LSAT Question Stem

The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Sufficient Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The passage consists of two statements:

1. Premise: Every student who walks to school goes home for lunch (WS ‚Üí GHFL).

2. Conclusion: Some students who have part-time jobs do not walk to school (PTJ some ~WS).

The question type is a Sufficient Assumption question. We need to find the answer choice that, when assumed, guarantees the conclusion logically follows from the premise.

Before discussing the answer choices, let's come up with an "Evaluate" question: "Do some students who do not go home for lunch have part-time jobs?" This question is crucial because if the answer is yes, then the argument is valid; if the answer is no, then the argument is invalid.

Now, let's discuss the answer choices:

a) Some students who do not have part-time jobs go home for lunch.

This answer choice doesn't provide information about students with part-time jobs, so it doesn't help us answer our "Evaluate" question. It doesn't guarantee the conclusion follows from the premise.

b) Every student who goes home for lunch has a part-time job.

This answer choice is too strong, as it states that all students who go home for lunch have part-time jobs. We only need to know about some students, not all. This choice doesn't guarantee the conclusion follows from the premise.

c) Some students who do not have part-time jobs do not go home for lunch.

This answer choice provides information about students without part-time jobs, but we need information about students with part-time jobs. It doesn't guarantee the conclusion follows from the premise.

d) Some students who do not go home for lunch have part-time jobs.

This is the correct answer. It answers our "Evaluate" question with a "yes." By assuming this, we can connect the premise and the conclusion. If some students who do not go home for lunch have part-time jobs, then it logically follows that some students with part-time jobs do not walk to school (since every student who walks to school goes home for lunch). This choice guarantees the conclusion follows from the premise.

e) Every student who goes home for lunch walks to school.

This answer choice is the contrapositive of the premise (GHFL ‚Üí WS). It doesn't provide any new information to connect the premise and the conclusion, so it doesn't guarantee the conclusion follows from the premise.

In conclusion, the correct answer is D, because it provides the necessary assumption to guarantee that the conclusion logically follows from the premise.