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Weaken Argument


GMAT Critical Reasoning – How to solve the weakness question type?


Categories : Critical Reasoning, Weaken Argument

Start solving the GMAT Critical Reasoning weaken question by reading the question first. Why? This would help you determine the task before you go into the argument.

For example:

Healica, a new drug that can cure a common disease that until now has been fatal for 50% of those infected, is made from the root of the New Zealand banananut tree.  The banananut tree is rare in New Zealand, and large quantities of the root are necessary in order to make Healica.  Therefore, if Healica remains in production, the banananut tree will eventually become extinct.

If true, which of the following most calls into question the conclusion above?

a) The company that holds the patent to Healica has exclusive rights to produce the drug for another 10 years.
b) Healica is expensive, and is not currently covered by most major insurance plans.
c) Banananut leaves are considered a gourmet delicacy in many parts of the world.
d) The banananut tree, although native to New Zealand, can easily be grown in other parts of the world.
e) Producing Healica is time-consuming and expensive for the drug manufacturer.
...

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Car Dealer: After reviewing magazines of the 1980's
Categories : Weaken Argument

Car Dealer: After reviewing magazines of the 1980's. I have seen that the cars of that era are far nicer and more affordable than the cars that can be seen today. I believe that car manufacturers working before 1980 provided more affordable and nicer cars than the ones that manufacturers make today. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the Car Dealer's conclusion?

A. Magazines are far more likely to be archived when the cars are particularly affordable or aesthetically pleasing.
B. The average car customer of the 1980's had less money to spend on cars than does an average car customer today, adjusted for inflation.
C. The quality of the cars of the 1980's is generally far inferior to that of cars now.
D. Cars designed now tend to be more expensive than in the 1980s.
E. Many of the materials used in cars today are more comfortable and practical, but not more elegant, than the materials commonly used in cars of the 1980s.

Answer

This choice notes that the magazine that the car dealer is using to make the argument may be unrepresentative of all cars of that time. If true, this possibility weakens the argument.

Answer - Choice A

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To increase profits, a BMW dealership raised
Categories : Weaken Argument

To increase profits, a BMW dealership raised sticker prices by 20 percent on one of its models, but did not raise prices on any other type of vehicle. The owner of the BMW dealership said that this tactic alone was sufficient to increase profits, as overall revenue has almost doubled.

Which of the following, if true, most effectively weakens the owner's claim:

A. The number of other vehicle types sold did not increase.
B. The percentage of its one model sold increased after prices were raised.
C. The overall profits from all vehicles sold since prices were raised have increased.
D. The number of customers buying cars from the BMW dealership increased when the only other car dealership moved to another part of town.
E. The cost of running the dealership has more than doubled since the price increase, and the number of the one model sold has increased.

Answer

This answer choice D weakens the owner's argument. This answer choice states that the increase in his overall revenue is due to lack of competiti