Most people believe that yawning is most powerfully triggered by seein

No.

A fact is something that we draw the conclusion from reality or from the empirical evidence.

Belief is what we think about but not necessarily true indeed

A: INCORRECT. conclusion is not restated . additional information about belief in past is given.
B: out of scope. No information about historians background is given. So we don't know whether yawning is area of expertise of the historians
C: INCORRECT. widespread, commonplace...indicates evidence is not drawn from limited number of cases
D : looks fine.
E: INCORRECT. author implies that yawning is MOST powerfully triggered by... It doesn't mean it's only triggered by seeing others.

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Your query has been replied by carcass in the above post - closing this request.

I got stuck A and D but it slightly seeme to b a correct cause both are exploring cause of yawning because of seeing others but wo go with the d also say it that but with that lots of factual such as common place and wide spread so we can go with d

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Option A:- There is no restatement. Additional info has been added
Option B :- Out of league. No concern for expertise
Option C: Past records has also been taken. Thus the cases are in good number
Option D: do weakens the argument
Option E :- Word used in "most" and not "only"

So D is the answer

what does "factual" mean here in option D?

MentorTutoring

Can you pls explain the basis for eliminating A & B

Thanks in advance!

Hello, GDT. Thank you for bringing this difficult question to my attention. It is one of those that forces you to pay attention to detail. My take on the passage and each response, starting as I typically do with the question itself:


That seems pretty straightforward, one variation of a weaken-the-argument question. What about the passage?



Sentence 1 outlines a belief that most people appear to hold about the most powerful trigger for a yawn. It is stated as fact.

Sentence 2 provides some contextual information about this belief, one that has been around for a long time in many parts of the world, but only according to historians of popular culture.

Sentence 3 spells out the conclusion, getting behind the popular belief, but declaring it to be true with must.

Ahead of time, my mind goes to the notion that the conclusion is seen as a must-be-true based on nothing more than a popular lingering belief. Parallels abound from real life: religion (pick just about any one), horoscopes, vitamin C builds immunity, and so on. I think I am ready for the answers.


If you compare the first and last sentences of the passage, you can see that the proper conclusion, the one following thus, takes a statement of fact and spins it into a conclusion, rather than restating a conclusion. Compare:

Statement: Most people believe that yawning is most powerfully triggered by seeing someone else yawn.
Conclusion: seeing someone else yawn must be the most irresistible cause of yawning.

In the first case, we are talking about a belief that others hold; in the latter, a conclusion or opinion has been drawn by the speaker.


Historians of popular culture might very well be positioned to comment on the beliefs of popular culture in the past. Are we trying to reason that, say, only medical doctors are qualified to comment on what people believed caused yawning in the past, simply because MDs have formally studied such physiological processes? That sounds a bit narrow in scope. The problem lies in the manner in which the speaker/author has drawn the conclusion, not in how the historians were brought up.


We have no basis for comparison about any cases. I agree with the sweeping generalization part, but the end of this answer choice is a big red flag.


Something causes people to yawn. The passage does not posit what that something may be, whether the process is related to regulating the temperature of the brain, is a sign of sleepiness, or whatever. The conclusion, the must belief discussed more at length above, is drawn from the opening line of the passage, an opinion that is stated as fact. This is the answer to our question.


The conclusion states that the most irresistible cause of yawning must be seeing someone else yawn. The superlative most indicates that other possible causes exist, plain and simple.

I hope that helps. If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

- Andrew

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