LSAT Flaw Practice Question: Part vs. Whole
An original flaw question from our free Question of the Day rotation, built around a trap the LSAT reuses constantly: part vs. whole. Try it first, then read the explanation — it teaches the move, not just the answer.
Your job:Name what's wrong with the argument.
Each of the twelve singers in the Larkfield Chamber Choir has won a regional award as a solo performer. The choir has never performed together before this season. Nevertheless, its debut concert is certain to be musically excellent, since every one of its members is an excellent singer.
The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument
Show the answer & full explanation
The correct answer is D
The JBDM line
Just because each singer is excellent alone doesn't mean the ensemble will be excellent together.
The maybes
- MaybeMaybe twelve award-winning soloists all fight for the spotlight.
- MaybeMaybe blend, balance, and timing are group skills no soloist award measures.
Why D is right
This is the part-to-whole flaw: the group inherits a property because every member has it. But ensembles need blend, balance, and chemistry — qualities that belong to the group, not to any individual. Twelve brilliant soloists can still make a chaotic choir.
Why the others are wrong
- AEven granting that every member is genuinely excellent, the leap from members to ensemble remains — so awards aren't the core problem.
- BThe argument presumes the opposite: it concludes excellence despite zero shared history.
- CThe conclusion is about this one choir's debut, not choirs in general.
- EPopularity is never mentioned; the argument leans entirely on skill.
Sammy's note
Great parts don't guarantee a great whole. Blend is its own skill.
What's a JBDM line?
Just Because Doesn't Mean (JBDM) is the Burton Method's foundational framework for attacking LSAT arguments: identify the premise, identify the conclusion, then say "just because [premise] doesn't mean [conclusion]" and generate "maybes" — alternative explanations that expose the gap between them. That gap is what weaken, flaw, strengthen, and assumption questions all test, so every explanation on this page starts with the JBDM line. It's a micro-lesson in the system, not just an answer key.
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