#11 - A bacterial species will inevitably develop greater

[Ispeakcritique]

What happens with the statement "Antibiotics used against it" modified by the sufficient indicator "Any"?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi I speak,

The term "any" here isn't a separate conditional term. It is a part of an overall conditional phrase. Remember that when we are diagramming conditionals, there could be indicators terms used in ways that aren't actually indicating a conditional as well as conditional statements that don't have sufficient/necessary indicators. The key is always to be to understand the core conditional relationship. X requires Y.

Here the conditional statement that includes the word "any" includes it internally and not as a conditional indicator. It uses any as a quantity term. So the sufficient condition here is that "if a bacterial species doesn't develop a resistance to any antibiotic used." The "any" isn't an additional sufficient condition within the conditional, but is used to point out that it applies to any one antibiotic.

Hope that helps!

[Katya W]

This one tripped me up because I misunderstood that when an author says something like “bacterial species X”, they are referencing a concrete example in their world, not a hypothetical. Whenever I say in the real world “item X” I am saying it as a hypothetical. Now I will know that the LSAT treats this differently!

[egreenberg]

In choice B, why is certain that an antibiotic used will cause the bacteria to become resistant. If the bacteria is treated with a number of available antibiotics perhaps it can eliminate it completely. ( It only says that no SINGLE antibiotic works)

thanks !

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi egreenberg,

Good question. We know that no single antibiotic now on the market can completely eliminate species X. Answer choice (B) describes a single antibiotic now on the market because it uses the word "it," and other language that indicates it is a solo antibiotic. We know if any antibiotic that cannot eliminate the species is used, then species X will become resistant to that antibiotic. The rule doesn't give an exception if there are other antibiotics used with the ineffective antibiotic. It's a conditional rule so once we meet the sufficient condition, we have to have the necessary condition. We know that if the antibiotic cannot completely eliminate species X, then species X will get resistant to that antibiotic. Answer choice (B) tells us that the sufficient condition is met---we have no choice but to say the necessary condition is as well.

Really, this is a great thing about conditionality. You don't have to think through ALL the other possibilities in the world. We take the conditional rule as given, and we apply it to the situation. The amount of certainty obtained in conditional scenarios makes the reasoning type excellent on the LSAT.

Hope that helps!