I have to say this may be where you lose me. the phrase "Some students... can read..." uses the plural "Students," which necessitates more than 1 when you use the unambiguous "can."
If you were to switch the phrase to "Some students...May be able to read..." then it signifies a lack of certainty, which allows for the inclusivity of a quantity of 1. I would argue that if the initial premise says "Some students can..." then it must mean that more than one student can read. Otherwise, it one could be inclusive with the less certain modified statement above or with the alternate "At least one student... can read." Plural+definitive is ALWAYS more than one.
So my question is: how do we know when to accept incorrect sentence structure in order to presume the author's meaning vs. when to parse the sentence structure to obtain the author's meaning?
A bit confusing, "some" would refer to a portion. So why not just say "all" ? I would have guessed "most students" for any thing above 10 since it would be half of Mrs. Stoops' class. So "some" is equal to "all"?
This test literally does whatever it wants to do, it has its own rules because if I say some in normal language, that literally means not all but some because if I meant all I would've said all not some! But I digress
I think some students should be interpreted to mean more than one so the lower band should actually be 2 and not one because one only means "one student" and yet some students (being in plural) means more than one.
So basically "some" is inclusionary since the lower bound begins at one and there is no upper range. So with this its like there is no limit? or is the limit the number that was placed? for example the 20 students?
Can someone explain how "some" can include "all"? I understand that "some" must mean at least 1, as if you have some of something , it is impossible to not have "some" of said thing. However, how can "some" include all? If I have a portion, or "some" of a chocolate bar, I am not saying I have the entire bar. Wouldn't you need to specify "some or all students" for example to include the assumption that it can be "all" or "20" that can read? #help
If a question says "some students", would that not mean it has to be at least 2, because students is in plural, implying there are multiple who can read?
In order to form an argument, is a conditional indicator/qualifier required or at least the case most times on the LSAT?
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74 comments
How could it include the entire set ?
Is "several" to be understood in the same way as "some"? i.e., at least one, could be up to all/100%?
I have to say this may be where you lose me. the phrase "Some students... can read..." uses the plural "Students," which necessitates more than 1 when you use the unambiguous "can."
If you were to switch the phrase to "Some students...May be able to read..." then it signifies a lack of certainty, which allows for the inclusivity of a quantity of 1. I would argue that if the initial premise says "Some students can..." then it must mean that more than one student can read. Otherwise, it one could be inclusive with the less certain modified statement above or with the alternate "At least one student... can read." Plural+definitive is ALWAYS more than one.
So my question is: how do we know when to accept incorrect sentence structure in order to presume the author's meaning vs. when to parse the sentence structure to obtain the author's meaning?
How is 'some' inclusive of ALL? Wouldnt it say 'all' if it included everyone in the sample? Im confused
omg, never in a million years could I have guessed that SOME was inclusive of ALL. Lots of unlearning to do ig.
Definitely a little bit confusing but I understand it like this:
some doesn't necessarily mean all, but it can mean all.
What some definitely means though, is more than one.
If "some" can extend to the entire set, wont it be subsuming the set and therefore create a superset - subset relationship?
A bit confusing, "some" would refer to a portion. So why not just say "all" ? I would have guessed "most students" for any thing above 10 since it would be half of Mrs. Stoops' class. So "some" is equal to "all"?
So does some also equate to most? If some can include "all" doesn't most also include "all?"
Are we sure that some csn mean all? I thought some is a portion of a whole.
This test literally does whatever it wants to do, it has its own rules because if I say some in normal language, that literally means not all but some because if I meant all I would've said all not some! But I digress
Shouldn't the upper limit of some be all minus 1? Some implies a portion (regardless of how large the portion) but not all.
Some heavily implies more than one. I don't know a single context where you'd use "some" to describe only 1 of something.
So it’s just 1-100% is Some and 51%-100% is Most?
Why is it that all 20 could be true if it isn't saying that ALL students can read but only some?
I think some students should be interpreted to mean more than one so the lower band should actually be 2 and not one because one only means "one student" and yet some students (being in plural) means more than one.
So basically "some" is inclusionary since the lower bound begins at one and there is no upper range. So with this its like there is no limit? or is the limit the number that was placed? for example the 20 students?
Hopefully I get some of the questions right on the LSAT.
Quick question about the example sentence on the diagram sheet:
Implicit exclusion of all: Though reading is a challenge for students this young, some students in Mr. Stoop's class can read.
Can anyone explain how this sentence implies exclusion of all?
So "some" can mean all now? interesting lol
wouldnt "some students" imply at least two students since "students" is plural? as opposed to just implying at least one like the lesson says.
Some of these lessons are less linguistically convincing than others.
Range - at least one lesson, possibly all of them though
Can someone explain how "some" can include "all"? I understand that "some" must mean at least 1, as if you have some of something , it is impossible to not have "some" of said thing. However, how can "some" include all? If I have a portion, or "some" of a chocolate bar, I am not saying I have the entire bar. Wouldn't you need to specify "some or all students" for example to include the assumption that it can be "all" or "20" that can read? #help
If a question says "some students", would that not mean it has to be at least 2, because students is in plural, implying there are multiple who can read?
In order to form an argument, is a conditional indicator/qualifier required or at least the case most times on the LSAT?