Weaken the argument

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Weaken the argument

by gmatmachoman » Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:59 pm
There is relatively little room for growth in the
overall carpet market, which is tied to the size of the population. Most who purchase carpet do so only
once or twice, first in their twenties or thirties, and then perhaps again in their fifties or sixties. Thus as the population ages, companies producing carpet will be able to gain market share in the carpet market only through purchasing competitors, and not through more aggressive marketing.



Which one of the following, if true, casts the most
doubt on the conclusion above?


(A) Most of the major carpet producers market
other floor coverings as well.
(B) Most established carpet producers market
several different brand names and varieties,
and there is no remaining niche in the
market for new brands to fill.
(C) Two of the three mergers in the industry's last
ten years led to a decline in profits and
revenues for the newly merged companies.
(D) Price reductions, achieved by cost-cutting in
production, by some of the dominant firms
in the carpet market are causing other
producers to leave the market altogether.
(E) The carpet market is unlike most markets in
that consumers are becoming increasingly
resistant to new patterns and styles

OA will be posted soon!!
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by pandeyvineet24 » Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:06 pm
D for me as it says that Price reduction is an alternate way to increase the market share.

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by mehravikas » Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:08 pm
I think it should be 'D'

The argument says that companies will be able to gain market share only by purchasing other companies not by aggressive marketing.

'D' - Because of cost cutting other companies are leaving the market. This means there will be bigger market share to capture for the companies that remain in the market.

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by Testluv » Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:41 pm
pandeyvineet24 and mehravikas: fantastic reasoning!

The conclusion is: "as the population ages, companies producing carpet will be able to gain market share in the carpet market only through purchasing competitors, and not through more aggressive marketing".

This conclusion is a prediction. Whenever the author advances a prediction, one necessary assumption he makes is: whatever must happen for the prediction to come to pass will happen. And notice how extreme the conclusion is: the ONLY way they can gain market share is through purchase of competitors.

So, the author is assuming there are no other ways market share can be gained (this is what must happen in order for the prediction to happen; if there are other ways they can gain market share, then the prediction will not necessarily happen).

In a weaken questoin, we find a choice that attacks the assumption...that is what choice D is doing.
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by mehravikas » Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:49 pm
Thanks :lol:
Testluv wrote:pandeyvineet24 and mehravikas: fantastic reasoning!

The conclusion is: "as the population ages, companies producing carpet will be able to gain market share in the carpet market only through purchasing competitors, and not through more aggressive marketing".

This conclusion is a prediction. Whenever the author advances a prediction, one necessary assumption he makes is: whatever must happen for the prediction to come to pass will happen. And notice how extreme the conclusion is: the ONLY way they can gain market share is through purchase of competitors.

So, the author is assuming there are no other ways market share can be gained (this is what must happen in order for the prediction to happen; if there are other ways they can gain market share, then the prediction will not necessarily happen).

In a weaken questoin, we find a choice that attacks the assumption...that is what choice D is doing.

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by gmatmachoman » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:52 pm
Needless to say Guys ..U r rocking...

OA D