#3 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[JulesC]

Hello,

For number 3 I chose answer D because it was the exact wording used in the paragraph at the beginning of paragraph two. Nevertheless, answer B gave me some trouble because I was unsure if "communicative exchanges" count as objects as in the definition given in paragraph two. I don't believe they do because objects are physical. Also, the word "authority" is less powerful than control, another reason why I didn't chose B. Please let me know what you think!

Thanks,

Jules

[Claire Horan]

Hi JulesC,

The type of analysis you are doing in weighing each answer choice is helpful when deciding between contenders, and it did lead you to the right answer, but it also caused you to end up quibbling over whether control was the same as authority, and whether a trademark was an object. You will sometimes have to do such quibbling, as I've called it, because the LSAT requires very close textual analysis. However, I suspect you did not prephrase any answer choice. To review, prephrasing is when you formulate a likely answer in your own words before considering the answer choices. The question asked you what the passage says is essential to political sovereignty. Before looking at the answer choices, find where political sovereignty is discussed in the passage. Here it is: "Control over physical space and the objects located in it is a defining attribute of sovereignty." So, "control over physical space and the objects located in it" should be your prephrase. As you noted, that is almost verbatim what D says, so that is the right answer. The power of prephrasing is that it allows you to keep the question foremost in yoir mind and avoid distracting yourself with the wrong answer choices. It may feel at first like a waste of time when you'd like to hurry up and read the answer choices, but, in the long run, having your prephrase validated by an answer choice makes you more certain that you've found the right answer.

Good luck!