Logical Reasoning

PT137 · S2 · Q22 People often praise poems

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People often praise poems for their truth.

Conclusion

It's wrong to say that . (i.e. expressing something true does not contribute to the aesthetic merit of a poem)

Evidence

Most commonplace beliefs are true, and the basis of poetic excellence must be rare, not common.

Evaluate / Goal

We're being asked about the last sentence, which is a Premise, so we'll look for an answer that sounds like

(in Role questions, the Conclusion is only the last claim about 10% of the time. 90% of the time the last claim is part of the Support)

22.

Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that whatever the basis of poetic excellence is, it must certainly be rare rather than common?

  1. It is the overall conclusion

    Wrong Role

    The conclusion is the 2nd sentence. In 90% of Role questions, the last claim (or claims) is Evidence. If we were tempted to think this was the author's conclusion, we should subject it to our Two Part Conclusion Checklist (is it the author's opinion? did the author provide support for it?) The author never provided a reason for why we should believe that poetic excellence must be based in something rare, not common.

    12% picked this

  2. Correct

    It is a premise that,

    Why this is right

    The last two sentences are the two premises that support our Conclusion, in the 2nd sentence.

    Skill tested: Role · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    75% picked this

  3. It is a premise offered

    Two Premises

    This is almost correct, but there are two premises (the last two sentences) so it's not correct to call this the sole support.

    4% picked this

  4. It is background information that,

    Wrong Role

    This is a premise, not background. In order to get to her conclusion that "true doesn't add aesthetic value to a poem", the author is combining "truth is common" with "what gives poems their aesthetic excellence is rare, not common".

    4% picked this

  5. It is a proposition for

    No Explanation Given

    The author doesn't explain or support in any way that "what gives poems their excellence is rare, not common".

    4% picked this

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