Critical Reasoning

Source: GMAT Prep 1


A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool company has recently claimed that the company is mismanaged, citing as evidence the company’s failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investor’s sniping at management can ever be anything other than counterproductive, but in this case it is clearly not justified. It is true that an increased inventory of finished products often indicates that production is outstripping demand, but in Burton’s case it indicates no such thing. Rather, the increase in inventory is entirely attributable to products that have already been assigned to orders received from customers.

In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A. The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states the conclusion.

B.The 1st states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support that conclusion

C.The 1st is the position that the argument as a whole opposes;the second provides evidence against the position being opposed.

D.The first states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the 2nd states the conclusion of the argument as a whole

E. The 1st & the 2nd both state intermediate conclusions that are drawn in order to support jointly the conclusions of the argument as a whole.


OA after a little discussion.

Detailed reasoning behind the answer appreciated.

IMO: B

Ashay....could u pls support your answer with an explanation !

bsandhyav wrote:Source: GMAT Prep 1


A prominent investor who holds a large stake in the Burton Tool company has recently claimed that the company is mismanaged, citing as evidence the company’s failure to slow production in response to a recent rise in its inventory of finished products. It is doubtful whether an investor’s sniping at management can ever be anything other than counterproductive, but in this case it is clearly not justified. It is true that an increased inventory of finished products often indicates that production is outstripping demand, but in Burton’s case it indicates no such thing. Rather, the increase in inventory is entirely attributable to products that have already been assigned to orders received from customers.

In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A. The first provides evidence to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states the conclusion.

B.The 1st states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support that conclusion

C.The 1st is the position that the argument as a whole opposes;the second provides evidence against the position being opposed.

D.The first states an intermediate conclusion that is drawn in order to support the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the 2nd states the conclusion of the argument as a whole

E. The 1st & the 2nd both state intermediate conclusions that are drawn in order to support jointly the conclusions of the argument as a whole.


OA after a little discussion.

Detailed reasoning behind the answer appreciated.

A statement 1 does not provide any evidence. It is a statement

B Statement 1 is the main conclusion. 2 is in support of the main conclusion. Correct

C The first does not oppose the argument but agrees with it

D Statement 2 is not the argument as a whole

E I think Statement 1 is the main argument here so this is wrong as well

its b yall

The conclusion of the whole argument seems to be "The investor's claim that the company is mismanaged is wrong or unjustified" and this is clearly what the 1st boldface statement is!!

The reason for the conclusion that the investor is wrong is given by "the increase in inventory is entirely attributable to products that have already been assigned to orders" and thereby concluding that the observation of the investor is wrong. this conclusion is intermittent and is exactly what the 2nd statement does!!

Hence my answer is B

You guyz cracked it ! B it is

OA is B

I will Go with option B in this case