Why (A) is right: matching a flawed pattern
A Parallel reasoning explanation from our free library. The question below is original, written for this page. Then the full breakdown: why the right answer is right, and why each wrong answer is wrong.
The question
Every lawyer on the committee is a graduate of State Law School. Kim is a graduate of State Law School. Therefore, Kim serves on the committee.
Which one of the following exhibits the same flawed pattern of reasoning as the argument above?
- Every team captain is a senior. Jo is a senior. Therefore, Jo is a team captain. Correct
- Every team captain is a senior. Jo is a team captain. Therefore, Jo is a senior.
- No intern is a manager. Sam is a manager. Therefore, Sam is not an intern.
- Some seniors are team captains. Jo is a senior. Therefore, Jo might be a team captain.
- Every captain is a senior, so every senior must be a captain.
Why (A) is correct
Diagram the stimulus: all committee lawyers are State Law grads; Kim is a State Law grad; so Kim is on the committee. That is: all A are B; X is B; therefore X is A. The error is treating 'all A are B' as if it also meant 'all B are A.'
Choice (A) has the identical skeleton: all captains are seniors; Jo is a senior; so Jo is a captain. Same flaw, same shape, even the same two-premise-to-individual structure. (E) is the near miss to study: it shares the flaw but drops the individual, so it is not truly parallel.
Why the wrong answers are wrong
(B) Valid reasoning
This is the valid version: all captains are seniors, Jo is a captain, so Jo is a senior. The stem asks for the same flawed pattern, and this one is not flawed.
(C) Valid reasoning
This is a correct contrapositive. It is good logic, so it cannot parallel a flawed argument.
(D) Half-right
This hedges with 'might' and starts with 'some,' so its structure differs. It is weak reasoning, but not the same pattern.
(E) Half-right
This makes the same illicit flip, but it states it as a general rule rather than applying it to an individual the way the stimulus does. The pattern is close but not parallel.
Last updated October 12, 2026