Mr Pimblechook: I don't see the point in these Pemberley real estate

Question

Mr Pimblechook: I don't see the point in these Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers. After all, Pemberley is a good hundred miles from the city and no one from the city would want to live that far! Worse, the location, lacking any scenic, natural beauty, is not even worth considering for farmhouses or holiday homes. These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is a position that the argument as a whole seeks to oppose; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

B. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second paraphrases the main conclusion of the argument.

C. The first is a judgment that has been used to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is that conclusion.

D. The first is a finding whose implication is the issue in the argument; the second is a judgment that has been used to support the main conclusion of the argument.

E. The first is a finding whose implication is the issue in the argument; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.

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Official Answer

E

Dream009 · Answer

Please help in understanding why is first part not a judgement but a finding

backlogger · Answer

Because only the 'Pemberley real estate advertisements in London Newspaper' part is highlighted. Had the entire first sentence been highlighted then it would have been a judgement. Whereas, the advertisement itself is not a judgement but rather a finding in the Newspaper. Hope this clarifies!

Mehta17 · Answer

first highlighted part can be treated as finding (as in newspaper) vs judgement

riri3026 · Answer

I was really confused between options A and E.

Can someone help me understand the difference between  A. The first is a position that the argument as a whole seeks to oppose;  and  E. The first is a finding whose implication is the issue in the argument;  ? 
As the latter parts of the question are same, this is where the confusion lies.

Akshat_verma_25 · Answer

Last statement is main conclusion, eliminate BCD, now A and E, argument is not opposing its position, hence we get E as correct answer.

Vaidehi06surya · Answer

can you tell me why its not a judgement (D)but only the main conclusion (E)

Akshat_verma_25 · Answer

Some arguments are more complex and contain more than one conclusion. In this case, the first bolded statement —  “I don’t see the point in these Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers”  — is clearly an opinion by Mr. P. The last statement —  “These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money”  — is also an opinion.

For these kinds of arguments, I like to use the  Because–Therefore test :  Because _____, therefore ____.

Now, let’s apply it to the two statements and see which one works as the main conclusion:
 
  Because  “I don’t see the point in these Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers,”  therefore  “These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money.”
 – This seems to follow the author’s line of reasoning more naturally. 
  Because  “These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money,”  therefore  “I don’t see the point in these Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers.”
 – I feel skeptical about this one.

Hence, the main conclusion of this argument is:  “These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money.” 
Now, let’s tackle the answer choices. I can quickly eliminate B, C, and E because in those, the second bolded statement is not treated as the main conclusion. Coming to option A:  “The first is a position that the argument opposes.”  Honestly, that doesn’t fit at all. The whole point of the argument is that Mr. P is criticizing the advertising strategy — saying they’re wasting money and advertising in the wrong place.

So, by process of elimination, I’d select  E  as the correct answer.
One might argue that it’s not explicitly stated whether the first statement is a secondary conclusion, but that’s fine by me. Maybe the test maker wants to see if I’ll get confused or if I’ll stick to logical analysis and arrive at the correct answer.

egmat · Answer

riri3026  Good question. I am sure this can confuse a lot of students. Here is what they mean:

Option A: "a position that the argument seeks to oppose" 
This would mean the first boldface itself  states a claim or viewpoint  that Mr. Pimblechook is arguing  against .

Option E: "a finding whose implication is the issue in the argument" 
This means the first boldface identifies a  fact or observation , and the argument discusses what this fact  means or whether it's worthwhile .

Applying This to the Argument:

Look at the first boldface:  "Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers"

Is this stating a position/claim? No—it's simply identifying  what exists  (the advertisements are there) 
 Is Mr. Pimblechook opposing the advertisements themselves? No—he's questioning their  value/usefulness  
 What's the actual issue being debated? Whether these advertisements are  worthwhile  (their implication/consequence)

Why E is Correct: 
The first boldface is a  finding  (observation that these ads exist), and the  implication  (Are they worth the money? Will they work?) is exactly what Mr. Pimblechook addresses. The second is clearly the main conclusion: "certainly a waste of money."

I hope this addresses your doubt. I suggest you practice similar boldface questions  here  (you'll find many OG questions) - select  Boldface  under  Critical Reasoning  and choose Easy/Medium level questions to master these subtle distinctions.

amoeba99 · Answer

I am not able to agree to the main conclusion given here. The main conclusion should be "I don't see the point ..." and "These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste one money" supports the former. I am not sure how I am wrong.

egmat · Answer

amoeba99  The first boldface is just  identifying the subject/topic  being discussed – it's a  finding  or  fact  (that these advertisements exist), not a claim or conclusion.

The  second boldface  is:  "These real estate advertisements are certainly a waste of money"

This is the  main conclusion  of the argument – the definitive judgment Mr. Pimblechook is making.

Understanding the Argument Structure:

Topic Introduction:  "I don't see the point in these  " – The speaker introduces the subject and expresses initial skepticism 
  Supporting Evidence:  "After all, Pemberley is 100 miles away... no one would want to live that far... lacking scenic beauty..." – These are the  reasons  supporting the conclusion 
  Main Conclusion:  " " – This is the final, definitive judgment

Do you see why the first sentence could not be the main conclusion? It is just setting the context to the main conclusion which is the last statement.

Let me know if you still feel confused!

Dream009 · Answer

Option C also states that statement 2 is the conclusion then on what basis did you eliminate it. B/w C & E - I was more inclined towards C since it seems to be a judgement and not finding. What if there is some-other data which also needs to assess. The author is only making a claim basis his thinking so its a judgement.

yashhw · Answer

egmat

I have a follow-up question, when evaluating a boldfaced portion, do we consider the broader directional flow of the argument it belongs to, or do we assess only the bolded text at face value?
For instance, if the entire first sentence were boldfaced rather than just 'Pemberley real estate advertisements in London newspapers,' would our analysis be any different? I still get the sense that, viewed as a complete sentence, it expresses more than a mere finding, it carries an element of judgement. 
Could you please help clarify this? Much appreciated!

AbhishekP220108 · Answer

Hi  yashhw

The very first step is to understand how each line is used and what role each plays in the argument. Then we have to identify what is the main conclusion. Since we have already understood how the argument is structured we can assign the role and the direction in comparison to main conclusion and then evaluate the option choice.

Secondly yes, if the entire 1st line has been bolded then role would have changed as you identified.

Hope this helps

Mr Pimblechook: I don't see the point in these Pemberley real estate

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Mr Pimblechook: I don't see the point in these Pemberley real estate

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