Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT122 S2 Q1 Explanation

Ilana: Carver’s stories are somber

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsAgree/Disagree

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Stimulus

Ilana: Carver’s stories are somber and pessimistic, which is a sure sign of inferior writing. I have never read a that ends happily.

Gustav: Carver was one of the finest writers of the past 30 years. Granted, his stories are characterized by somberness and pessimism, but they compassionate, and beautifully structured.

What this question is testing

Agree/Disagree

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
1.

On the basis of their statements, Ilana and Gustav are committed to

Answer choices

  1. Trap1% picked this

    Carver’s stories are truly

  2. Trap1% picked this

    Carver’s stories are pessimistic in their

  3. Trap4% picked this

    stories that are characterized by somberness and pessimism can appropriately be

  4. Correct92% picked this

    stories that are well written can be somber

    Why this is right

    Answer D is correct.

    Skill tested: Agree/Disagree · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  5. Trap3% picked this

    there are some characteristics of a story that are decisive in determining

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