Only if Mallika knew where Jayeshs car was parked

Question

Only if Mallika knew where Jayesh’s car was parked could she have stolen it from the parking garage. But Jayesh claims he did not tell her where his car was parked. If he is telling the truth, she would not have known unless she had been watching as his car was parked. But she was not watching. So either Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked or someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly drawn?

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly drawn?

(A) If Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked, Mallika did not steal his car.
(B) If Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked, she could have stolen it from the parking garage.
(C) Jayesh could not have told anyone other than Mallika where his car was parked.
(D) Someone other than Mallika was watching as Jayesh’s car was parked.
(E) Someone stole Jayesh’s car from the parking garage.

AUG1523 · Answer

Could someone help out with an explanation? Why is D incorrect?

pinakinjsaojoij · Answer

Only if Mallika knew where Jayesh’s car was parked could she have stolen it from the parking garage. But Jayesh claims he did not tell her where his car was parked. If he is telling the truth, she would not have known unless she had been watching as his car was parked. But she was not watching. So either Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked or someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly drawn?

so Option D is not require.

pintukr · Answer

Only if Mallika knew where Jayesh’s car was parked could she have stolen it from the parking garage. But Jayesh claims he did not tell her where his car was parked. If he is telling the truth, she would not have known unless she had been watching as his car was parked. But she was not watching. So either Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked or someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly drawn?

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the argument’s conclusion to be properly drawn?

Premise . If Jayesh is telling the truth, she would not have known unless she had been watching as his car was parked. But she was not watching.

Conclusion . So either Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked or someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage

(A) If Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked, Mallika did not steal his car.
 In the case for negation of this stimulus, the conclusion that 'someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage.' will still hold.

(B) If Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked, she could have stolen it from the parking garage.
 contrary to the premises provided in the argument

(C) Jayesh could not have told anyone other than Mallika where his car was parked.
 Negation in the form of 'Jayesh has told anyone other than Mallika where his car was parked' doesn't invalidate the conclusion.

(D) Someone other than Mallika was watching as Jayesh’s car was parked.
 again, this stimulus is also contrary to the premises provided in the argument

(E) Someone stole Jayesh’s car from the parking garage.
 The reasoning cited by the author higlights that 'either Jayesh told Mallika where his car was parked or someone besides Mallika stole the car from the parking garage' towards the car getting stolen.   ----> So, 'the car getting stolen' must be true to justify the reasoning provided in the argument.

(E) is the CORRECT answer

Adit_ · Answer

Reading the conclusion properly makes this problem very simple.

Conclusion says either X or Y happened.
Stop there and now read the other statements.

There is a story about somebody telling truth, somebody watching the car and all of it. The assumption must explain the conclusion precisely.
You have many things happen leading to X or something related to X and some things about Y or related to Y. If the conclusion says only X or Y is possible, what is the bottleneck?
The bottleneck here is the stealing part. If car was never stolen the final conclusion of either this or that cannot be made.
Hence  option E  is right.

Only if Mallika knew where Jayeshs car was parked

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

Only if Mallika knew where Jayeshs car was parked

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