Logical Reasoning · Principle (Justify)

PrepTest 142 · 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

Principle (Justify)

The one idea it tests

Find the rule that turns the second speaker's reason into the conclusion that the current situation is fine.

The basic logic

The responder gives a reason (what the people in charge believe) and a conclusion (so it is appropriate). The missing piece is a general rule linking that kind of belief to what should be done.

Tiny words that decide it

“appropriate”
“because”
“should”
“only”

Playground logic

Aunt Rosa says it's fine that the garden has few tomatoes. Her patty: Grandpa thinks few tomato seedlings were healthy. Her top bun: few tomatoes is right. Secret sauce: plant only what the gardener judges healthy.

Step 2 · The kid story

Grandpa's Half-Tomato Garden

Grandpa's garden plan from last winter said: half tomatoes, half everything else. Frankie counted the rows in June. "Only three tomato plants! Grandpa broke his own plan!" Sharon put down her watering can. "It's fine that there are only three. This is a vegetable garden, not a seed museum that has to show every kind. Grandpa planted only three because he thinks only three tomato seedlings came up strong." Frankie frowned. "But the plan said half!" Priya sipped her juice box. "Sharon's point only works if there's a rule behind it. Something like: a gardener should only plant seedlings he thinks are strong." Sharon nodded. "Exactly. Weak seedlings would just wilt." Grandpa, who had been listening behind the shed, gave a thumbs-up.

Step 3 · Try the model question

Frankie: The garden ignores its plan, which called for half tomatoes, yet there are only three tomato plants. Sharon: Having few tomato plants is fine. This is a vegetable garden, not a display of every seed. There are few because Grandpa thinks few tomato seedlings were strong.

Which one of the following rules, if valid, would best support Sharon's reasoning?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Quiet Choir

A choir's founder had written that it should sing as many new songs as old ones. A member sued: "We sing almost no new songs!" Mr. Whitfield defended the director. "Your Honor, this is a choir, not a jukebox. The director picks few new songs because she believes few are any good." The judge tapped her pen. "That helps only if a choir ought to sing just the songs its director judges to be good." "Precisely the rule we rely on," said Mr. Whitfield. The judge agreed the rule was sensible and dismissed the suit. The choir celebrated with an old song.

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 142, Section 2, Question 5 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Isolate the responder's conclusion (the current state is fine) and the reason given for it (the belief of the people in charge). Ask what rule would make that reason enough. The right principle links the decision makers' judgment of quality to what should be included. Reject choices that only repeat a side comment, defend the original plan, or talk about a different kind of institution. Use the Click Test: reason plus rule should click into the conclusion.