Before the 20th century, the employer/employee relationship was

Question

Before the 20th century, the employer/employee relationship was characterized by private contract between employers, who controlled resources, and employees, who contributed labor.  The employers held the majority of the power in this relationship.  As businesses grew larger, employees banded together in the form of unions in an attempt to create a greater balance of power between the two sides of the private contract.  By allowing unions to survive and grow, employers are partially responsible for the current environment in which unions threaten industry by  demanding prohibitively high prices for their labor.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first provides background information that is necessary for the conclusion; the second states the conclusion that is subsequently drawn.

(B) The first establishes evidence for the conclusion that is drawn in the second boldface portion.

(C) The first provides an inference that can be drawn from the passage; the second states the conclusion that is subsequently drawn.

(D) The first provides evidence that defends the position the author eventually takes; the second states the main conclusion of the passage.

(E) Each portion provides evidence for the conclusion that is presented

Tantheta · Answer

Can we say that the first boldface does not contribute to the second boldface (conclusion) at all? How can it be inferred from the passage?

pintukr · Answer

IMO, the OA needs to be corrected.

First Boldface  ---> is not an inference. In fact, it's a statement regarding the power with then employers. This statement (acting as a Premise) is necessary, since it provides background information that is necessary for the conclusion.

Second Boldface  ---> states the conclusion that is subsequently drawn.

(A) should be the CORRECT answer.

spy2206 · Answer

Bunuel   MartyMurray  How Is BF1 an inference?

SubhraDhara · Answer

why is the first boldface an inference?

APram · Answer

Can we actually infer from one sentence of controlling resources and employees who contributed labour that employers hold the power?
I feel it's a background or a premise to the bold face 1

bestreturn · Answer

Very tricky question. I guess A is wrong because even if you remove the first BF, the passage still works just fine so it is not necessary. And from reading the whole passage, you can then infer the information given in BF. I think we are used to looking for inference in answer choices that when it is put within the passage we just quickly take it as background information

maheshdrag · Answer

Try the because therefore method

It is mostly because pre-text therefore the conclusion

1) Because the employers held the majority of the power in this relationship Therefore By allowing unions to survive and grow, employers are partially responsible for the current environment in which unions threaten industry by...

makes sense where as the opposite

2) Because By allowing unions to survive and grow, employers are partially responsible for the current environment in which unions threaten industry by... Therefore the employers held the majority of the power in this relationship

1 makes sense, but 2 does not. Not sure why C. A is a stated fact in the passage and does not need to be inferred.

I hope this helps.

xxdw0007 · Answer

Poor quality question, C)The first isn’t an inference; it’s a factual premise.

SRIVISHUDDHA22 · Answer

I was confused between A and C . Could you explain why is it C?

Aakanksha1194 · Answer

I think C is correct. You don't need to know the historical relationship between employer and employee to reach this conclusion. It is just extra background info

Before the 20th century, the employer/employee relationship was

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Before the 20th century, the employer/employee relationship was

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