#11 - Letter to the editor: According to your last edition’s

[avengingangel]

Why is D wrong? I chose B as the correct answer, but feel like D is very similar... Thanks.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi avengingangel,

Answer (B) states the flaw is that it "diverts attention from the content of the article by focusing on the writers’ actions" while (D) states it "attacks the integrity of the writers without knowing anything about them."

One could further say that it "diverts attention" specifically by way of attacking the writers' integrity. While this may be true, answer (D) doesn't pick out something that necessarily must be a flaw. It might be legitimate to attack the integrity of anonymous authors--i.e., the author attacking their integrity by claiming they should "put their names to that assertion." And the fact that they are anonymous means one won't know anything about them. So though the stimulus may do (D), that part of the argument doesn't appear to be a flaw, but (B) does.

[lilmissunshine]

Hello,

I was choosing between (B) and (E) and ended up picking (E)... Could you explain why (E) is inferior?

Thanks a lot!

[Adam Tyson]

I have a test for answers like E to this question, lilmissunshine, and I want you to give it a try. When you are checking to see if a key term or phrase was used in more than one way (which they might call "shifting" or "vague" or "uncertain" or "equivocating" or, as in this case, "confusing" them), you should be able to articulate the two different meanings of that word or phrase. What are the two meanings here of "anonymous"? If you cannot define them and show that they are two distinct meanings, then that answer cannot be the correct one.

I can only think of one meaning for anonymous in this argument, and that is keeping one's identify hidden. I see no confusion about that, do you? If not, then that answer must be (and usually is) a loser.

One more thing, and that is about your prephrase. What did you determine the flaw was, before you looked at the answer choices? That's a crucial step in the process, and would probably have avoided any confusion about this answer. A good prephrase here would probably have been something like "the author focused on the person writing the article instead of the content of his article". Or, if you know the label for that type of flaw, you might say "that's a source argument" or "that's an ad hominem attack", and those will all get you to select answer B quickly and easily. Always prephrase, lilmiss! It's the best defense against attractive wrong answers!

[lilmissunshine]

Hi Adam,

Thank you so much! I was able to pick the right answer this time haha. I think I was focusing on the different contexts of "anonymous" when I took the practice test the first time, but that's totally different from meanings.

Much appreciated!