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TIKITEMBO wrote:Has anyone found a good way to do this? For LR I'm having a hard time keeping track of the possibilities and quanities.
Modality: (Modal verbs)
Degree of Possiblity:
Degree of Obligation:

I usually just circle these in the stimulus and, if diagramming, make some type of note (even just an asterisk) to remind myself about the different modality.

Quantities:
All
Some
None
A Few
Several

All - This is diagrammable, so if all Swedes are leggy, then If Swedish -> Leggy
None - Also diagrammable, so if no Pole is intelligent, then If Pole -> Not Intelligent
All and none are pretty much the same for logical force; you're just negating a condition with 'none'

Some/a few/several/many - all of these mean 'some'. Which means 'at least one'. For this, I use a line to connect the two terms, as they're reciprocal (you can read it in either direction and it makes sense). So if some child stars end up in rehab, Child Star --s-- Rehab (as it also must be true that some people in rehab are child stars).

You didn't include 'most' on your list (usually/probably/likely), which means at least just above 50%, but that is also an important quantifier on the LSAT. For this, I use the 'all' arrow with an 'm' over it (-m->). This one isn't reciprocal and doesn't have a contrapositive.

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most and many are actually more similar than some and many. Be careful. As far as modals, just look for matches between stim and ACs

JamMasterJ wrote:most and many are actually more similar than some and many. Be careful. As far as modals, just look for matches between stim and ACs

Actually not. Most means more than fifty percent. Many means pretty much the same thing as some.

WhoIsDonDraper wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:most and many are actually more similar than some and many. Be careful. As far as modals, just look for matches between stim and ACs

Actually not. Most means more than fifty percent. Many means pretty much the same thing as some.

In the real world, yes. In the LSAT, not necessarily. I don't think any question actually tests the difference, but Manhattan LSAT's LR guide says that many is more like most than like some IIRC

JamMasterJ wrote:

WhoIsDonDraper wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:most and many are actually more similar than some and many. Be careful. As far as modals, just look for matches between stim and ACs

Actually not. Most means more than fifty percent. Many means pretty much the same thing as some.

In the real world, yes. In the LSAT, not necessarily. I don't think any question actually tests the difference, but Manhattan LSAT's LR guide says that many is more like most than like some IIRC

If you're diagramming, 'many' and 'some' mean the exact same thing (at least one) on the LSAT; 'most' means something different (over 50%). That line is, at times, blurred a bit on non-diagramming questions, but you're better off treating 'many' to always mean 'some'; if you treat it as 'most', you'll get stuff wrong.

This is a case where I (personally) would disagree with the Manhattan method if your memory serves.

bp shinners wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:

WhoIsDonDraper wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:most and many are actually more similar than some and many. Be careful. As far as modals, just look for matches between stim and ACs

Actually not. Most means more than fifty percent. Many means pretty much the same thing as some.

In the real world, yes. In the LSAT, not necessarily. I don't think any question actually tests the difference, but Manhattan LSAT's LR guide says that many is more like most than like some IIRC

If you're diagramming, 'many' and 'some' mean the exact same thing (at least one) on the LSAT; 'most' means something different (over 50%). That line is, at times, blurred a bit on non-diagramming questions, but you're better off treating 'many' to always mean 'some'; if you treat it as 'most', you'll get stuff wrong.

This is a case where I (personally) would disagree with the Manhattan method if your memory serves.

I agree for LSAT purposes many=some.
While the meaning of most is well defined, many is much more ambiguous. To me I could say many people get into NYU with an LSAT <170. Their 25% is 169, and if they have 400 kids a class you know that means at least 100 people who scored less than 170 were accepted at NYU. I think "many" could still accurately describe the 100+ kids who go there without breaking 170. Now obviously using "most" there would be inappropriate.

Many people live in NYC. I think that's pretty undeniable. OF course you could not correctly say Most people live in NYC.

TL;DR. Many means >0, Most means >50%,