Critical Reasoning

Debater: The average amount of overtime per month worked by an employee in the manufacturing division of the Haglut Corporation is 14 hours. Most employees of the Haglut Corporation work in the manufacturing division. Furthermore, the average amount of overtime per month worked by any employee in the company generally does not fluctuate much from month to month. Therefore, each month, most employees of the Haglut Corporation almost certainly work at least some overtime.

The debater's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of these grounds?

(A)It takes for granted that the manufacturing division is a typical division of the corporation with regard to the average amount of overtime its employees work each month.

(B)It takes for granted that if a certain average of amount of overtime is worked each month by each employee of the Haglut Corporation, then approximately the same amount of overtime must be worked each month by each employee of the manufacturing division.

(C)It confuses a claim from which the argument's conclusion about the Haglut Corporation would necessarily follow with a claim that would follow from the argument's conclusion only with a high degree of probability.

(D)It overlooks the possibility that even if, on average, a certain amount of overtime is worked by the members of some group, many members of that group may work no overtime at all.

(E)It overlooks the possibility that even if most employees of the corporation work some overtime each month, anyone corporate employee may, in some months, work no overtime.

Source: OG 13

I think its (D)

vk_vinayak wrote:Debater: The average amount of overtime per month worked by an employee in the manufacturing division of the Haglut Corporation is 14 hours. Most employees of the Haglut Corporation work in the manufacturing division. Furthermore, the average amount of overtime per month worked by any employee in the company generally does not fluctuate much from month to month. Therefore, each month, most employees of the Haglut Corporation almost certainly work at least some overtime.

The debater's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of these grounds?

(A)It takes for granted that the manufacturing division is a typical division of the corporation with regard to the average amount of overtime its employees work each month.

(B)It takes for granted that if a certain average of amount of overtime is worked each month by each employee of the Haglut Corporation, then approximately the same amount of overtime must be worked each month by each employee of the manufacturing division.

(C)It confuses a claim from which the argument's conclusion about the Haglut Corporation would necessarily follow with a claim that would follow from the argument's conclusion only with a high degree of probability.

(D)It overlooks the possibility that even if, on average, a certain amount of overtime is worked by the members of some group, many members of that group may work no overtime at all.

(E)It overlooks the possibility that even if most employees of the corporation work some overtime each month, anyone corporate employee may, in some months, work no overtime.

Source: OG 13

I'd go with D here. Here's why:

The conclusion states that MOST employees CERTAINLY work some overtime. They argument is based on the evidence that the average amount of overtime in the manufacturing division is 14 hours, and that most people work in that division. So, then most people work overtime. However, that is an average. What if, for example a few people work 20, 30, or more hours overtime. Clearly this will throw off the average, and MOST people DO NOT work overtime, only a FEW do. This is what answer D states.

Does this help? What is the OA?

Alex,

The OA is D only. When I first tried solving the question, I found it complicated, and it took me a long time to decide between A and D. Your explanations for D helped.

Can you tell me why A is incorrect?

A doesn't take into consideration the whole company, just the division itself. The author is saying that because employees in one division work overtime, most of the employees in the company work overtime.

What if the Manufacturing division only has 10 employees while the company is comprised of 100 employees. Get the discrepancies. The word "typical division" has no bearing as to how many employees would work in this division so it can be yes most employees work overtime if the division is large or no if the division is a smaller division or equal to the other divisions.

D states that because some employees work overtime, it doesn't necessarily mean that MOST employees in the company work overtime, which is what were looking for. That is what the passage is most vulnerable to.

I also picked D

mv12 wrote:I also picked D

Why is E wrong ?

D and E almost say the same thing right ?

Could someone help to explain what (A) exactly means, and why it should be ruled out?
I still find this choice hard to understand

Many thanks!

vk_vinayak wrote:Debater: The average amount of overtime per month worked by an employee in the manufacturing division of the Haglut Corporation is 14 hours. Most employees of the Haglut Corporation work in the manufacturing division. Furthermore, the average amount of overtime per month worked by any employee in the company generally does not fluctuate much from month to month. Therefore, each month, most employees of the Haglut Corporation almost certainly work at least some overtime.

The debater's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of these grounds?

(A)It takes for granted that the manufacturing division is a typical division of the corporation with regard to the average amount of overtime its employees work each month.

(B)It takes for granted that if a certain average of amount of overtime is worked each month by each employee of the Haglut Corporation, then approximately the same amount of overtime must be worked each month by each employee of the manufacturing division.

(C)It confuses a claim from which the argument's conclusion about the Haglut Corporation would necessarily follow with a claim that would follow from the argument's conclusion only with a high degree of probability.

(D)It overlooks the possibility that even if, on average, a certain amount of overtime is worked by the members of some group, many members of that group may work no overtime at all.

(E)It overlooks the possibility that even if most employees of the corporation work some overtime each month, anyone corporate employee may, in some months, work no overtime.

I received a PM requesting that I comment.

Premise: The average amount of overtime worked by an employee in the manufacturing division -- the division in which most employees work -- is 14 hours per month, and the average for each employee does not generally fluctuate.
Conclusion: Each month, most employees almost certainly work at least some overtime.

The correct answer choice must weaken the conclusion.

D: Many members of that group may work no overtime at all.
Here, it's possible that many members of the manufacturing division -- the most popular division -- work no overtime at all, WEAKENING the conclusion that most employees almost certainly work at least some overtime.
The correct answer is D.

Reasons to eliminate:

A)
If the manufacturing division is not a typical division, who cares?
Since MOST employees work in the manufacturing division, the argument can still conclude that most employees work at least some overtime.
Eliminate A.

B)
If the same amount of overtime is not worked each month by each employee, who cares?
The argument can still conclude that most employees work at least SOME overtime.
Eliminate B.

C)
The passage does not make a claim that would follow from the argument's conclusion.
The argument concludes that most employees work at least some overtime.
It does not make a claim based upon this conclusion.
Eliminate C.

E)
If one employee may, in some months, work no overtime, who cares?
The argument can still conclude that MOST employees work at least SOME overtime.
Eliminate E.

thuyduong91vnu wrote:Could someone help to explain what (A) exactly means, and why it should be ruled out?
I still find this choice hard to understand

Many thanks!

"Takes for granted" = "We're assuming this is true, even though we haven't given any evidence for it."

So A essentially says "The argument assumes (without any evidence) the manufacturing division works the same amount of overtime hours as the other divisions in the company do."

It isn't a huge deal in this argument because we were told that most employees at Haglut work in the manufacturing division, so whether the other (smaller, less representative) divisions work as much overtime is irrelevant.

-D-

Argument takes an ambiguous claim, and does not think about the of even at least one person, who does work OT.