Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actu

Question

Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actually, however, people with large vocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate. Thus a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.

Which one of the following is an assumption made in the argument?

(A) When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem inadequate.

(B) People who are able to express themselves creatively in new situations have little incentive to acquire large vocabularies.

(C) The most articulate people are people who have large vocabularies but also are able to express themselves creatively when the situation demands it.

(D) In educating people’ to be more articulate, it would be futile to try to increase the size of their vocabularies.

(E) In unfamiliar situations, even people with large Vocabularies often do not have specifically suitable words available.

hanumayamma · Accepted Answer

Conclusion: Thus a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.

(A) When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem inadequate.  HOLD It ]
(B) People who are able to express themselves creatively in new situations have little incentive to acquire large vocabularies. Assumption has nothing to do with the incentives – eliminate it ]
(C) The most articulate people are people who have large vocabularies but also are able to express themselves creatively when the situation demands it. What is the characteristic of the most articulate person is irrelevant – eliminate it ]
(D) In educating people’ to be more articulate, it would be futile to try to increase the size of their vocabularies. Enticing –conclusion is not about educating , but using of the language – eliminate it ]
(E) In unfamiliar situations, even people with large Vocabularies often do not have specifically suitable words available. Unfamiliar situation is irrelevant – eliminate it ]

One great tool for the assumption problem is negation technique: If negating an assumption invalids the conclusion then the assumption is correct. In our example, let’s negate A.
When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem  adequate .
This makes vocabulary an integral part of the language usage. Now, check the conclusion:  Conclusion no longer stands. b]

walker · Answer

I'll try... - people who are articulate. - people who have a large vocabulary. - have incentive for, and tend to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate. the argument: equal . But do not . Therefore, is not . Now the argument with option "A": equal . But do not . But means to be . Therefore, is not . How is my formula?

Is it useful?

moni77 · Answer

I think the correct answer is A. 
Premise: Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary
Counter-premise: people with large vocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate
Conclusion: a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.
Now what information is required in order the conclusion to be true? In order for the people to be articulate they must have the capacity to express themself.

neerajch · Answer

Premise: People with large vocab find it inadequate to use it in making creative expression
Conclusion: Large vocab is hindrance for creative expression

Assumption: A --> When people truly have to be articulate in expression, they don't use large vocab and find it inadequate

automan · Answer

OA is A. Could anyone explain why?

OldFritz · Answer

Right answer is A.

Perhaps one can pre-phase, helping one to understand that the definition of true articulateness is based on the ability to express one's self linguistically in a creative manner when no available words seem adequate. Doing enables us to realize that A is the right answer.

Cheers,
Der alte Fritz.

yashii9 · Answer

-  this merely repeats the idea mentioned in premise

Tough one.

Premise -

Good Vocab --> 1 need not be articulate
therefore large vocab is a hindrance in being articulate..

conclusion-

Large vocabulary is a hindrance to being articulate

Assumption can be -
for 1 to be articulate --> no need of Good Vocab

( x causes y where assumption can be y does not cause x )

For me A and B were close.
I eliminated B for the reason - People who articulate well do not need to increase their vocab. It fails to have impact on the conclusion whether lack of vocab stops one from being articulate or not.

However when I tried negation on this on, was really confused. 
People who are able to express themselves creatively in new situations have LOTS of incentive to acquire large vocabularies.
this seems to falter the conclusion, doesnt it?

I chose A because it matches with the assumption drawn (y does not cause x). negation of this also kills the conclusion.

may be in the stressed out situation of test, I might end up marking a wrong answer in haste.

I wish someone can show a better approach for this one. How to be perfectly sure of A over other choices.

Skywalker18 · Answer

The structure is almost always:
i. some people say / many ppl think / it is commonly assumed ...  
ii. but/yet/however ... I disagree with claim X
iii. here's a premise (that is dubiously relevant to claim X)

For example:
Some people think that democracy is a system that tolerates dissidence. But they're wrong. After all, democracies don't normally allow you to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

Assumption/Objection?
What does "yelling 'Fire!' in a crowded theater" have to do with "tolerating dissidence"?

