#10 - Sales manager: Last year the total number of meals

[cboles]

Can someone explain to me why E is the correct answer?

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Hi Cboles,

Thanks for your question.

Generally speaking, we need a bit more input from you before we delve into a discussion of a particular LR question. Ultimately, it won't be us who are taking the test; it's you! Our goal is to help you cultivate the analytical ability to approach these questions on your own, which is why you need to help us help you first.

Here's what I'd like you to do:

• 1. Describe your approach to the stimulus. Did you understand the argument, if any, from a structural standpoint? What is the conclusion, and what evidence is the author using in support of that conclusion?
  
  2. Did you prephrase an answer to the question in the stem? If so, what was your prephrase?
  
  3. What exactly made the answer choices you were between particularly attractive? Did you use any question type-specific test (e.g. Assumption Negation Technique) to differentiate between them?

Thanks,

Stephanie

[cboles]

I think I had a pretty good grasp on the accountant's argument. What I had trouble understanding was why E was a better choice than C.

Is E correct because it offers another explanation for why the number of meals sold decreased?

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi cboles,

Thanks for your response. I'm afraid we actually do need a bit more information on how you approached this argument. You see, if the implications of two different answer choices are unclear, chances are you didn't fully understand the argument itself. If you did, you wouldn't be stuck deliberating between answer choices (C) and (E) The fact is - one of them does affect the argument, whereas the other one does not. To understand why this is so, it is critical to show us how you were able to:

• Deconstruct the stimulus into premises/conclusion.
• Understand whether the conclusion logically follows from the premises, and if not - why not?
• Correctly identify the type of question in the stem.
• Prephrase an answer to that question. (Don't be afraid if your prephrase was off - we still need to see what it was).
• Defend your choice of (incorrect) answer choice.

The more you tell us about your method of approach, the better we can help you figure it out.

Thanks!

[Claire Horan]

Cboles, I see that you'd rather keep your responses short, but could you summarize the argument in your own words? Then say why you thought C was correct and why E was incorrect. It doesn't need to be an essay.

[cboles]

This is how I viewed the accountant's argument:

Our meals are becoming less desirable because the number of meals sold in each of our restaurants is decreasing.

When I originally did the question I eliminated all of the answer choices except for C because of process of elimination. Now looking at the question without a time constraint I can see why C is incorrect. I understand why B is incorrect (it refers to last year and they were selling more meals than last year), A is wrong because dropping the new meals wouldn't account for a downturn, and D is wrong because it doesn't deal with the conclusion of the argument.

Now as I am working through it I can start to see why E is correct. It is because of the fact that it is offering another reason for why sales were down?

[Clay Cooper]

HI cboles,

Thanks for your question.

I think you have nailed the accountant's argument. Answer choice E is incorrect because, as you have observed, it offers an alternate cause for decreased sales that does not depend upon the desirability of the meals; if people have less disposable income, as they would under E, then sales could plausibly decrease, even if they are just as desirable as ever.

Hope that helps!