CAT 2023 Slot 3 VARC Question 17

Multiple choice (+3 / −1) · Verbal Ability · Sentence Placement · Try it, then check the answer and solution below.

CAT 2023 Slot 3VARCVerbal Ability • Sentence PlacementModerate
There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
Paragraph: ___ (1) ___ An argument can be defined as a complex symbolic structure where some parts, known as the premises, offer support to another part, the conclusion. Alternatively, an argument can be viewed as a complex speech act consisting of one or more acts of premising (which assert propositions in favor of the conclusion), an act of concluding, and a stated or implicit marker ("hence", "therefore) that indicates that the conclusion follows from the premises ___ (2) ___ . The relation of support between premises and conclusion can be cashed out in different ways: the premises may guarantee the truth of the conclusion, or make Its truth more probable; the premises may imply the conclusion; the premises may make the conclusion more acceptable (or assertible) ___ (3) ___ . But depending on one's explanatory goals, there is also much to be gained from considering arguments as they in fact occur in human communicative practices ___ (4) ___ .
Sentence: For theoretical purposes, arguments may be considered as freestanding entities, abstracted from their contexts of use in actual human activities.
Answer and solution

Answer: C) Option 3

Step-by-Step Explanation:
1
Passage Context & Central Idea:
The paragraph discusses the nature of arguments, defining them both as symbolic structures and speech acts. It explores the support relations between premises and conclusions and considers arguments in real communicative practices.
2
Question Stem Analysis:
The question asks where the given sentence fits best, focusing on the sentence's role in the paragraph's flow and context.
3
Option-by-Option Elimination:
Option 1: Placing the sentence at the beginning disrupts the flow, as it introduces theory before defining arguments.
Option 2: After the first definition, it doesn't fit the context of theoretical vs. practical.
Option 3: Correct, as it introduces the theoretical perspective before discussing practical uses.
Option 4: After the shift to practical use, it's redundant.
4
Final Answer Confirmation:
The sentence fits best after discussing support relations, introducing the theoretical angle. Correct Answer: C

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