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11 May 2026, 11:29
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
45% (02:09) correct
55%
(02:06)
wrong
based on 173
sessions
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H. G. Wells's great dramatic novel The Time Machine is classified as science fiction simply because it takes place in the future. But this classification is inappropriate because Wells's book possesses something that great dramatic novels have and science fiction generally lacks — compelling characters that enable the reader to become absorbed in their plight and not just in the author's representation of the future of technology.
The argument's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
(A) All novels that contain compelling characters are great dramatic novels.
(B) Novels can always be clearly classified into distinct genres.
(C) A work of science fiction cannot achieve greatness unless it contains compelling characters.
(D) The most important determinant of a novel's quality is the strength of its characters.
(E) A dramatic novel cannot both be great and belong to the genre of science fiction.
The argument's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
(A) All novels that contain compelling characters are great dramatic novels.
(B) Novels can always be clearly classified into distinct genres.
(C) A work of science fiction cannot achieve greatness unless it contains compelling characters.
(D) The most important determinant of a novel's quality is the strength of its characters.
(E) A dramatic novel cannot both be great and belong to the genre of science fiction.
11 May 2026, 16:30
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H. G. Wells’s great dramatic novel The Time Machine is classified as science fiction simply because it takes place in the future. But this classification is inappropriate because Wells’s book possesses something that great dramatic novels have and science fiction generally lacks — compelling characters that enable the reader to become absorbed in their plight and not just in the author’s representation of the future of technology.
The argument’s conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
The argument concludes that The Time Machine should not be classified as science fiction because it is a great dramatic novel with compelling characters. To make that conclusion follow, we need the assumption that a great dramatic novel cannot also be science fiction.
(A) All novels that contain compelling characters are great dramatic novels.
Wrong. Even if true, this would show that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel, but not that it cannot also be science fiction.
(B) Novels can always be clearly classified into distinct genres.
Wrong. This does not tell us which genre The Time Machine belongs to.
(C) A work of science fiction cannot achieve greatness unless it contains compelling characters.
Wrong. This suggests that some science fiction can have compelling characters, which weakens the argument.
(D) The most important determinant of a novel’s quality is the strength of its characters.
Wrong. The issue is genre classification, not overall literary quality.
(E) A dramatic novel cannot both be great and belong to the genre of science fiction.
Correct. If a great dramatic novel cannot also be science fiction, then since The Time Machine is described as a great dramatic novel, it should not be classified as science fiction.
Answer: (E)
The argument’s conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
The argument concludes that The Time Machine should not be classified as science fiction because it is a great dramatic novel with compelling characters. To make that conclusion follow, we need the assumption that a great dramatic novel cannot also be science fiction.
(A) All novels that contain compelling characters are great dramatic novels.
Wrong. Even if true, this would show that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel, but not that it cannot also be science fiction.
(B) Novels can always be clearly classified into distinct genres.
Wrong. This does not tell us which genre The Time Machine belongs to.
(C) A work of science fiction cannot achieve greatness unless it contains compelling characters.
Wrong. This suggests that some science fiction can have compelling characters, which weakens the argument.
(D) The most important determinant of a novel’s quality is the strength of its characters.
Wrong. The issue is genre classification, not overall literary quality.
(E) A dramatic novel cannot both be great and belong to the genre of science fiction.
Correct. If a great dramatic novel cannot also be science fiction, then since The Time Machine is described as a great dramatic novel, it should not be classified as science fiction.
Answer: (E)
02 Jun 2026, 21:08
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OE for reference:
Overview: We are told that, because it is set in the future, the great dramatic novel The Time Machine is classified as science fiction. The argument concludes, though, that this classification is inappropriate. It supports this conclusion with the statement that, like other great dramatic novels, The Time Machine has a feature that science fiction generally does not—its compelling characters. The conclusion of this argument follows logically if an assumption is added to the argument; your task is to identify that assumption.
The Correct Answer:
E The argument states that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel, while (E) indicates that dramatic novels cannot be both great and science fiction. From these claims, it follows logically that The Time Machine is not science fiction. Therefore, as the argument's conclusion indicates, it is not appropriate to classify it as such.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A Since the argument does state that The Time Machine contains compelling characters, (A) allows us to infer that it is a great dramatic novel. But the argument already says that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel. Moreover, the statement that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel is compatible with the possibility that it is also science fiction. So the argument's conclusion does not follow logically when (A) is assumed.
B Even if all novels can be clearly classified into distinct genres, it could be that The Time Machine can be clearly classified as both science fiction and a dramatic novel. And even if (B) is interpreted as the stricter claim that all novels can be classified into one distinct genre, that genre could be science fiction. So assuming (B) does not suffice to establish the argument's conclusion.
C (C) makes a claim about science fiction works: they cannot be great unless their characters are compelling. Since the argument indicates both that The Time Machine has compelling characters and that it is a great dramatic novel, (C) is compatible with the possibility that The Time Machine is science fiction. So (C) does not help establish the argument's conclusion.
D The argument tells us that The Time Machine has compelling characters, so (D) might be taken to suggest that this novel is of high quality. But this does not help us address the question of whether it is appropriate to classify The Time Machine as science fiction, so the argument's conclusion does not follow logically when (D) is assumed.
Overview: We are told that, because it is set in the future, the great dramatic novel The Time Machine is classified as science fiction. The argument concludes, though, that this classification is inappropriate. It supports this conclusion with the statement that, like other great dramatic novels, The Time Machine has a feature that science fiction generally does not—its compelling characters. The conclusion of this argument follows logically if an assumption is added to the argument; your task is to identify that assumption.
The Correct Answer:
E The argument states that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel, while (E) indicates that dramatic novels cannot be both great and science fiction. From these claims, it follows logically that The Time Machine is not science fiction. Therefore, as the argument's conclusion indicates, it is not appropriate to classify it as such.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A Since the argument does state that The Time Machine contains compelling characters, (A) allows us to infer that it is a great dramatic novel. But the argument already says that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel. Moreover, the statement that The Time Machine is a great dramatic novel is compatible with the possibility that it is also science fiction. So the argument's conclusion does not follow logically when (A) is assumed.
B Even if all novels can be clearly classified into distinct genres, it could be that The Time Machine can be clearly classified as both science fiction and a dramatic novel. And even if (B) is interpreted as the stricter claim that all novels can be classified into one distinct genre, that genre could be science fiction. So assuming (B) does not suffice to establish the argument's conclusion.
C (C) makes a claim about science fiction works: they cannot be great unless their characters are compelling. Since the argument indicates both that The Time Machine has compelling characters and that it is a great dramatic novel, (C) is compatible with the possibility that The Time Machine is science fiction. So (C) does not help establish the argument's conclusion.
D The argument tells us that The Time Machine has compelling characters, so (D) might be taken to suggest that this novel is of high quality. But this does not help us address the question of whether it is appropriate to classify The Time Machine as science fiction, so the argument's conclusion does not follow logically when (D) is assumed.
