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Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 2/9/24
Are you preparing to take your LSAT exam? Keep reading to learn how to approach logical opposites questions.
The LSAT exam is a requirement for law schools in several countries, especially in the United States. The exam tests your understanding of logic, logical reasoning, and argument structures.
The LSAT exam features questions that you will not find randomly. An example is questions regarding negating certain LSAT sentences. These questions test the skills you will need as a law student and lawyer.
In this piece, you will understand logical opposites and how to negate a sentence in an LSAT exam.
General Rule for Finding Logical Opposites
How do we find the opposite of logical thinking? As you prepare for the LSAT, you will have to negate some statements. A logical opposite is simply the minimum it would take to disprove the statement.
To determine this, ask this fundamental question; what is the minimum required to make this statement untrue? Logical Opposites are instances of taking the opposite of sentences like, "all people are sitting" and making them "not all people are sitting."
In syntax, there are endless possible variations from the different types of negotiation to coordinating conjunctions. Due to the long list, a rule of thumb will not suffice for every statement.
While there is no rule of thumb, you can always introduce this concise phrase to any statement to negate it. The phrase is “It is not true that…” Adding this phrase to the statement is the first and most important step in finding the logical opposite.
Note that you must include the entire statement you wish to negate after the phrase. For instance, given the conditional statement:
“Unless the President participates, I'm not joining the bid.”
It would only work to say It is not true that unless the President participates, I'm not joining the bid.
It would not work to place the general phrase before a part of the statement. For instance,
“It is not true that I'm not joining the bid" would be wrong.
Why? Because this fails to encompass the entire conditional statement.
Hence, the logical opposite reads that; it could be possible for me to join the bid without the President participating.
Notice here that a degree of translation explains the minimum possible expression of the statement's falsehood. This explains the general rule for conditional statements.
Take a second example using a universal statement, "All birds can fly." To negate this, add the phrase "It is not true that..." to the statement. Then the logical opposite would be, "It is not true that all birds can fly."
Using an existential statement as the third example, consider the statement, "There is a solution to this problem." To negate this, add the phrase "It is not true that..." The logic opposite becomes "It is not true that there is a solution to this problem." These examples explain the general way to find the logical opposite of statements on the LSAT exam.
Negation on the LSAT requires an understanding of the statement. You need to understand the message in the statement and what would be inconsistent with this message.
There are three categories of statements that you can negate on the LSAT: quantifiers, sufficient/necessary statements, and regular statements.
In the LSAT exam, quantifier statements include the "all," "some," "none," statements, and the "most" statements. Any quantifier word that signifies "at least one" falls under "some" statements.
Quantifier words that signify "more than half" fall under "most" statements. There are universal and existential quantifiers.
Universal quantifiers indicate that a statement applies to all members of a group. To negate "all" or "most" (more than half) statements, the logical opposite would be the "less than or equal to half" statement. Therefore, the negation is "50% or less."
For example, "All dogs bark."
To negate this statement, you would show that at least one member of the group does not fit the description. So, it becomes "Not all dogs bark," or "Some dogs do not bark."
Existential quantifiers indicate that at least one member of a group possesses a certain characteristic. What is the logical opposite of at least one? What is the minimum required to disprove that you have at least one? You have none.
So, in the opposite of logical thinking with "some" (at least one)statements, you would show that no members of the group possess the characteristic. Hence, the logical opposite would be "none" statements.
Consider the following sentences.
"Some kids are on the bus"
"Some leaves on the tree have fallen"
"Some students study late."
Logical opposite:
"None of the kids are on the bus"
"None of the leaves on the tree have fallen"
"No students study late."
Note that all quantifier sentences fall under these two categories: "some" and "most." Any quantifier word that means "at least one" falls under the "some" category. On the other hand, any quantifier word that means "more than half" falls under the "most" category.
Sufficiency and necessity statements will come up in the logical reasoning questions during your LSAT study schedule.
Sufficiency statements describe a condition that, if met, is enough to guarantee a certain outcome, while Necessity statements describe a condition that is required for a certain outcome to occur.
Let's take some examples of sufficiency statements.
"If it is a berry, then it is red."
In this statement, the condition "it is red" is sufficient to guarantee the outcome "it is a berry."
