#18 - Global, List

[Administrator]

Please post your questions below!

[startedfromKZnowwehere]

This question was phrased super confusingly in my opinion. What do they mean by "the first two days" but then also "for all four days"?

Thanks!

[Bob O'Halloran]

Hi Started,
Thank you for you question

Phasing is often difficult on the LSAT. The more you practice, you will become familiar with how they phrase things.

In this case they are saying "which of the following represents the first two days of an acceptable four day schedule."

I hope this helps.
Bob

[blaisebayno]

Hi there,

I don't understand how the question's use of the phrase "for all four days". In my interpretation, this meant to find the day assignments that would work on any of the days?? Had I known the meaning you provided, I would have not chosen the incorrect answer.

[katehos]

Hi blaisebayno!

Phrasing on the LSAT can definitely be confusing, so try to use context clues to help clarify confusing phrases! Additionally, the more you practice the more you'll become comfortable with how the LSAT writers choose to phrase different things. In this case the question is asking you to find an assignment of floors for two days that "could be part of an acceptable schedule for all four days", not a schedule that works for any of the days!

The word "part" is a particularly important context clue for helping to decipher this sentence, as it indicates that this is just a portion of a full four day schedule (aka just Wednesday and Thursday of an acceptable, full schedule)! Additionally, you can refer to the rules and answer choices to help guide your understanding. For example, each of the answer choices includes only Wednesday and Thursday assignments, which can serve as another indicator that this is meant to refer to only two specific days, not all of the days! This lines up with the phrasing of the question, as we're looking for "assignments of floors to the first two days" that could be part of a full schedule.

Also, if you were meant to find the day assignments that worked for any of the four days, it would be pretty tough to do that without violating any of the rules, since certain floors have to be examined before other floors (thus eliminating at least one day from consideration for that floor, making it impossible for a schedule to have that floor examined on any of the four days).

Taken together, all of these things help show how they're asking "which of the following represents the first two days of an acceptable four day schedule?"

I hope this helps clarify
Kate