Q13 - Community organizations wanting to enhance support

[mshinners]

Question Type:
ID the Conclusion

Stimulus Breakdown:
If a community org wants to accomplish this goal, they need to convince the public of the benefit. Why? That approach will convince more people. This is then backed up with an example.

Answer Anticipation:
The final sentence is explicitly stated to be an example of the preceding sentence, so it's a premise backing up a conclusion (that conclusion being the second sentence). At this point, it's a matter of determining if the first sentence is a premise of that conclusion, or if the second sentence is an intermediate conclusion.

In this case, the second sentence is the reason why the author believes the first sentence (Why must community orgs do this? Because it'll be more effective.). As the second sentence is the reason to do something, it is support for that action. Therefore, the second sentence is an i. conclusion, with the first sentence being the main conclusion.

Correct answer:
(A)

Answer choice analysis:
(A) Bingo. This is a paraphrase of the first sentence.

(B) Wrong function (premise). This answer is the example, stripped of the specific application (roads).

(C) Wrong function (premise/example).

(D) Wrong function. This is the intermediate conclusion with the topic of the argument written in.

(E) Unstated in the argument. This answer is actually an assumption of the argument.

Takeaway/Pattern:
If a statement explains why another statement is true, then it's most likely a premise. Be careful, though - if the author states that the explanation is the "most likely" explanation, this might be flipped.

#officialexplanation

[einuoa]

This is an identify the conclusion question -

1. Community organizations wanting to enhance support for higher education programs need to convince the public that such programs benefit society as a whole. CONCLUSION

2. Taking this approach makes the public more receptive. SUPPORT

3. It is much easier, for example, to get the public to support road building, which is seen as benefiting everyone, than it is to get them to support programs that are seen as benefiting only a relatively small segment of society. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

I had some trouble with this question because in quickly reading through the stimulus, I misidentified what the last sentence supported. I thought that sentence 3 supported sentence 2 because the 'for example' followed right after the second sentence.

However, the structure of the argument is really:
Conclusion
Support 1
Support 2 (an example)

[maryadkins]

I don't think you're wrong about sentence 3 supporting sentence 2!

I think sentence 2 is an intermediate conclusion. Sentence 3 is a premise. And, of course, sentence 1 is the conclusion, which is why (A) is the correct answer. The other answer choices do not nail the conclusion; (A) does.

If you aren't sure about intermediate conclusions, review the Argument Core chapter in the LR strategy guide...they do come up fairly often, and the key is to realize that they aren't the final conclusion (they support it), but they have their own support, as well.

Hope this helps!

[ganbayou]

I was a little not sure about A because I thought the word must in A is a little strong...the author says need but not must. are those two interchangebale? or is it because it asks most accurately express the conclusion?

[mshinners]

I was a little not sure about A because I thought the word must in A is a little strong...the author says need but not must. are those two interchangebale? or is it because it asks most accurately express the conclusion?

Those two words are essentially interchangeable - if you need something, it's something you must have.

[ZiadL481]

Hi, thank you so much for the explanation; as always, very helpful. Can you elaborate on the takeaway pattern? What is it that you mean by "most likely explanation"

Again, many thanks.