PT154 S4 Q15 ExplanationMany popular novels have stylistic

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Wrong Flaw24% picked this

   takes something that is required for a novel to be popular to be something that is certain to

   This describes the famous flaw Necessary vs. Sufficient, which is what happens when an author presents a conditional logic relationship and then uses that rule in an illegal Opposite or Backwards fashion. There were no conditional relationships in this argument.

   24%
2. B

   Too Strong1% picked this

   takes for granted that most journalists could become novelists if they

   Too Strong: most Out of Scope: could The author is only trying to prove the existence of a causal relationship. He isn't implying that it's an option for most journalists, so he doesn't need to assume anything about 51% (most) vs. 49% (most-not). Beyond the frequency specificity, the idea of could / should is all out of scope. The author is just saying "doing X increases your chances of Y". We can say "taking a 3 month vacation in Bermuda would help lower your blood pressure". That doesn't mean we're saying people should do that, or that most people could do that.

   1%
3. C

   Never a Flaw12% picked this

   fails to specify exactly what is required for a novel to

   I've never seen a correct answer that asks for a specific measurement, definition, value, or asks to provide specific names of people generally cited. I couldn't tell you exactly what is required to be a good friend, but I still might be able to say with confidence that being an empathetic listener increases your chances of being a good friend.

   12%
4. D

   Correct62% picked this

   fails to consider how many unsuccessful novels have been written in

   Why this is right

   This is calling out our dude's weak-sauce "many" data points. If I told you that many of the richest lawyers in the country went to a school on the west coast, are you thinking, "Hmm, maybe I should go to school on the west coast"? Not really. If you say, "Many of the richest lawyers in the country went to a school on the east coast. Many of the richest lawyers went to a school in the midwest", you're effectively neutralizing any west-coast persuasive power my statement had. Meanwhile, if I had said something like, "Even though most law students go to school on the east coast, most of the richest lawyers went to school on the west coast", that would have a persuasive asymmetry. So this answer is pointing out the objection we can make by saying, "Aren't many journalistic style novels unsuccessful? So couldn't we argue the exact same thing you did: Many novels written in a journalistic style have been unsuccessful. Thus, writing in a journalistic styles decreases your chances of having a successful novel."

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

   62%
5. E

   Out of Scope1% picked this

   takes the fact that a novel is popular to indicate that it

   Nothing in the argument is talking about whether or not these novels are well-written.

   1%