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 Adam Tyson
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 5153
  • Joined: Apr 14, 2011
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#76007
You've diagrammed answer C incorrectly there, ssnasir. The phrase "the only people" refers to people who are interested in improving their intellects, so that is the Necessary Condition. You should not have negated that in your diagram! The Sufficient Condition is not interested in making money, so you should have negated your Sufficient Condition instead of your Necessary Condition. Once you get the negation in the right place, you'll see why that answer is of no use to us in justifying the conclusion.

When you are stuck on a claim with "the only" in it, ask yourself "who are the only ones?" or "what is the only thing?" or " what is the only way?" The answer will be the Necessary Condition, and the other condition will be Sufficient for it. For example:

"The only thing better than pizza is free pizza."

What is the only thing that is better? Free pizza. Free pizza is necessary. The diagram here would be:

Better than Pizza :arrow: Free Pizza

(if something is better than pizza, it must be free pizza)

Once you know what "the only" refers to, you have your Necessary Condition!
 ssnasir
  • Posts: 22
  • Joined: Feb 22, 2020
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#76011
Adam Tyson wrote:You've diagrammed answer C incorrectly there, ssnasir. The phrase "the only people" refers to people who are interested in improving their intellects, so that is the Necessary Condition. You should not have negated that in your diagram! The Sufficient Condition is not interested in making money, so you should have negated your Sufficient Condition instead of your Necessary Condition. Once you get the negation in the right place, you'll see why that answer is of no use to us in justifying the conclusion.

When you are stuck on a claim with "the only" in it, ask yourself "who are the only ones?" or "what is the only thing?" or " what is the only way?" The answer will be the Necessary Condition, and the other condition will be Sufficient for it. For example:

"The only thing better than pizza is free pizza."

What is the only thing that is better? Free pizza. Free pizza is necessary. The diagram here would be:

Better than Pizza :arrow: Free Pizza

(if something is better than pizza, it must be free pizza)

Once you know what "the only" refers to, you have your Necessary Condition!
Thank you so much! This is incredibly helpful!!

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