Logical Reasoning · Weaken

PrepTest 146 · Section 2 · Question 4

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

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Weaken

The one idea it tests

A defense that sounds complete can hide a loophole: 'I paid what was sent to me' says nothing about what was sent elsewhere.

The basic logic

The defense limits itself to items presented to the defendant. Look for a fact showing the defendant knew items were going to someone else instead, which turns the careful wording into a dodge.

Tiny words that decide it

“every”
“presented”
“aware”
“rather than”

Playground logic

Nadia says she did every chore on her list. That sounds great, until we learn she knew the hard chores were being written on her brother's list instead. Her careful wording was a trap door.

Step 2 · The kid story

The Chore List Dodge

Mom suspects Nadia has been letting her big brother do her chores. The evidence: the garage got cleaned, the recycling went out, and Nadia was at a sleepover the whole time. Nadia defends herself. "I did every single chore that was on my list!" she announces. Marcus, Nadia's neighbor, nods. "Case closed. She's innocent." Lulu flips through her clipboard. "Not so fast," she says. "Her list only had two easy chores this week. What if she knew the big chores were being put on her brother's list?" Marcus blinks. "Then 'I did my list' doesn't prove anything." Lulu nods. "Exactly. She can be telling the truth and still be dodging." Biscuit barks in agreement, or maybe just at the mailman.

Step 3 · Try the model question

Mom suspects Nadia let her brother do her chores, since her brother cleaned the garage while Nadia was away. Nadia says in her defense that she finished every chore that appeared on her own list.

Suppose one of these is true. Which hurts Nadia's defense the most?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Case of the Unpaid Pizza Tab

Judge Park leaned forward. "The pizzeria says Mr. Lamb never paid for forty pizzas delivered to his party." Mr. Lamb stood. "Your Honor, I paid every receipt the delivery driver handed me." Mr. Whitfield, for the pizzeria, held up a note. "Your Honor, this is a text from Mr. Lamb. It says, 'Give the receipts to my cousin at the door.'" The courtroom gasped. Mr. Whitfield smiled. "So he paid every receipt handed to him, and he made sure almost none were handed to him." The judge sighed. "A true statement, Mr. Lamb, but not a defense."

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 146, Section 2, Question 4 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Read the defense word by word and notice what it is limited to. Ask: what does this careful wording leave out? Then look for a choice showing the defendant knew things were being routed around that limit. That pops the defense, because the defense can be literally true and still beside the point. Ignore choices about third parties' other behavior, about cost or size, or about money flowing in other directions.