We know from the first sentence that we will either have a "manager's sale" (MS) or a "holiday sale" (HS) or "both going on." So we diagram that:
not MS ==> HS not HS ==> MS
Please note that the "both going on" is not adding anything new here because it is always possible to have both variables present with either/or (i.e. look to the necessary conditions to see that HS and MS are both possible together).
Every sale is run for a calendar month.
If a manager wishes to clear out a particular line of merchandise (MWCPL), then a manager's sale is declared (MS).
MWCPL ==> MS not MS ==> not MWCPL
If a holiday falls within the calendar month (HFCM) and there is excess merchandise in the warehouse (EMW), then a holiday sale is declared (HS).
HFCM & EMW ==> HS not HS ==> not HFCM or not EMW
We also know that if it is August, then there is no holiday that falls within that month and the warehouse never contains excess merchandise.
(A) is incorrect because we do not know what happens when a holiday falls within a given month and there is no extra merchandise in the warehouse. Therefore, we cannot conclude this answer choice.
(B) is incorrect because there is no info in the passage that tells us August has no holiday sales. We merely know that there are no holidays and no excess of merchandise in August. However, that is not the only way a holiday sale will occur. HCFM & EMW are the sufficient conditions, not the necessary conditions (i.e. Don't Just Negate). Thus it is possible to have a holiday sale even when is no holiday that falls in that calendar month and while there is no excess of merchandise in the warehouse that month. Therefore, we cannot conclude this answer choice.
(C) is incorrect because there is no information in the passage that tells us we can't have both a manager's sale and excess merchandise in the warehouse in the same month. Therefore, we cannot conclude this answer choice.
(D) is CORRECT because it is merely restating the first sentence. We have an either/or with MS and HS. Therefore: not MS ==> HS, and not HS ==> MS. At all times there has to be at least one of MS or HS. Therefore, if there is not MS, there must be HS. We can properly conclude this answer choice.
(E) is incorrect because, though we know that there is no excess merchandise in the warehouse during the month of August, we do not know if August is the ONLY month where there is no excess merchandise in the warehouse.
Hope that was helpful! Let me know if you have any more questions!
mprezzyApril 5, 2020
@ Naz can you please explain (or anyone) why for E if the passage says that there is no excess merchandise in the month of August why are we still considering the possibly of other months where there is no excess merchandise in the warehouse; making E, the incorrect answer. I get why D is correct but why is that even a consideration in eliminating this answer choice?
