June 2010 LSAT Section 1 Question 20

Historian: Radio drama requires its listeners to think about what they hear, picturing for themselves such dramatic ...

MACZ on December 19, 2019

How is still a possible answer choice when negated? I tried to put this as a reply to the above discussion but it wasn't letting me.

While I see how D strengthens the argument, I don't understand how answer choice D would (if negated) would destroy the argument. Something could fill the gap left by radio as a medium for exercising the imagination and it not be television. Then, I'm thinking, that it would not hurt the argument. Is the "something" they are referring to, television, because with how I read it I translated it as it could be anything and not JUST television. Let me know if I am off base here, thanks!

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BenMingov on December 19, 2019

Hi MACZ, thanks for the question.

The argument can be broken down as follows:

Radio drama requires the listener's imagination. Radio drama was the dominant form of entertainment for earlier generations and as a result this generation regularly exercised their imagination. Therefore, today's generation of TV viewers exercises their imagination less frequently.

Answer choice D states the following:

"For today's generation of TV viewers, nothing fills the gap left by radio as a medium for exercising the imagination."

Negated this becomes:

"For today's generation of TV viewers, something fills the gap left by radio as a medium for exercising the imagination"

Well if that's the case, then how can we possibly conclude that today's generation of TV viewers exercises their imaginations any less frequently. We are told that something replaced the radio in this function. It doesn't have to be TV, it can be anything.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Shula on August 21, 2023

Thanks Ben! Your explanation really helps!