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30 Apr 2022, 09:34
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Hi AndrewN
I have read all explanations which aim to explain A. It is still not 100% clear to me. I kind of resonate with GmatNinja's post though. Using the word "anyone" would be a red flag. But is it really? It is placed with the word "unlikely". So while the option uses a strong word such as "anyone", it eases out a bit using the word unlikely. Not really sure if it is enough to dump A.
I have read all explanations which aim to explain A. It is still not 100% clear to me. I kind of resonate with GmatNinja's post though. Using the word "anyone" would be a red flag. But is it really? It is placed with the word "unlikely". So while the option uses a strong word such as "anyone", it eases out a bit using the word unlikely. Not really sure if it is enough to dump A.
30 Apr 2022, 12:36
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Namangupta1997
Hello, Namangupta1997. How could a triple negative—not + unlikely + deter—possibly confuse you? I have enough trouble with double negatives. It could just be me, but both times I have come across this question, I have interpreted answer choice (A) as the opposite of what the argument says.
Quote:
My dummy version is as follows:
Premise: take courses → commit far fewer crimes after release
(A) cannot take courses → unlikely to [prevent] anyone from [committing] crimes
First, not taking courses removes the cause of the cause-and-effect relationship that forms the basis of the original argument. In a strengthen-weaken question, considering the inverse (not X, then not Y) of such a given relationship may be pertinent, but in a necessary assumption question, it seems that anything that follows that second arrow is purely speculative. So, if anything, it is unlikely that bothers me in (A). How could a non-factor (i.e. not taking courses), a non-consideration of the argument provided, affect the likelihood that someone would commit crimes after being released from prison? What does this new consideration have to do with the argument at hand? It cannot be a necessary assumption.
One training tool I developed in the course of my own studies that I also teach students to use at times is to ignore an answer choice if, on first reading, it just makes no sense. For example, pretend that answer choice (A) is covered by a big black box, and you cannot see anything it says. If you were able to work with just the other four options, would you be confident enough that nothing else answered the question being asked? If so, then go with the mystery box. If not, then why bother seeking to unlock the mysteries of the big black box? It is okay not to understand everything, especially if you can save time and precious mental reserves en route to selecting the correct answer.
Thank you for thinking to ask.
- Andrew
24 Apr 2026, 22:56
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I???m unable to understand why option (A) is incorrect and why the argument does not depend on it.
My thinking was: if prison conditions become harsher by removing access to college-level courses, this could act as a deterrent and reduce crime at the entry stage itself (i.e., fewer people committing crimes in the first place). In that case, what happens after release may not be as relevant to the governor???s overall goal of reducing crime.
Option (A) states that removing access to courses is unlikely to deter crime. I thought this was important because if removing courses "does" deter crime, then the governor???s policy might still reduce crime overall, even if inmates who took courses commit fewer crimes after release.
So my confusion is:
Why is this deterrence angle (before crime) not necessary for the argument, given that the goal is to reduce crime overall?
I am ok with option C, I was confused between A and C
My thinking was: if prison conditions become harsher by removing access to college-level courses, this could act as a deterrent and reduce crime at the entry stage itself (i.e., fewer people committing crimes in the first place). In that case, what happens after release may not be as relevant to the governor???s overall goal of reducing crime.
Option (A) states that removing access to courses is unlikely to deter crime. I thought this was important because if removing courses "does" deter crime, then the governor???s policy might still reduce crime overall, even if inmates who took courses commit fewer crimes after release.
So my confusion is:
Why is this deterrence angle (before crime) not necessary for the argument, given that the goal is to reduce crime overall?
I am ok with option C, I was confused between A and C
