Wheat has more nutritional value than rye. But since oats have more nutritional value than rice, it follows that wheat has more nutritional value than rice.
Any of the following, if introduced into the argument as an additional premise, makes the argument above logically correct EXCEPT:
Given in the context of nutritional value:
Wheat > Rye
Oats > Rice --> Thus --> Wheat > Rice
So possible scenarios are -
1. Wheat > Rye > Oats > Rice
2. Wheat > Oats > Rye > Rice
3. Wheat > Rye = Oats > Rice
4. Wheat = Oats > Rye > Rice
A. Wheat and oats have the same nutritional value. - WRONG. Does not contradicts statement.
B. Rye has more nutritional value than oats. - WRONG. Does not contradicts statement.
C. Rye has more nutritional value than rice. - WRONG. Does not contradicts statement.
D. Rye and oats have the same nutritional value. - WRONG. Does not contradicts statement.
E. Oats have more nutritional value than wheat - CORRECT. Contradicts statement.
Option E has possibilities as follows:
Oats > Wheat > Rye > Rice
Oats > Wheat > Rice > Rye
Oats > Rice > Wheat > Rye which invalidates the condition of argument by breaking the logic.
Alternatively, 'Since' in the argument signifies a must be true condition(causal relationship) here. So, option directly/indirectly contradicting the condition is the correct answer. Hence without even thinking about possible conditions also we can find the answer.
Answer E.
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