The city council is considering planting more oak trees in the downtown plaza. Oak trees provide significantly more shade than the currently planted elm trees. Therefore, planting oak trees will make the plaza cooler during the summer months. Because a cooler plaza will attract more visitors to the downtown area, the city council should proceed with the plan to plant oak trees.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that planting oak trees will make the plaza cooler during the summer months?
- It is an intermediate conclusion that is supported by a premise about tree shade and is used to support the argument's main recommendation.Answer
- BIt is the main conclusion of the argument, which is supported by the claim that a cooler plaza will attract more visitors.
- CIt is a basic premise offered without support to provide background context for the city council's proposed plan.
- DIt is an opposing viewpoint or potential objection that the argument ultimately attempts to refute.
- EIt is a general principle about urban planning from which the argument deduces that the downtown plaza needs more visitors.
Answer
The statement acts as an intermediate conclusion, drawing on the premise about shade and leading to the main conclusion about proceeding with the plan.
The correct answer accurately maps the two-way relationship of the target statement: it receives support (from the premise about shade) and gives support (to the main conclusion about adopting the plan), making it an intermediate conclusion.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying intermediate (subsidiary) conclusions in standard argument structures.