LSAT and Law School Admissions Forum

Get expert LSAT preparation and law school admissions advice from PowerScore Test Preparation.

 Jay
  • Posts: 46
  • Joined: Jan 09, 2020
|
#75753
Hello. Powerscore.

Could you please explain why (D) is correct and why (C) is incorrect?

Thank you!
 Christen Hammock
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 61
  • Joined: May 14, 2020
|
#75762
Hey Jay!

The question here asks for the "main point" of the passage, so we need an answer that encompasses all of the Answer Choice (C) is too narrow. "Defining" which black women filmmakers can be considered experimental doesn't describe what the author is doing in this passage (even though the author does list black women filmmakers who fit the bill!). Even after the first sentence, we know that the author's goal is more complex than simple definition; the author hopes to illuminate the "problematic relation to mainstream, realist cinematic practice." Answer Choice (D) captures the relationship that the author is exploring.
 Jay
  • Posts: 46
  • Joined: Jan 09, 2020
|
#75778
Thank you very much for your answer. But I should have clarified my question better. I am sorry but I am still confused because of Question number 9 :(

The correct answer to Question number 9 was (B) , not (A).

To me, (C) in question number 13 resembles (B) in Question number 9.
And (D) in question number 13 resembles (A) in Question number 9.

Since primary purpose of the passage is just the abstract of Main Idea of the passage,

if the correct answer to question number 9(Main Idea question) was (B),
then, I thought, (C) was the correct answer.

Why is it that here in number 13, the answer choice (C) is incorrect for being too narrow, while in number 9 the correct answer was (B), not (A)?

Thank you!
User avatar
 KelseyWoods
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 1079
  • Joined: Jun 26, 2013
|
#75803
H Jay!

I like that you're checking to see if your Main Point and Primary Purpose answers are consistent! But I actually think that answer choice (D) in question #13 lines up pretty well with answer choice (B) in question #9.

Question #9, answer choice (B) states "Some nontraditional black women filmmakers successfully use what are commonly regarded as mainstream cinematic techniques to make experimental films."

Question #13, answer choice (D) states "examine the relationship of nontraditional black women filmmakers to realist cinematic practice."

So the answer to question #13 matches #9 pretty well--the primary purpose of the passage is to examine the relationship of nontraditional black women filmmakers to realist cinematic practice and the main point is just a more specific stating of what that relationship is--they use the mainstream cinematic techniques to make experimental films.

Question #13, answer choice (C) states "define which black women filmmakers can be considered experimental." But this does not match the main point. This answer choice suggests that the passage presents some sort of criteria for defining whether a black woman filmmaker can be considered experimental or not--rather simply describing that some black women filmmakers use mainstream cinematic techniques to create experimental films.

Question #9, answer choice (A) states "Nontraditional black women filmmakers share with the broader community of radical filmmakers a problematic relation to conservative techniques of editing and lighting." This does not really match question #13, answer choice (D). That answer choice is more about fully examining the relationship of nontraditional black women filmmakers to realist cinematic practice. That examination goes beyond just what was stated in the first sentence. It's not just about the problematic relation they share with the broader community of radical filmmakers--it's also about their more specific relationship, as discussed in subsequent paragraphs.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

Get the most out of your LSAT Prep Plus subscription.

Analyze and track your performance with our Testing and Analytics Package.