Let's dig deeper and look at every statement for the correct answer. Let me share why this question is difficult for some. The reason is that it's so basic. We sometimes overthink when we see complex statements and exam writers know that. So, one way to make a question difficult is to make it so basic that the solution is always in front of our eyes, but we still miss it. But let's get to the core of it.
. If we can drive home a message that thinking just right is what we need (no overthinking and, of course, no less thinking), that'll become handy in solving such complex questions dealing with fundamental deceptions.
Maggie will either move into her old bedroom at her parents' house to save money or else she will share an apartment with her college roommate. - Ok, this only shares two options that Maggie has
1. Move into her old bedroom or
2. Share an apartment
However, she would not do either one unless she had accumulated excessive credit card debt during college. So this is "UnlessX, Y" conditional. This means X is necessary for not Y. So, expansion of this statement. Maggie's accumulation of excessive debt is a necessary condition for her to choose either.
Maggie's parents will allow her to move into her old bedroom at their house if and only if they do not know that she has accumulated excessive credit card debt during college. Ok. This is another conditional. Notice "if and only if," so this is both a necessary and sufficient condition.
Necessary condition -
Only if they do not know do parents allow her to move into her bedroom. (They do not knowing is a necessary or a minimum condition for her to move to her bedroom)
It implies
Parents allowing her to move into her bedroom implies that they dont know about her debt.
If they know, parents, dont allow her to move into her bedroom.
Sufficient Condition - If they don't know, they'll 100% (guarantee) allow her.
Question Stem - If all of the above statements are true, which of the following would allow the conclusion that Maggie will share an apartment with her college roommate only if her parents know that she has accumulated excessive credit card debt during college to be properly drawn? - Conclusion - Maggie will share an apartment with her college roommate only if her parents know that she has accumulated excessive credit card debt during college.
Expansion - Only if her parents know she'll share an apartment. (expansion is not required as we'll not get that much time on the exam, but just sharing if you want to understand the implications else, ignore this part)
It implies that is she shares an apartment, her parents know that she has debt.
Or If her parents don't know that she has debt, she doesn't share an apartment. And rather take her bedroom.
So, we are looking for a sufficient condition (not a minimum condition), a missing premise for the conclusion to follow, which is
In a nutshell, we need to find a missing premise for the conclusion: "Maggie will share an apartment with her college roommate only if her parents know or they don't allow" So it means knowing that she wants to live with her parents (if they allow) is important. See option E's explanation to understand it better.
A) Maggie's college roommate is willing to share an apartment only because Maggie accumulated excessive credit card debt during college. - Bringing a new condition is okay, but this isn't related to the scope of the argument, which is establishing a condition: Only if her parents know she'll share an apartment. Wrong.
B) If Maggie shares an apartment with her college roommate, her parents will know that she accumulated excessive credit card debt during college. - Let me explain why this is atrociously wrong.
The 3rd Fact in the argument says that "Maggie's parents will allow her to move into her old bedroom at their house if and only if they do not know that she has accumulated excessive credit card debt during college."
So here, parents not knowing is a MINIMUM condition to allow her. But she can STILL CHOOSE to live with her college roommate? Isn't it? Yes. There is no SUFFICIENT condition in the argument that if her parents do not know, she'll 100% move with her parents. (there is a sufficient condition that her parents will 100% allow her, but will she 100% move in? We don't know. By the way, this is a critical gap, which is what option E pugs beautifully) So, in this statement, "will" is wrong. There is no way we can deduce this from the argument.
C) If Maggie had not accumulated excessive credit card debt in college, she would neither move into her old bedroom at her parents' house nor share an apartment with her college roommate. - Yes, that's what the entire argument is based on, but this is also stated in the argument. The assumption is about what's missing from the conclusion and not about stating the facts already stated or implied in the argument. Wrong.
D) If Maggie's parents do not allow her to move into her old bedroom at their house, she will share an apartment with her college roommate. - already implied in the statements.
E) If Maggie's parents allow her to move into her old bedroom at their house, she will do so. Suppose she doesn't do that. Instead, she goes to live in an apartment instead of moving to her old bedroom, and the conditional conclusion is invalid.
Let's look at the flow here to understand it better.
Fact 1 - Maggie has two options: either
1. Move into her old bedroom or
2. Share an apartment
Fact 2 - Maggie's accumulation of excessive debt is a necessary condition for her to choose either.
Fact 3 - The parents not knowing is a necessary and sufficient condition for her parents to allow her. (Maggie's parents will allow her if and only if they do not know about her debt)
Let me give an analogy. If 760 is necessary to enter the Dream Business School (DBS). Suppose we get a score of 760. Is it 100% sure that we get into (DBS)? No. Likewise, if Maggie has met the minimum condition, can she still live with her college roommate? Yes. Isnt it? If that is the case, she chooses to stay with her roommate even after meeting the minimum condition. We can't then deduce the conclusion (that she will live with her roommate only if her parents know) as she is already staying with her college roommate. Isn't it.? So, we need confirmation that she will stay with her parents when she meets the minimum conditions.
Missing Premise - If Maggie's parents allow her to move into her old bedroom at their house, she will do so. Exactly. Suppose she chooses to stay with her roommate even after meeting the minimum condition. In that case, we can't deduce the conclusion (that she will live with her roommate only if her parents know) as she is already staying with her college roommate.
Conclusion - Maggies will share an apartment when? Only if her parents know.
I hope this helps.
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10 Oct 2020, 03:56
79%
(02:38)
wrong 
