Help!

Okay let's diagram this argument: "At Southgate Mall, mattresses are sold only at Mattress Madness." So: If a mattress is sold at Southgate Mall, it is from Mattress Madness. P1: MSGM ==> MM not MM ==> not MSGM "Every mattress at Mattress Madness is on sale at a 20 percent discount." So: If it is a mattress from Mattress Madness, then it is on sale at a 20 percent discount. P2: MM ==> 20%D not 20% D ==> not MM "So every mattress for sale at Southgate Mall is on sale at a 20 percent discount." C: MSGM ==> 20%D not 20%D ==> not MSGM Here we have a valid positive transitive argument. We can connect P1 to P2 like so: MSGM ==> MM ==> 20%D to conclude: MSGM ==> 20%D, which is exactly what our conclusion is. Now, let's diagram answer choice (C): "All the food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator." So: If it is food in Diane's apartment, then it is in her refrigerator. P1: FDA ==> R not R ==> not FDA "Diana purchased all the food in her refrigerator within the past week." So: If it is food in Diane's refrigerator, then it was purchased within the past week. P2: R ==> PPW not PPW ==> not R "Therefore, she purchased all the food in her apartment within the past week." So: If it is food in Diane's apartment, it was purchased within the past week. C: FDA ==> PPW not PPW ==> not FDA Answer choice (C), just like in the argument, is a valid positive transitive argument. We can connect P1 to P2 like so: FDA ==> R ==> PPW to conclude: FDA ==> PPW, which is exactly what our conclusion is. Thus, answer choice (C) is the correct answer. Hope that clears things up! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

I don't understand the difference between answers C and D they seem so similar

Hi @franco, thanks for your post. This is a Parallel Reasoning question. Let's first look closely at the argument in the stimulus, so we can be sure that we parallel it correctly. At Southgate Mall: P: Mattresses are sold only at Mattress Madness. M ==> MM P: Every mattress at Mattress Madness is on sale at a 20% discount. MM ==> 20% C: So every mattress for sale at Southgate Mall is on sale at a 20% discount. M ==> 20% This is a valid transitive argument. Answer choice (C): P: All the food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator. F ==> R P: Diane purchased all the food in her refrigerator within the past week. R ==> past week C: Therefore, she purchased all the food in her apartment within the past week. F ==> past week This is also a valid transitive argument. Answer choice (D): P: The only food in Diane's apartment is in her refrigerator. F ==> R P: D purchased all the food in her refrigerator within the past week. R ==> past week. C: Therefore, all the food she purchased within the past week is in *her apartment.* past week ==> apt This is not parallel to the reasoning in either the stimulus or answer choice (C). Hope this helps!