Here we have a strengthen with necessary premise question. Remember that a premise is necessary for a conclusion if the falsity of the premise guarantees or brings about the falsity of the conclusion. First we check to see if the answer choice strengthens the passage, and then, if it does strengthen, we negate the answer choice to see if its negation makes the argument fall apart. If the answer choice does both those things then it is our correct answer.
Conclusion: sometimes when languages share words that are similar in sound and meaning the similarity is due neither to language relatedness nor to borrowing.
Why? English and the Austronesian language Mbarbaram both use the word "dog" for canines. But the two languages are unrelated, and since speakers of the two languages only came in contact with one another long after the word "dog" was first used in this way in either language, neither language could have borrowed the word from the other.
Answer choice (D) states: "There is no third language from which both English and Mbarbaram borrowed the word 'dog.'"
Does this strengthen? Yes.
This answer choice helps solidify that English and Mbarbaram are not related and could not have borrowed the word "dog."
Negation: There is a third language from which both English and Mbarbaram borrowed the word "dog."
Does the negation make the argument fall apart? Yes.
If there is a third language from which both English and Mbarbaram borrowed the word "dog," then the similarity of the word in both languages are--in fact--related, making the conclusion no longer follow.
Hope that clears things up! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
