LSAT Explanation PT 40, S3, Q3: Professor: The best users of a

LSAT Question Stem

The Professor's statements, if true, most support which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Most Strongly supported question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

This LSAT problem is a Most Strongly Supported (MSS) question. Our goal is to find the answer choice that is directly supported by the information contained in the passage.

Passage Summary:

The professor states that the best users of a language are its great authors. However, these great authors often use language in innovative and idiosyncratic ways, which means they are less respectful of the strictures of proper usage than most people.

Let's break this down into a logical statement: Great Authors (GA) -> Best Users of Language (BUL) and GA -> Less Respectful of Proper Usage (LRPU).

Now let's analyze the answer choices:

a) People who want to become great writers should not imitate great authors' use of language.

This answer choice contains an opinion, not a fact. We cannot infer opinions, judgments, or advice from the facts given in the passage. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

b) Writers who do not observe proper language usage risk developing a peculiar or idiosyncratic style.

We cannot conclude that the majority of writers who do not observe proper language usage are great authors, and thus, it is unreasonable to say they risk developing a peculiar or idiosyncratic style. Additionally, labeling this as a "risk" is too negative and inconsistent with the information provided in the passage. This answer choice is incorrect.

c) Those most talented at using a language are not as likely as most other people to observe proper language usage.

This answer choice is correct. It is directly supported by the logical statement we derived from the passage: GA -> BUL and GA -> LRPU. The most talented users of a language (great authors) are less likely to observe proper language usage, which is what this answer choice states.

d) People who use an innovative or idiosyncratic writing style often incur criticism of their language usage.

This answer choice goes beyond the scope of the passage. We cannot infer whether people who use an innovative or idiosyncratic writing style face criticism based on the information provided. This answer choice is incorrect.

e) The standard for what constitutes proper language usage should be set by the best users of a language.

This answer choice contains an opinion, not a fact. We cannot infer opinions, judgments, or advice from the facts given in the passage. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (C), as it is directly supported by the information provided in the passage.