Logical Reasoning · Inference (Complete the Argument)

PrepTest 128 · Section 2 · Question 5

Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Inference (Complete the Argument)

The one idea it tests

When the same behavior can come from opposite feelings, the behavior tells you little about the feeling.

The basic logic

Notice the two groups: one acts one way despite a feeling, the other acts the opposite way despite the opposite feeling. The blank should say that the behavior cannot reveal that feeling.

Tiny words that decide it

“some”
“others”
“but still”
“difficult to”

Playground logic

Some kids dislike broccoli but clean their plates; others love it but leave some. The patties point to one top bun: a clean plate does not tell you whether a kid likes broccoli.

Step 2 · The kid story

The Clean Plate Club

Ms. Rivera wanted to know which kids liked the cafeteria broccoli, so Marcus offered a plan. "Easy. Check the plates. Clean plate means they love it." Priya shook her head. "Look at Owen. He hates broccoli, but he eats every bite, because his grandpa taught him that wasting food is wrong." Nadia raised her hand. "And I love broccoli, but sometimes I leave some because I'm truly full, or my tummy hurts." Kevin added, "Also I leave room for pineapple pizza." Lulu wrote it all down. "So a clean plate can come from a hater, and a messy plate can come from a lover." Priya nodded. "Which means you can't tell how much a kid likes broccoli just by looking at what's left on the plate." Marcus deflated. "Back to the drawing board."

Step 3 · Try the model question

Priya: Some kids dislike broccoli but still eat every bite because they think wasting food is wrong. Other kids like broccoli but sometimes leave some because they truly feel full or a bit sick. This makes it hard to ________.

Which choice best fills in the blank?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Silent Fan

A singer sued a fan club, saying fans who skip her concerts must not like her music. Mr. Whitfield called two witnesses. The first said, "I don't much like her songs, but I go to every show because my sister begged me to." The second said, "I adore her songs, but I miss shows when I'm sick or the tickets sell out." Mr. Whitfield turned to the bench. "Your Honor, attendance goes both ways. You simply cannot read a fan's love of the music from whether they show up." The judge agreed. "Attendance proves very little about taste."

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 128, Section 2, Question 5 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Read the two groups and label each: what they feel, and what they do. Notice that the doing runs against the feeling in both groups, in opposite directions. So the doing is a poor signal of the feeling. Find the choice that says you cannot draw conclusions about that feeling from that behavior record. Reject choices about trust, record keeping, or future behavior unless the groups actually support them.