October 2010 LSAT Section 3 Question 11

Psychologists observing a shopping mall parking lot found that, on average, drivers spent 39 seconds leaving a parkin...

0tas> on June 22, 2020

#14 and choices D & E and them having to be both correct if one of them was correct

Based on what I see in the large megachain sequence, I know why D and E are "could be true" choices and therefore incorrect. However, from 29:20 to 29:53, Naz states that if the statement in choice D cannot be true, neither would the statement in choice E because MacNeil and Owens are in the "exact same position." Thus, Naz concludes that if D were the correct answer, E would also be the correct answer, making both D and E incorrect answer choices because MacNeil and Owens are in the exact same position. I do not understand the logic behind what Naz is saying. Can anyone help me understand what is being said?

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Skylar on June 22, 2020

@0tas>, happy to help!

When we say that M and O are in the same position in our logical chain, we mean that they both have exactly two variables that must precede them. In specific, O has H and N to its left, while M has K and J to its left. Now let's look at the answer choices: (D) puts M 4th and (E) puts O 4th. If we know it is possible for M to be 4th (because it only needs two variables to its left and being 4th allows for that), then it would also be possible for O to be 4th (since it also only needs two variables to its left and being 4th allows for that).

Does that make sense? Hope it helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions!