I interpret this as G isn't a feature.

Answer choice E suggests slot 5 is a feature, which in your explaination of why G can't be in slot 5 you say because it isn't a feature... but then why is it considered 1 of 3 features when ruling out answer A?

Please help