LSAT Explanation PT 29, S1, Q18: Some planning committee members—those representing the

LSAT Question Stem

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the passage and break down the information given:

1. Some planning committee members, specifically those representing the construction industry, have significant financial interests in the committee's decisions.

2. No one who is on the planning committee lives in the suburbs, but many of them work there.

The question type is Must Be True (MBT), which means we need to find the answer choice that must be true based on the information provided in the passage.

Now, let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) No persons with significant financial interests in the planning committee's decisions are not in the construction industry.

- This answer choice tries to make a claim about the entire group of people with significant financial interests, but we only have information about the planning committee members. We cannot assume that everyone with a significant financial interest is in the construction industry. Thus, this answer choice is not necessarily true.

b) No person who has a significant financial interest in the planning committee's decisions lives in the suburbs.

- This answer choice also tries to make a claim about the entire group of people with significant financial interests. We know that no planning committee members live in the suburbs, but we don't know anything about people with significant financial interests who are not on the committee. So, this answer choice is not necessarily true.

c) Some persons with significant financial interests in the planning committee's decisions work in the suburbs.

- While we know that many planning committee members work in the suburbs, we don't know if any of those members have significant financial interests. It's possible that none of them do. Thus, this answer choice is not necessarily true.

d) Some planning committee members who represent the construction industry do not work in the suburbs.

- We know that many planning committee members work in the suburbs, but we don't know if any of them represent the construction industry. It's possible that they all do, or none of them do. Thus, this answer choice is not necessarily true.

e) Some persons with significant financial interests in the planning committee's decisions do not live in the suburbs.

- We know that some planning committee members have significant financial interests and that no planning committee members live in the suburbs. Therefore, it must be true that some persons with significant financial interests (the planning committee members) do not live in the suburbs. This answer choice is necessarily true based on the information given.

The correct answer is E.