Logical Reasoning

PT141 · S2 · Q25 Student: Before completing my research

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Student: Before completing my research paper, I want to find the book from which I copied a passage to quote in the paper.

Background

I need to find a book that I quoted in my paper.

without → no accurate → can't include book citation quotation

The paper will be much better with the quotation than without, so ....

Evaluate / Goal

We basically can extend that final conditional without → no accurate → can't include → paper will be book citation quotation much worse

If we don't find the book we can't include the quote and thus the paper will be much worse than it would otherwise.

Let's find a safely worded answer that sounds like, .

25.

Which one of the following most logically completes the student's argument?

  1. I will have to include

    Too Speculative

    We don't have any reason to think that the way the author would resolve this problem is to forge a fake citation. He might just accept that he can't use the quote and accept that his paper will be worse without it. If this answer said, "I will have to include an inaccurate citation or otherwise live with a worse-off paper", then it would be fine.

    3% picked this

  2. I will be unable to

    Too Strong: unable to complete

    The student can complete the paper without the quote in it, and just turn in a paper that isn't as good. It's too harsh to say that if the student doesn't find the quote, they will consider the paper permanently unfinished and never turn it in.

    4% picked this

  3. Correct

    if I do not find

    Why this is right

    This safely sums up what we know. If he doesn't find the book, he can't write an accurate citation for the quote, so he can't include the quote in his paper, so his completed paper will be much worse off (because it will lack that quote).

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

    70% picked this

  4. if I do not find

    Contradiction

    The second sentence contradicts this. It says "without an accurate citation, I will be unable to include the quotation".

    6% picked this

  5. if I do not find

    Same as (B)

    This is essentially the same as (B). This is better because it allows for the possibility that the student might still find the book. But all we know is that if he doesn't find the book, he can't cite the quote, so he can't include the quote. That doesn't mean that he can't complete the paper. Who said the quote was 100% necessary in order to have a completed paper?

    17% picked this

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