#4 - Ray: Cynthia claims that her car’s trunk

[cbchica]

Can someone please explain why D is the correct answer? I was between A and D, and I ended up choosing A.

Thanks,

cbchica

[Claire Horan]

(D) is the correct answer and could be pre-phrased before looking at the answer choices. This answer is correct because just because the trunk popped open due to other causes previously doesn't mean that, this time, the pothole wasn't the cause. Consider another example: You claimed that I laughed because you told me a particular joke. Previously I laughed without having heard that joke. Therefore, your joke didn't cause me to laugh. That would be a ridiculous conclusion, right?

Now, let's consider why (A) is wrong. (A) considers other cars and is outside the scope of the argument. Cynthia was making a claim about her car based on past events concerning the same car. For that reason, what other cars do is completely irrelevant.

For all LR questions, it is important to track the scope of the argument or question and to note any discrepancies in scope. Many, many wrong answer choices can be eliminated that way.