I think the shortest way to the answer would just be to recognize the missing link of relevancy that would connect the premise "lacking creative self-expression" to the conclusion, "using language in a truly articulate way".

If we just scan the answers for "truly articulate", we would only find (A) as a contender.

Discussing who is "most articulate" as (C) does is not the same as whether one is "truly articulate".

Discussing how to make one "more articulate" is not the same as whether one is "truly articulate".

And (B) and (E) don't have any link to the conclusion.

deveshj21 · Answer

nightblade354 
Hi nightblade, sorry to be always bothering you, but although i choose A as the answer, I could not logically grasp it, Can you please help me in understanding the question? I have written below what i could make of the question.

CON- Thus a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.

PREMISE- People with large vocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate.

I could make out that the author is certain that no other reason other than "too much vocabulary" hinders a person from becoming articulate.

auradediligodo · Answer

Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actually, however, people with large vocabularies have no incentive for, and tend not to engage in, the kind of creative linguistic self-expression that is required when no available words seem adequate. Thus a large vocabulary is a hindrance to using language in a truly articulate way.

Which one of the following is an assumption made in the argument?

Assumption question

Pre-thinking

The author's reasoning is that since people with large vocabulary don't express themselves in a creative way they cannot be defined as articulate.

Falsification scenario  : What if being articulate does not mean being able to make creative discourses?

Assumption  : Being articulate=being able to make creative discourses

POE:

(A)    When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem inadequate.
 In line with pre-thinking

(B) People who are able to express themselves creatively in new situations have little incentive to acquire large vocabularies.
 Irrelevant

(C) The most articulate people are people who have large vocabularies but also are able to express themselves creatively when the situation demands it.
 Irrelevant as MOST makes this choice out of scope

(D) In educating people’ to be more articulate, it would be futile to try to increase the size of their vocabularies.
 Irrelevant

(E) In unfamiliar situations, even people with large Vocabularies often do not have specifically suitable words available.
 Irrelevant

nandeta · Answer

Premise:   Articulate = Large Vocabulary
  Argument:   People with Large Vocabulary cannot creatively express themselves when no available word fits in
  Assumption:   ?
  Conclusion:   Vocabulary is a hindrance in using language fluently

(A) When people are truly articulate, they have the capacity to express themselves in situations in which their vocabularies seem inadequate. 
  Hold on to this, because it is filling in the blank space. If you read the whole sentence at once, it will make sense. People with large vocab cannot express themselves and so vocab is a hindrance in using language frequently. So obviously, a person is only articulate when can express himself where the words fail.

(B) People who are able to express themselves creatively in new situations have  little incentive  to acquire large vocabularies. 
  We are not talking about any incentive to acquire or not acquire anything.

(C) The most articulate people are people who have large vocabularies but also are able to express themselves creatively  when the situation demands it .     This was my correct choice but after re-reading the CR i figured out it's wrong because of the phrase " when situation demands it" In the question stem it's written, that an articulate person cannot express himself creatively not when the situation demands it but when the words seem in-adequate.

(D) In educating people’ to be more articulate, it would be futile to try to  increase the size of their vocabularies . 
  Nor the premise or the argument and the conclusion talks about or even hints about increasing the size of the vocabulary. In the conclusion it is already stated that a large library is an hindrance to articulate people. This option is opposing it.

(E) In unfamiliar situations, even people with large Vocabularies often  do not have specifically suitable words available . 
   In the argument we are taking about not able to express themselves creatively and and not why they are not able to find suitable words.

akt715 · Answer

Isn't A just restatement of argument above???? How A can be assumption then??

RexLenny · Answer

The argument says people think being articulate means knowing lots of fancy words. But actually, when someone already knows many words, they don’t need to get creative with language. They just pick a word from memory instead of inventing a clever way to express what they mean. So the author claims that having too many words can make you  less  articulate, because real articulateness happens when you’re forced to be creative : when no word seems perfect, but you still find a way to express yourself clearly.
For that to make sense, the author must assume that truly articulate people can still express themselves even when they don’t have the perfect word. That idea is exactly what option (A) says, so (A) is the assumption the argument depends on.

Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actu

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Being articulate has been equated with having a large vocabulary. Actu

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards