PrepTest 144

Incorrect. If anything, there being a way to know what made him different is a necessary assumption of the argument—it wouldn't make sense to criticize someone for failing to do the impossible!

Incorrect. First, the conclusion is about the most interesting aspect of Shakespeare—that doesn't require other aspects to be uninteresting (which is still more of a consideration in a Strengthen with Necessary Premise question). Second, the argument establishes that the book does talk about the life of the average Elizabethan man, but the conclusion is about what isn't covered in the book, so this answer is addressing the wrong premise.

Incorrect. This answer essentially restates a premise. That final sentence doesn't make sense if Shakespeare wasn't different from his contemporaries.

Incorrect. This answer would justify a conclusion that the Shakespeare biography failed to do what a biography should do, but it doesn't address whether it discussed the most interesting aspect of Shakespeare.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen with Sufficient Premise

Stimulus Summary:
The Shakespeare biography covers what life was like for him, but not what made him different from other writers of the time, so it doesn't explain the most interesting thing about him.

Answer Anticipation:
Strengthen with Sufficient Premise questions frequently bring up a new term or concept in the conclusion, and thus the correct answer needs to connect that concept to what is established in the premise(s).

Here, the conclusion does bring up a new concept in the conclusion—it states that the book fails to discuss the most interesting aspect of Shakespeare. What the premises establish, however, is that the book fails to discuss what made Shakespeare different from his contemporaries. Therefore, the correct answer should establish that the differences between Shakespeare and his contemporaries is the most interesting aspect about him.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects what was missing from the book to the conclusion—that the most interesting thing about Shakespeare was missing from that biography. If the differences between him and his contemporaries is the most interesting aspect of Shakespeare as this answer states, then it being missing from the book does establish that the biography is missing the most interesting aspect of him.

Key Takeaway:
Strengthen with Sufficient Premise questions frequently introduce a new term in the conclusion that needs to be connected to a related term in the premises. Identifying this new term is the first step to anticipating an answer.