September 2019 LSAT Section 2 Question 19

Doctor: The patient had been experiencing back and leg pain. A computerized scan suggested that there was pressure on...

JGC on July 7, 2023

What does it mean to negate in this case?

The answer explanation prompts us to negate the assumptions to prove that the cortisone injection alone was the cause of pain reduction, but what exactly is being negated? And why do you need to negate to get to the answer?

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Emil-Kunkin on July 20, 2023

Hi, for necessary assumption questions, we are looking for something the author must believe is true in order for their argument to make sense. So, if we negate an answer and it destroys the argument, then that's something the author must believe.

I generally negate by saying that "it is not the case that ..." In this case, for example, we could negate C by saying that the relief did occur only through the placebo effect. If this were true, it would mean that there was no evidence that the nerve was the cause of the pain.