#10 - Almost all of the books published in the past 150

[mab9178]

Hi,

My question concerns the role of the word "probably" in last sentence in the stimulus: "Techniques, which are now being developed, to deacidify books will probably be applied only to books with historical significance."

I am thinking that because the word "probably" is used with the word "only," there is no doubt that the "technique" will be applied to books with historical significance; in other words, the technique will 100% apply to books that have historical significance; and the word "probably" is not meant for whether the historical significant books that were printed on acidic paper in the past 150 years would receive the deacidification treatment!

Otherwise, what is the point of developing this technique?

So, to what does the word "probably" apply then? To books that have no historical significance; "probably" the techniques being developed will be applied to them for deacidification!

Am I correct? Or, Am I mistaken, and the word "probably" is to cast doubt on the certainty that even books with historical significance may not receive the deacidification treatment?

Please Help.

Thank You
Mazen

[Robert Carroll]

Mazen,

That analysis doesn't really do justice to the "probably only" language. "Only" is inherently restrictive - imagine we drop the "probably" from the statement. We'd then have an actual conditional:

technique applied historical significance

So, by the contrapositive, if something didn't have historical significance, the technique won't be applied to it.

What does the "probably" do, then? It says that the conditional above will "probably" be true - so, in all likelihood, only historical significant books will get the technique applied to them. So the more likely thing is that nothing BUT historically significant books will get the technique. That's just about the opposite of what you said here:

So, to what does the word "probably" apply then? To books that have no historical significance; "probably" the techniques being developed will be applied to them for deacidification!

What I said above of course completely validates answer choice (A).

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Robert Carroll

[mab9178]

Got it. The contrapositive after dropping the word "probably" clinched it for me!

Thank you Robert!