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 bobbiejean
  • Posts: 6
  • Joined: May 28, 2016
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#25756
on p. 248 of the weekend course this was bothersome:

q. 20 which one of the following if assumed allows the conclusion above to be properly drawn?
"assumed" = Assumption q. -why not?
--it is looking for an assumption? instead it is a justify the conclusion. Since both use the answer choices to support the stimulus does it matter so much in finding the correct answer? if so, why?
 Jon Denning
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 904
  • Joined: Apr 11, 2011
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#25764
Hi boobiejean,

Thanks for the question! I'll refer you back to pages 70-71 for the most comprehensive answer to your question, as they outline very clearly how Justify the Conclusion questions operate and how the question stems function.

In short, any time you're asked to make a conclusion true (have it be "properly drawn," as here), you have a Justify question. So even if they use the word "assumption," the key is the task at hand: proving the argument is correct. That's always Justify. So don't go solely off of a single word; instead consider what you're being asked to do.

Similarly, if a question stem ever qualifies the task—"which of the following would most justify the conclusion" [emphasis mine]—it isn't a Justify question, despite the use of the word "justify." Justify questions are always 100%, so when it says "does the most to..." and allows for something less than 100%, then you simply have a Strengthen question.

So recognizing words is helpful, but recognizing the true nature of the assignment is the key.
 bobbiejean
  • Posts: 6
  • Joined: May 28, 2016
|
#25786
makes sense. thank you so much. I have another question :) i'll put in a new topic if i dont see it in here already.

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