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What's your take?

Law and YodaLaw and Yoda Alum Member ⭐
edited October 2021 in General 4306 karma

Hey 7sagers!

A group of us are discussing how to represent the following sentence:
"A and B are exactly two spaces apart"

We can't seem to agree on how to represent it. There isn't a specific logic game example I can post that has this language but it came up because it was seen in this book "The LSAT Logic Puzzle Book: Are You Smarter than a Lawyer?"
https://imgur.com/TZ7rryJ

Posting here for a fun discussion/debate and to hopefully take your mind off the October exam for those who took it! :)

Just LSAT things
  1. How do you represent it43 votes
    1. A_B
      41.86%
    2. A _ _ B
      58.14%
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Comments

  • galacticgalactic Yearly Member
    edited October 2021 690 karma

    A _ _ B with a box around it and a switch on the A/B, and a mini "Ex" written either above or below the 2 spaces between.

  • LawyeringForLife-1LawyeringForLife-1 Member
    279 karma

    Definitely A _ _ B.
    A _ B is one space apart. The Space apart concept always refers to the number of units b/n the 2 items in question.

    I see the poll is leaning towards A _ B. That would work if the verbiage said: B is located 2 spaces to the right of A.

    Go at it! (and keep the tables, chairs, and ladders to a minimum).

  • Ashley2018-1Ashley2018-1 Alum Member
    edited October 2021 2249 karma

    Wait, so the book is incorrect?

  • helmholtz99helmholtz99 Core Member
    71 karma

    @Ashley2018 said:
    Wait, so the book is incorrect?

    The LSAT industrial complex produces not an insignificant amount of incorrect info w/r/t LSAC's official tests & style

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐
    edited October 2021 8318 karma

    IMO this is unrepresentative language... I would be very interested to see if someone can find a game that actually says this. I think a rule like this would be extremely vulnerable to contestation.

    What if I said A and B are no spaces apart? No spaces apart... no space separates them? Does that mean they are on top of each other, or just that no space exists between the two? Spatially, both:

    A
    B

    and

    AB

    have the same amount of space between them, but in sequence there is a significant difference. In a linear single-line sequencing context, there is still ambiguity as to what "apart" means.

    The book answer implies you are differentiating between saying "two spaces apart" and "two spaces between"... but "two spaces apart" in isolation could mean "it takes moving two spaces to get from one to the other" or "two spaces separate the two items". Apart can mean either–the distance separating and the distance by which something is removed... aside, thats why in most other applications, you have to specify when something is spaced "on center" vs edge spacing.

    This is the danger of using non-official content. It often goes off in ways that don't help you on the test, and even worse, can sometimes be outright wrong. You don't need a ton of material, or need to see every book thats out there. Theres a reason there are a few dominant sources for official content, and there are way more than enough real games out there to master the section... stick with that.

    So in other words, the book is wrong... not for its answer, but for giving you something you wouldn't see on a test. I'm not going to look at every game to hunt for this language, but if someone can prove me wrong, please do so.

  • sarakimmelsarakimmel Member ⭐
    1488 karma

    @canihazJD that was my thought exactly. I have seen questions getting at this type of layout, but it would never say two apart. It would say that there are exactly two spaces between A and B. Definitely a PSA for official, licensed study materials only!

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