Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT141 S2 Q25 Explanation

Student: Before completing my research

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

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Stimulus

Student: Before completing my research paper, I want to find the book from which I copied a passage to quote in the paper. Without the book, I will be unable to write an accurate citation, and without an accurate citation, I will be unable to include be much better with the quotation than without, _______.

What this question is testing

Most Supported

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
25.

Which one of the following most logically completes the

Answer choices

  1. Too Speculative3% picked this

    I will have to include an

    We don't have any reason to think that the way the author would resolve this problem is to forge a fake citation. He might just accept that he can't use the quote and accept that his paper will be worse without it. If this answer said, "I will have to include an inaccurate citation or otherwise live with a worse-off paper", then it would be fine.

  2. Too Strong: unable to complete5% picked this

    I will be unable to complete my

    The student can complete the paper without the quote in it, and just turn in a paper that isn't as good. It's too harsh to say that if the student doesn't find the quote, they will consider the paper permanently unfinished and never turn it in.

  3. Correct67% picked this

    if I do not find the book, my research paper

    Why this is right

    This safely sums up what we know. If he doesn't find the book, he can't write an accurate citation for the quote, so he can't include the quote in his paper, so his completed paper will be much worse off (because it will lack that quote).

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

  4. Contradiction7% picked this

    if I do not find the book, I will include the quotation without

    The second sentence contradicts this. It says "without an accurate citation, I will be unable to include the quotation".

  5. Same as (B)18% picked this

    if I do not find the book, I will be unable to complete

    This is essentially the same as (B). This is better because it allows for the possibility that the student might still find the book. But all we know is that if he doesn't find the book, he can't cite the quote, so he can't include the quote. That doesn't mean that he can't complete the paper. Who said the quote was 100% necessary in order to have a completed paper?

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