LSAT Explanation PT 40, S3, Q12: Novelist: Any author who thinks a

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the novelist's argument is flawed because the argument 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is a Flaw in the Reasoning question. The argument in the passage involves a novelist who claims that grammar books are useless for authors. The structure of the argument can be broken down into three premises and a conclusion:

Premise (1): If an author believes a sentence is ungrammatical, they won't write it down.

Premise (2): If an author doesn't write a sentence down, they have no need to use a grammar book.

Premise (3): If an author believes a sentence is grammatical, they have no need to use a grammar book.

Conclusion: Grammar books are useless for authors.

The Evaluate question for this argument could be: "Is there a situation where an author is unsure about the grammaticality of a sentence?"

Now, let's analyze the answer choices:

a) The argument doesn't infer that authors should not consult grammar books; it claims that grammar books are useless for authors. This answer choice doesn't address the flaw in the reasoning.

b) The argument doesn't infer that an author who doesn't mistakenly think a sentence is ungrammatical will feel sure it's grammatical. The focus is on the usefulness of grammar books, not on the certainty of the author's belief. This answer choice is not relevant to the flaw in the reasoning.

c) Although this answer choice is true, it doesn't address the flaw in the novelist's argument, which is focused on the usefulness of grammar books for authors. The usefulness of grammar books for non-authors is outside the scope of the argument.

d) The argument's conclusion is about the usefulness of grammar books as reference sources for authors. It doesn't need to consider other potential uses of grammar books to make its point. This answer choice doesn't address the flaw in the reasoning.

e) This answer choice points out the flaw in the reasoning. The novelist's argument assumes that there is no middle ground between being sure a sentence is grammatical and thinking it's ungrammatical. However, there could be situations where an author is unsure about the grammaticality of a sentence, and in such cases, consulting a grammar book could be helpful.

Therefore, the correct answer choice is (e), as it highlights the flaw in the novelist's argument by pointing out the possibility of a middle ground between being sure about a sentence's grammaticality and thinking it's ungrammatical.