Logical reasoning PrepTest 143 · Section 1 · Question 8

Incorrect. This is the background/opposing point, an action against which the Client recommends.

Incorrect. This is the rationale of the opposing point in justifying its action.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Main Point

Stimulus Summary:
The catering company is raising rates to hire/train new staff, but their goal will be in trouble if they raise rates, so they should reconsider doing so.

Answer Anticipation:
There are a few key clues here that the third sentence is the main point of this argument. First, it's a "should" statement/recommendation, and those are almost always conclusions. Second, it's an opinion of the opposing point—the catering company has concluded that they must take a certain action, and the Client states her opinion on that. The author's opinion on an opposing point is almost always a conclusion. Third, it's followed by an After all statement, which is a structural indicator showing that the following statement is a premise in support of the preceding statement. All of these point to the same statement as the conclusion, so we shouldn't waste any more time—let's find an answer restating the third sentence.

Answer Explanation:
This answer reflects the Client's opinion of the action taken by the catering company/opposing point and is thus the main point of the argument.

Key Takeaway:
There are a lot of ways to identify the main point of an argument. You should be familiar and fluent in all of them in order to quickly identify the structure of the argument!

Incorrect. This is a premise of the Client's argument, establishing a goal that, she argues, will be prevented by the recent action, leading to the recommendation against that action.

Incorrect. This answer is an implication of how the raised rates and the goal of the catering company will interact, supporting the recommendation against that action.