Method of Reasoning

This topic has expert replies
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 758
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 9:32 pm
Location: Bangalore,India
Thanked: 67 times
Followed by:2 members

by sumanr84 » Mon May 03, 2010 10:24 pm
C is the clear winner as the argument starts with an explanation of a generic work flow, Garbages are collected usually on Wednesday. Then, it establishes the specific scenario that coz of Monday holiday, garbage will be collected a day later i.e. on Thursday.

So, Argument moves from a generic case to a specific situation case.
I am on a break !!

GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
Followed by:164 members
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Mon May 03, 2010 11:04 pm
received a pm.

Please always post the text of the question, especially if you are seeking guidance from one of the teachers on the forum. The teacher can then copy and paste text from the passage. If you post as an image, then the teacher must re-type text.

Choice C is correct.

The general rule is "after public holidays that fall on Monday, garbage throughout the city is supposed to be collected one day later than usual."

The author provides us two pieces of information:

--garbage is normally (usually) collected on Wednesdays (and the garbage collectors are reliable)
--Monday was in fact a public holiday this week

that allows him to successfully apply the general rule to the specific case at hand, arriving at the conclusion that garbage will likely not be collected until Thursday this week (one day later than usual).

Thus, the argument proceeds by providing information that allows application of a general rule to a specifc case.

____________

This is called a "method of argument" question, and is rare on the GMAT. This must be an LSAT question.

____________

Choices A, D and E are necessarily incorrect because the question asked for the method of argument, and not for a flaw in reasoning, and these choices are all descriptions of reasoning that woud be flawed.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto