yall we can literally do a zoom and walk eachother through the hardest questions please lmk

I am interested

A.

A company must have efficient employees to be successful. If employees are knowledgeable and hardworking, they are probably efficient. Thus, for a company to be successful, it must have knowledgeable and hardworking employees.

Mapping:

1. Successful → Efficient

2. (Knowledgeable + hardworking) → Efficient

3. ∴ Successful → (Knowledgeable + hardworking)

Flaw type: Invalid chain (mixing two sufficient conditions → creating a new link that doesn’t follow). Not our pattern. We want If A → B; not B → not A but here they combine two “Ifs” instead.

B.

The fact that the suspect was flustered might be a result of surprise. If surprised → probably not guilty. ∴ The fact the suspect was flustered isn’t necessarily a sign of guilt.

Mapping:

1. Surprise → ¬Guilty

2. Flustered (possible surprise)

3. ∴ Flustered doesn’t prove guilty

Structure: More like “correlation ≠ causation” and weakening an inference. Not conditional reasoning. ❌

C. ✅ Correct

Oil companies are not buying new drilling equipment. If they were planning to increase drilling → they would be buying new equipment. ∴ They are not planning to increase drilling.

Mapping:

1. Increase drilling → Buy equipment

2. ¬Buy equipment

3. ∴ ¬Increase drilling

Exactly the same as the stimulus: Life → Water / ¬Water → ¬Life ✅ Modus Tollens

D.

The price of real estate in a town is increasing. If the town’s economy were improving → prices would increase. ∴ The town’s economy is improving.

Mapping:

1. Improving economy → Prices ↑

2. Prices ↑

3. ∴ Improving economy

This is “affirming the consequent.” If A → B, B → ∴ A ❌ invalid form.

E.

The exports of a nation have decreased. Whenever exports ↓ → trade deficit ↑. ∴ The nation’s trade deficit has increased.

Mapping:

1. Exports ↓ → Deficit ↑

2. Exports ↓

3. ∴ Deficit ↑

This one is Modus Ponens (If A → B; A → ∴ B). That’s valid, but it’s the opposite form of the stimulus (which was Modus Tollens).

i remember when S/N questions used to be so damn hard, but now they are easy finally.