You would show that the condition does not guarantee the outcome. So, it becomes "If it is not red, then it is not a berry."
A second example, “All the military dogs wear a collar."
We can read this: If it is a military dog, then it wears a collar.
The negating statement will be "If it does not wear a collar, then it is not a military dog.
Let's take some examples of necessity statements.
"I must pass my LSAT exam to become a Lawyer." In this statement, having a passport is a necessity for international travel.
To negate this statement, you would show that the condition is not required for the outcome. "It is not true that I must pass my LSAT exam to become a Lawyer."
So, it becomes "I do not need to pass my LSAT exam to become a Lawyer."
Regular statements have no quantifiers and are not Sufficient & Necessary statements. They are assertions that are not conditional but are straightforward statements that may or may not be true. The opposite of logical thinking involves denying the truth of the statement.
For example:
“The bird is white.”
How do we negate this sentence?
“The bird is not necessarily white.”
It’s important to point out that the negation is not “The bird is black.” Instead, we hold that the logical opposite of “being white” is “not being white,” i.e. the minimum required to disprove that the bird is white. The puppy being black, brown, or multicolored could negate the original sentence.
Another example:
"The coffee is hot."
How do we negate this sentence?
"The coffee is not necessarily hot."
It's important to note that the negation is not "The coffee is cold." Instead, we hold that the logical opposite of "hot" is "not hot," i.e. the minimum required to disprove that the coffee is hot. The coffee being lukewarm, warm, and cold could negate the original sentence.
Another example:
"The weather is stormy." To negate this statement, you would assert its opposite, which would be: "The weather is not necessarily stormy." The weather being hot, clear, or calm could negate the original sentence.
Your admission to top law schools depends on various factors such as GPA, LSAT score, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, personal statement, and work experience.
Researching the admission statistics of your schools of interest can provide insight into your chances. Although it’s almost impossible to predict with any certainty the odds, a stellar LSAT score, GPA, and personal statement can determine your chances.
Getting into a top law school depends largely on the scores. Knowing the recent numbers for each school’s incoming class can help you determine your admission chances. Several resources like the LSAC percentiles and the selectivity index can help you determine your percentiles.
The University of Alabama School of Law currently has the highest median undergrad GPA at 3.95. The Washington University in St. Louis Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and Yale Law School come closely behind with a 3.94.
Yale University has a 175 median LSAT score, the highest score placing it at the top of the list. Harvard Law School comes close at 174, while Chicago Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School all come in at a median LSAT score of 173.
Consider the acceptance rates for each school to determine your chances of admission. Some schools provide this information on their website, usually under the most recent incoming class profile. For others, you can consult the trusty Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools and do the math.
Alternatively, you can check out the Internet Legal Research Group’s acceptance rate data. They get their info from the trusty Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools and calculate a subset figure of the enrollment rate.
The higher your acceptance rates, the more certain your chances and vice versa. Yale Law School currently has the lowest acceptance rate at 5.7%, indicating an extremely selective admission process. So you need adequate preparation plus the right tips and strategies to ace your exams.
U.S. News & World Report rankings is a reliable school ranking system among the different law school ranking systems. Generally, the higher a school is ranked, the lower your admission chances.
In the 2023-2024 U.S. News ranking, Stanford and Yale tie for first place. Chicago Law School, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, NYU School of Law, Duke University School of Law, and Harvard Law School come behind as the top five law schools.
School rankings also indirectly affect the scores. The higher the ranking, the higher the LSAT/GPA percentiles, and the lower the acceptance rates. These three factors strongly affect your admission possibilities.
Other factors that determine your admission odds would be strong letters of recommendation, personal statement is leadership involvement, community involvement, and relevant work experience.
Submitting your application early can give you a competitive advantage. Many law schools operate on a rolling admissions basis. Hence, aim at completing your application materials well before deadlines to ensure ample time for review and
As a law student, logical opposite questions on the LSAT is a major aspect of the exam. You need to master the skill of negation for logical reasoning and analytical reasoning sections of the LSAT.
Understanding how to negate statements involving quantifiers, sufficiency or necessity, and regular statements is crucial for correctly evaluating arguments and answering questions on the LSAT.
Ensure to practice with the right self study guide to help you become a pro at identifying and negating these statements.
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