LSAT Explanation PT 39, S4, Q21: In a small town, every complaint

LSAT Question Stem

The argument is questionable because it fails to consider 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In this passage, the argument claims that since every complaint filed about a plumber's work in a small town was filed against Moore, who has a relatively small business, there is good evidence that Moore is a poor plumber who cannot be counted on to do a good job. The conclusion of the argument is that Moore is a poor plumber. The premise is that every complaint filed about a plumber's work in the town was filed against Moore.

The question type is Flaw, and it asks us to identify the aspect that the argument fails to consider, which would make the argument questionable.

Let's analyze each answer choice:

a) The interests of Moore's customers who have not filed complaints

This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. The fact that some people didn't file complaints doesn't necessarily mean that Moore is a good plumber. It could just mean that they didn't take the time to file a complaint.

b) That there may be few if any other plumbers working in Moore's town (Correct Answer)

This answer choice points out the main flaw in the argument. If Moore is the only plumber in town, it's not surprising that every plumbing complaint would be filed against him. In this case, we can't validly conclude that Moore is a poor plumber based on the number of complaints.

c) Whether Moore's business is too small to warrant the kind of generalization drawn

This answer choice is not as strong as (B). Even if Moore has a small business, the number of complaints against him could still indicate that he's not a good plumber. The size of Moore's business is not relevant in determining whether he is a good plumber or not.

d) The number of complaints filed in Moore's town about tradespeople other than plumbers

This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. We are only concerned with complaints about plumbers, specifically Moore, in this case.

e) Whether each person who was dissatisfied with Moore's work filed a complaint against Moore

This answer choice is also not relevant to the argument. The argument is based on the number of complaints filed against Moore, not the percentage of dissatisfied customers who filed complaints.

In summary, the correct answer is (B) because it highlights the main flaw in the argument: the argument fails to consider the possibility that there may be few or no other plumbers in the town. If Moore is the only plumber in town, it would be expected that every plumbing complaint would be filed against him, and we can't validly conclude that he is a poor plumber based on the number of complaints alone.