#9 - Local, Could Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?f=160&p=87962#p87962)

The correct answer choice is (B)

If H moves each piece of furniture, then the 3-1-1-1 distribution is in play, and the remaining people move one piece of furniture each:

G2-Q9-d1.png

Because H moves the recliner, the first rule comes into play, and G must move the sofa. J and M are then unrestricted and rotate between the recliner and sofa:

G2-Q9-d2.png

Because this is a Could Be True question, you should immediately search for an answer that features either J or M, the two variables that are uncertain in this question. Only three answer choices fit that criterion, but (C) and (D) both try to place J or M with the sofa. Accordingly, answer choice (B) is correct.

[LSAT student]

Hello,

I picked (A) because of the first rule, "Grace helps move the sofa, if but only if, Heather helps move the recliner." Since H is assigned to the recliner. How is B correct?

[Paul Marsh]

Hey LSAT Student! Can't believe that username wasn't already taken.

Remember that our setup tells us that each piece of furniture has TWO people moving it. Our setup also tells us that each person is moving at least one piece of furniture. So our initial diagram looks like this:

_ _ _
_ _ _
r s t

So our new rule here tells us that H is assigned to all 3 pieces of furniture (like you said, that includes the recliner). So we go ahead and put H down for each piece of furniture, like so:

H H H
_ _ _
_ _ _
r s t

So basically, we want to figure out who's going to help H move each piece of furniture. There's only 3 open spots, and we have 3 other people to fill them (G, J, and M). Each of those 3 people is going to take exactly one of those spots, since we know each person has to move at least one piece of furniture (if any of them moved MORE than one of those pieces of furniture, there wouldn't be enough spots for all 3 of those people to move a piece of furniture!) So we know G, J, and M are each going to take up one of those 3 spots.

Like you said, our first rule tells us that if H moves the recliner, G has to move the sofa. So we know G is moving the sofa, and we can put that in our diagram:

H H H
_ _ _
G
_ _ _
r s t

That leaves J or M to help move either the recliner or the table, but we don't know which one will move which! So our final diagram for #9 looks like:

H     H     H
__     __     __

J/M  G   J/M
__     __     __

r     s    t


This is a Could be True question, so we're looking for the answer choice that COULD be possible in our final diagram. (A) could not be possible, since G helps to move the sofa, not the recliner. (B) could be possible, since J or M could help move the recliner. So (B) is our answer.

Hope that helps!

[LSAT student]

Hi! Yes, I was surprised as well haha, and thank you for the explanation, that helps tremendously! And actually I realized my mistake as I was going through the problem again. I had gotten G and R mixed up, so instead of thinking G helps move the sofa and H moves the recliner, I was thinking G helps move the recliner if and only if H helps move the sofa! I see why A is wrong