LSAT PrepTest 42 Section 1 Question 2 Explanation | Logic Games

I didn't write the following blog post. It was already on the blog when I took over the URL. The following blog post may contain mistakes. -Steve

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Here's a Logic Games question from the December 2003 LSAT.

Let's make a diagram using the game's rules. M is selected, so P and R must be also, according to the last rule:

MPR

We have two zoologists. The first rule says that if more than one botanist is selected, you can only have one zoologist. We have more than one, so we know there is exactly one botanist (the rules say there can't be none). After considering these, we have some options. Let's select all the zoologists and F from the botanists (we won't select G because we see that several choices have G in them, and we want to violate as many choices as possible):

FMPQR

We see that the only answer choice agreeing with this correct diagram is E. All the other ones aren't true in this diagram, so they don't always have to be true, and E is correct.

Remember:

1) Use a diagram when, as here, you don't see any very obvious way of eliminating choices based on the rules.

2) Violate as many choices as you can when diagramming. This way, you can show they don't have to be true, and you can eliminate them.