#6 - Critic: Linsey has been judged to be a bad songwriter

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (B).

Oddly, this question largely reuses a stimulus that first appeared on PrepTest 26, September 1998, LR2, #11. However, that question was an Assumption question whereas this is a Main Point question. Why would they do such a thing? It's likely that back in 1998 when they first used the stimulus it had two questions made for it. They didn't use this question then, and now that they desperately need questions due to making ten LSATs a year they went back into the catalogue, found this unused question with this stimulus, made a few small changes and went ahead with it. This is a very rare occurrence but likely to happen more often as we move forward due to the pressures of making so many tests each year.

The stimulus here uses a construction that we dissect in our books and courses:

• Someone makes a claim and gives a reason, and then the sentence that follows presents the main point, which disputes that original claim and then provides reasons for the counter-view.

In this case, the first sentence indicates that Linsey has been judged a bad songwriter and gives the reason cited. The second sentence starts with the Main Point—"This judgment is ill founded, however"—and then follows with reasons in support. Note how the test makers attempt to trick you by not stating the actual words of the main point here, but instead referring to it as "this judgment" and then saying that judgment is wrong. Thus, in this case the main point is that the argument about Linsey being a bad songwriter is not well-made. Interestingly, the Critic isn't saying she's a good songwriter, just that the argument about her being bad isn't a strong one.


Answer choice (A): The argument is that saying that view that Linsey is a bad songwriter is not well-made; that does not automatically mean she is a good songwriter. The Critic just believes the reasoning behind the view of her being bad isn't strong.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. This is another way of stating the general point made above, and thus this is the correct answer.

Answer choice (C): The Critic agrees with this, and uses this as evidence for the Main Point.

Answer choice (D): Again, the Critic agrees with this, and uses this as evidence for the Main Point.

Answer choice (E): This is not addressed within the stimulus.