#9 - Musicologist: Classification of a musical instrument

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (E)

Many students mistakenly believe that the broadest statement in an argument is typically the
conclusion. However, in many cases, broad statements are used as principles to reach a conclusion.
Here, the musicologist broadly states that the “classification of a musical instrument depends on the
mechanical action through which it produces music”. This statement is taken for granted and used
to derive the succeeding statement that “the piano is properly called a percussion instrument, not a
stringed instrument.” The word “so” is critical to understanding the structure of this argument and
indicates that the second sentence is supported by the first. The last sentence serves simply to clarify
the conclusion.

Answer choice (A): This statement is contained in the stimulus but is used as a premise.

Answer choice (B): This statement is neither contained in the stimulus nor inferred by it and cannot
be the main conclusion.

Answer choice (C): It can be inferred that some people classify the piano as a stringed instrument
and that the musicologist disagrees. However, the claim that the musicologist is refuting cannot itself
be the main conclusion of the argument.

Answer choice (D): This is an opposite answer and must be read carefully to avoid a simple mistake.
Note that this attractive incorrect answer occurs immediately before the correct answer.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. This is the correct answer and essentially
restates the claim that “the piano is properly called a percussion instrument, not a stringed
instrument.”

[kappe]

In this question I chose A, Clearly I identified the wrong conclusion, what can I do to better strengthen my ability to identify the conclusion. This is main point question, right?

[BethRibet]

Hi Kappe,

Yes, this is a main point question, and the goal is to correctly identify the conclusion. We know that the second sentence is the conclusion, primarily because the other two sentences support it. The first sentence presents a general principle. The second sentence makes a claim that is partially (but not completely) justified by that principle. The third sentence gives us additional information to explain why the conclusion follows from the principle.

While we can look for common words that signal conclusions, like "So" or "Therefore" -- this isn't completely reliable, as sometimes these words show up in "sub-conclusions" -- statements which follow from one or more premises, but which also support a broader conclusion.

The only relatively foolproof approach is to focus on the flow and structure of the argument. Which phrase or sentence is the one which all the others serve to justify or help lead to? Which is a claim that can not stand on its own? It can be positioned anywhere (first, last, middle) -- but it is the crux or central idea that the argument leads to.

Hope this helps!

Beth