Zoologist: Animals can certainly signal each other with sounds and ges

Question

Zoologist: Animals can certainly signal each other with sounds and gestures. However, this does not confirm the thesis that animals possess language, for it does not prove that animals possess the ability to use sounds or gestures to refer to concrete objects or abstract ideas.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the zoologist’s argument depends?

(A) Animals do not have the cognitive capabilities to entertain abstract ideas.
(B) If an animal’s system of sounds or gestures is not a language, then that animal is unable to entertain abstract ideas.
(C) When signaling each other with sounds of gestures, animals refer neither to concrete objects nor abstract ideas.
(D) If a system of sounds or gestures contains no expressions referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas, then that system is not a language.
(E) Some animals that possess a language can refer to both concrete objects and abstract ideas.

eliaslatour · Accepted Answer

The conclusion is:   does not confirm the thesis that animals possess language.

Why? Because it does not prove that animals possess the ability to use sounds or gestures to refer to concrete objects or abstract ideas.

How do we find the conclusion? There are many ways, but one of the ways is to use certain indicator words to guide us. Premises are normally preceded by words such as since, because, or for. In this case, the premise is preceded by the word for.

Premises answer the question why? We should be able to take the conclusion, ask the question why, and use the premises to answer that question.

In this case the premise and the conclusion contain different words. The conclusion talks about animals possessing language whereas the premise talks about concrete objects or abstract ideas. What's the connection between the two? Is there a connection? This connection will be in the assumption. Accordingly, we can determine that the assumption must contain the words "concrete objects or abstract ideas" and "language."

This realization makes (D) our top candidate. But how can we be certain that (D) is the best answer? Well, we can use the why test again. State the conclusion:   does not confirm the thesis that animals possess language and ask the question why? Does "if a system of sounds or gestures contains no expressions referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas, then that system is not a language" answer that question? I think it does.

Alternatively, you can use the negation test. The negated assumption should disprove the argument. Here's the negated assumption:

If a system of sounds or gestures contains no expressions referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas, then that system is  not  a language.

I think we can see that it does disprove the conclusion.

Accordingly, when looking for assumptions follow these three steps:

1. Look for new, surprising words in the conclusion that are not mentioned in the premises.
2. Use the why? test.
3. Use the negation test.

rahulkiller321 · Answer

What is premise and conclusion of this sentence unable to get that

GMATNinjaTwo · Answer

Thanks  eliaslatour  for the explanation!

Feel free to use the Request Expert Reply button when posting follow-up questions.

Kanika3agg · Answer

Conclusion - We cant say for sure that the animals possess language. 
premise - We dont know if animals are referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas.
Reasoning - Only those sounds or gestures which refer to concrete objects or abstract ideas can be called as language.
So, D
C is wrong because the argument doesnt deny that animals might possess language. It just says its not sure.

ShankSouljaBoi · Answer

Why D is prefered over C ? I rejected D on the grounds that "system" is not equivalent to animals language.

Further, if animals can point to abstract ideas or concrete objects that means they can possess language skills.

Saasingh · Answer

Hello, I think I can answer you.

If you look closely, option C simply reiterates what is already mentioned in the stimulus. It is a classic trap answer. Assumption questions are UNSTATED and TAKEN FOR GRANTED statement.

If you use the negation technique on option D, it destroys the conclusion.

Negation D : If a system of sounds or gestures CONTAINS expressions referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas, then that system is not a language.
In short: If the sounds are referring to concrete ideas---> system not a language (this totally destroys the conclusion which says that referring to concrete ideas IS WHAT MAKES A LANGUAGE but our negation says it cant be a language)

Hope it helps .

Kanika3agg · Answer

- The conclusion says that "this doesnt prove the hypothesis whether animals possess language." So, it might be the case that animals do possess language but we cant be sure. Why? Because we dont know yet if the animals are for sure pointing to concrete objects or abstract ideas. We just know that they use sounds or gestures.
- Now, if we take C as the main argument it says that "When signaling each other with sounds of gestures, animals refer neither to concrete objects nor abstract ideas" So, in C, we are saying that animals for sure doesnt refer to concrete objects or abstract ideas. So, here there is a certainty that animals dont possess language which is not stated in the conclusion. So, thats why C is not our main argument.

ShankSouljaBoi · Answer

I am attacking the premise and the premise is always considered true, so is that the mistake ? VeritasKarishma Kindly help with this

Posted from my mobile device

KarishmaB · Answer

An assumption is a missing necessary premise.

Animals can certainly signal each other with sounds and gestures. 
It does not prove that animals possess the ability to use sounds or gestures to refer to  concrete objects or abstract ideas .

Conclusion: This does not confirm that animals  possess language .

We are introducing 'language' first time in the conclusion. We are saying the animals signal using sounds. But that doesn't prove that they refer to  concrete objects or abstract ideas . So it doesn't confirm that  they use language . 
The argument is connecting concrete objects and abstract ideas to language. The argument is assuming that if it doesn't confirm that they refer to  concrete objects or abstract ideas , it means it doesn't confirm that they  possess language . That is, it is assuming that if sounds or gestures contain no expressions referring to concrete objects or abstract ideas, then they are not a language.

Answer (D)

RohitSaluja · Answer

Hi,  GMATNinja   GMATNinja 2  VeritasKarishma  I know why D is the right answer but I am unable to eliminate C and E. Can you please put some light on those two options?

KarishmaB · Answer

Note that we are not saying that they do not refer to concrete objects (CO) or abstract ideas (AI). We are saying that it does not prove that they do refer to CO or AI. We know they signal each other with sounds and gestures but that does not prove that they are referring to CO or AI. 
Hence, we cannot say that they possess language.

We are not saying that animals do not possess language. We are saying that we cannot say that they do. The signals may not refer to CO and AI and hence the animals may not possess language.

(C) When signaling each other with sounds of gestures, animals refer neither to concrete objects nor abstract ideas.

This is not an assumption. We are not assuming that they do not refer to CO and AI. We are saying that we do not know. We are saying that their signals do not prove that they are referring to CO or AI. So don't make up your mind that they do possess language. They may not. But we are not saying that they do not possess language. They may or may not is our conclusion.

(E) Some animals that possess a language can refer to both concrete objects and abstract ideas.

No such assumption about "some animals". We are talking about all animals and we are saying that we cannot show that they possess language. 
So as per our argument, we don't know whether there are some animals that possess language. 
Also, the argument uses 'or' (CO or AI). So perhaps, those who do possess language may be said to possess it even if they can refer to only one of them.

Both these options are incorrect.

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Zoologist: Animals can certainly signal each other with sounds and ges

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