📘 DECK 3 — BRANCHING, BOTH / EITHER / NEITHER (COURSE-ACCURATE)
Card 1
Q: What is a non-hypothetical statement?
A: A fact that is true (represented by “&”).
Card 2
Q: What kind of words signal non-hypotheticals?
A: 51% words such as “most,” “some,” “are rarely.”
Card 3
Q: How do you symbolize “No men are butterflies”?
A: If man → not butterfly.
Card 4
Q: What does “If you are one, then you are not the other” represent?
A: A mutually exclusive conditional relationship.
Card 5
Q: What does “Both A and B” mean?
A: A and B are both true.
Card 6
Q: Can “Both A and B” branch?
A: Yes.
Card 7
Q: What does “Not both A and B” mean?
A: At least one is false.
Card 8
Q: How do you diagram “Not both A and B”?
A: If A → not B; If B → not A.
Card 9
Q: What does “Neither A nor B” mean?
A: Not A and not B.
Card 10
Q: Can “Neither A nor B” branch?
A: Yes.
Card 11
Q: What does “Either A or B” mean on the LSAT?
A: At least one must be true.
Card 12
Q: Can “Either A or B” branch?
A: No.
Card 13
Q: Which structures allow branching?
A: Both, Not Both, Neither.
Card 14
Q: Which structures do NOT allow branching?
A: Either / pure OR and dependent conditions.
Card 15
Q: What is the golden branching rule?
A: Branch only when each condition can independently occur.
Card 16
Q: What is the most common branching mistake?
A: Branching on “either” statements.
ard 1
Q: When do conditional statements NEED to be branched?
A: When the trigger or result contains BOTH, NEITHER, or EITHER in a way that creates multiple independent paths.
🔹 BOTH AS RESULT → MUST BRANCH
Card 2
Q: If A is invited, then BOTH B and C are invited. How do you diagram this?
A: A → B and A → C (branched).
Card 3
Q: Why must “BOTH as the result” be branched?
A: Because each element (B and C) independently follows from the trigger.
Card 4
Q: What is the contrapositive of “If A, then BOTH B and C”?
A: If not B OR not C, then not A.
Card 5
Q: Does the contrapositive of BOTH as result require branching?
A: Yes — NOT BOTH as the trigger must be branched.
🔹 NOT BOTH AS TRIGGER → MUST BRANCH
Card 6
Q: If B and C are NOT BOTH invited, then A is not invited. How do you diagram?
A: ¬B → ¬A and ¬C → ¬A (branched).
Card 7
Q: Why does NOT BOTH as the trigger require branching?
A: Because either condition (¬B or ¬C) independently triggers the result.
🔹 NEITHER AS RESULT → MUST BRANCH
Card 8
Q: If O is invited, then NEITHER P nor Q is invited. How do you diagram?
A: O → ¬P and O → ¬Q (branched).
Card 9
Q: Why does NEITHER as the result require branching?
A: Because both negations independently follow from the trigger.
🔹 EITHER AS TRIGGER → MUST BRANCH
Card 10
Q: If EITHER P or Q is invited, then O is not invited. How do you diagram?
A: P → ¬O and Q → ¬O (branched).
Card 11
Q: Why does EITHER as the trigger require branching?
A: Because each option (P or Q) independently leads to the result.
❌ BOTH AS TRIGGER → CANNOT BRANCH
Card 12
Q: If BOTH E and F are invited, then D is not invited. How do you diagram?
A: (E & F) → ¬D (NO branching).
Card 13
Q: Why can BOTH as the trigger NOT be branched?
A: Because E and F must occur together; neither alone is sufficient.
❌ NOT BOTH AS RESULT → CANNOT BRANCH
Card 14
Q: If D is invited, then E and F are NOT BOTH invited. How do you diagram?
A: D → ¬(E & F) (NO branching).
Card 15
Q: Why does NOT BOTH as the result NOT branch?
A: Because it only prohibits the combination, not each element independently.
❌ EITHER AS RESULT → CANNOT BRANCH
Card 16
Q: If L is invited, then EITHER M or N is invited. How do you diagram?
A: L → (M OR N) (NO branching).
Card 17
Q: Why does EITHER as the result NOT branch?
A: Because the rule only guarantees at least one, not which one.
❌ NEITHER AS TRIGGER → CANNOT BRANCH
Card 18
Q: If NEITHER M nor N is invited, then L is not invited. How do you diagram?
A: ¬(M OR N) → ¬L (NO branching).
Card 19
Q: Why does NEITHER as the trigger NOT branch?
A: Because the trigger requires both negations together.
🧠 SUMMARY RULE (ONE-CARD MEMORY LOCK)
Card 20
Q: What is the MASTER branching rule for LR symbolization?
A: Branch when elements can independently trigger the result; do NOT branch when elements must occur together.
🧠 RAPID MEMORY TABLE (MENTAL SHORTCUT)
You should be able to say this instantly:
BOTH as result → branch
NOT BOTH as trigger → branch
NEITHER as result → branch
EITHER as trigger → branch
BOTH as trigger → no branch
NOT BOTH as result → no branch
EITHER as result → no branch
NEITHER as trigger → no branch