PrepTest 119

Incorrect. The conclusion is about etiquette books, not people's behavior, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. The premise is about what authors "usually" do, so the conclusion is based on more than just "a few" authors.

Incorrect. What effect these books have on people's behavior is unmentioned and thus out of scope. The argument isn't over the effectiveness of these books!

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Etiquette books usually classify some behaviors as polite and others as rude, but cultures consider different things polite and rude, so these books are absurd in labeling one set of behaviors polite.

Answer Anticipation:
The conclusion of this argument is pretty strong—etiquette books are absurd in calling some behaviors rude and others polite. Why does it believe this to be the case? Because what is considered rude and polite varies from one culture to another.

That does support that a etiquette book proposing one set of rules for all cultures would fail, but there's no indication that that's what these books do! Maybe books have chapters for different cultures, or etiquette books are tailored for one specific culture. Since there's no indication that which behaviors are rude and which are polite varies within a culture, such a book's judgment on a set of behaviors wouldn't be absurd.

The premise here compares something between cultures but fails to bring that comparison into the conclusion, so we should find an answer pointing that out.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights the shift from a premise talking about different cultures to a conclusion talking about a book that represents a single set of rules. If the books are set out as dealing with only a single culture, then the author's premise about the differences between cultures doesn't lead to a book being absurd. It'd be like complaining that a physics book doesn't teach art history—it never claimed it would!

Key Takeaway:
Whenever an argument draws a comparison in the premises, see if it carries it into the conclusion. Here, the premise that supported the conclusion was about differences between cultures, but there's no indication in the conclusion that these books are supposed to address multiple cultures. That discrepancy led straight to the correct answer.

Incorrect. The absurdity of these books is a part of the conclusion, so that label isn't used to lend credence to itself. Premises lend credence to conclusions, not the other way around.