Argument strengthening – “Jayant could not reach Pune from Mumbai last Saturday due to non-availability of tickets.” Which statements best support and strengthen this claim?

Introduction / Context:
Critical reasoning questions ask you to pick evidence that directly supports a claim—in this case, that Jayant failed to reach Pune specifically because tickets were unavailable. We need statements that show genuine attempts to get tickets and resulting failure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• (i) He booked a car for a boss’s picnic for 3 days starting Friday evening.
• (ii) He was seen at the railway reservation counter requesting a ticket for Pune on Saturday morning.
• (iii) His secretary contacted several travel agents on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning to get a seat for him.
• (iv) He attended a dinner party on Saturday evening.
• (v) His wife was reluctant to go to Pune last week.

Concept / Approach:
We want statements that, if true, make “no tickets” the plausible reason. That means evidence of persistent ticket attempts across channels and times without success; avoid statements that are irrelevant, alternative explanations, or weak.

Step-by-Step Reasoning:

Verification / Alternative check:
Ask: Does the statement make “no ticket” more likely than competing explanations? Only (ii) and (iii) directly do.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• (i) adds noise; (iv) and (v) are irrelevant/alternative motives; their inclusion dilutes the causal line.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “explaining why he didn’t go” with “supporting no-ticket unavailability.” Stick to evidence about ticket attempts.

Final Answer:
Only (ii) and (iii)