Q25 - Student: Before completing my research paper, I want t

[michellerozenblyum]

Can someone explain why answer choice E is incorrect?

[christine.defenbaugh]

Thanks for posting, michellerozenblyum!

My answer key for this question actually shows the correct answer as (C) - are you sure that you're looking at the correct section?

In case you meant to type (C), here's the breakdown!

This question is asking us to complete the argument - in other words, we have to find a conclusion that follows from the information already listed. Inference time! With so much conditional logic in play, let's get diagramming:

(conditional): If no book --> no accurate citation
(conditional): if no accurate citation --> no include quote
(conditional): if no include quote --> paper won't be as good as it could be!

We can string those together! Three answer choices start with "if I don't find the book", but only one ends with something we can link to! (C) concludes that without the book, the paper will suffer - i.e., it won't be as good as it could be!

Let's take a look at each of the incorrect answers:

(A) Why would we have to include an inaccurate citation? We still might find the book, and without the book, the conditionals indicate we'd just remove the quote!
(B) Nothing indicates that the paper can't be completed! We might not be able to include the quote without the book, but we could still finish the paper!
(D) Without the book, the conditionals above tell us that we won't use the quote, NOT that we'll use it without the right citation!
(E) Again, without the book, we can just remove the quote, and still presumably finish the paper.

Does this help clear a few things up?

[SalmaC760]

f Could someone confirm that the first sentence "before completing my research paper, I want to find the book from which I copied a passaged to quote in the paper" is not considered to be a conditional sentence? My diagram was almost perfect expect that I was thrown off by the first sentence and assumed that CRP = completing research paper was some how part of the linkage.

[ohthatpatrick]

Yeah, I would not interpret that conditionally, mainly because it's just saying something similar to
"Before we eat dinner, I want to wash my hands."

It's desire, not necessity.

[snoopy]

(conditional): If no book --> no accurate citation
(conditional): if no accurate citation --> no include quote
(conditional): if no include quote --> paper won't be as good as it could be!

I see how C is the better answer. However, I'm having trouble grasping the third conditional. (if no included quote --> paper is not good) I am confused about diagramming "Hence, since the completed paper will be much better with...than without [the quotation],____"

I chose E because the student mentions how they, before completing the paper, want to find the book with the quote. I held onto "completing paper." If the student had said he needed to find the book rather than wanted to, would that make E any more correct of an answer? What's wrong with my thought process?