GMAT Verbal Reasoning: Critical Reasoning

The bakery set a plate of seeded-roll samples on the counter. In the following weeks, seeded-roll sales rose while plain-roll sales stayed flat. The baker concludes that the samples caused the rise in seeded-roll sales.

After several milk cartons spoiled in the sunny window, the grocer moved the milk into a cooler at the back. No cartons have spoiled since the move. The grocer concludes that getting the milk out of the window sun is what stopped the spoilage.

Drivers on the hill route have reported cars passing too close. The right-side mirror on the hill bus is bent inward, so the driver cannot see that lane. The depot should replace the bent mirror before the next hill run.

The bakery sells by two o'clock every loaf it slices before noon. Yesterday the rye loaf and the wheat loaf were both sliced at eleven. The barley loaf was left unsliced and stayed on the rack until evening.

Streets where the town board put new benches have more people sitting than streets without benches. From that difference, the board concludes that the benches are what brought the extra people.

The clinic hung hand-washing posters above every sink in March. Recorded stomach-bug cases among patients fell in April. The nursing lead concludes that the posters caused the drop in cases.

The depot plans to send the eastbound bus over the canal bridge instead of along the market loop. The loop adds twelve minutes. The dispatcher concludes that the bridge route will make that bus arrive earlier.

Plants in the nursery's new pots yellowed less than the same kind of plants in the old pots. The owner concludes that the new pots drain better and that the better drainage produced the healthier color.

Putting two spare wrenches out for rental would keep some customers from leaving empty-handed. Customers often ask to borrow a wrench and leave when none is on the counter. The spare wrenches are sitting unused in the back room.

The community kitchen began serving stew with a smaller scoop. The volume of stew thrown out at closing fell. The cook concludes that the smaller scoop is what reduced the waste.

The east bus reaches the depot before the hill bus, and the hill bus reaches the depot before the harbor bus. The harbor bus is in before noon. None of the three waits at the depot once it has arrived.

The cafe put an oat-milk pitcher on the counter, and weekly profit rose. The owner concludes that offering oat milk produced the higher profit.

The workshop started requiring goggles at the lathe. In the next quarter, eye injuries at the lathe fell from six to one. The supervisor concludes that the goggle rule caused the drop.

The dental clinic called patients two days before each visit, and missed appointments fell. The receptionist concludes that the calls are what reduced the missed visits.

Two patrons tripped on the library's basement tread this week. The loose tread is what tripped them. Both were looking straight ahead, and the tread drops when a shoe catches its front edge.

The librarian asked people waiting to check out books whether the library should stay open later. Nearly all of them said yes. The librarian concludes that nearly all town residents want later hours.

Seedlings under the new shade cloth survived a hot week, while a row in full sun wilted. The nursery owner concludes that the shade cloth saved the seedlings.

The ferry started blowing its departure whistle ten minutes earlier. Fewer passengers have missed the boat since then. The dock manager concludes that the earlier whistle is what cut the missed boats.

The bakery began clipping a bake-date card on each bag. Returns for stale bread fell. The owner concludes that the cards caused the drop in stale returns.

When carts and walkers enter the market lane from opposite ends, both stop, because the lane fits only one cart. The town board concludes that making the lane one-way during market hours will end those standstills.

The sandwich counter's bread knife drags and crushes the loaf. A sharp knife from the drawer cuts clean slices. Using that sharp knife will stop the crushed slices at lunch.

Each morning patient is seen in room 2 or in room 4, but never in both, and no other room is used. The first patient this morning was not seen in room 2. The second patient was seen in room 2.

Everyone who filled out a card at the community kitchen last night praised the stew. The cook concludes that the stew was a success with the people who ate there last night.

The grocery moved its herb pots from a back aisle to the sunny front window, and herb sales rose. The produce lead concludes that the window spot caused the higher sales.

After the bakery laid nonslip mats behind the counter, slips by the baking staff fell. The owner concludes that the mats caused the fewer slips.

Neighbors stopped coming to the workshop's evening pottery class because it ran past the last bus. The instructor plans to end the class ten minutes earlier and concludes that those neighbors will attend again.

The produce table rocks when a customer leans on it, and tomatoes roll off. A folded pad under the short leg would stop the rocking. The grocer should pad that leg before Saturday's market.

The transit shop replaced stiff bell cords with easy-pull cords, and missed stop requests fell. The shop chief concludes that the easier cords caused the drop.

No jar sealed on Monday was sent to the Saturday market. The apricot jars and the peach jars were sealed on Monday. The open berry bowl was never sealed and was carried to that market by hand.

The clinic began texting patients the day before a visit, and no-show visits dropped. The office concludes that the texts caused the drop in no-shows.

The community garden built raised beds along a soggy fence. Those beds drained after storms, and the plants there stopped rotting. The garden lead concludes that raising the beds stopped the rot.

The workshop's band-saw blade is dull, and cuts have been wandering. The lead plans to hang a sharp spare on a hook by the saw and concludes that wandering cuts will become less common.

The soup kettle's handle stays hot long after the burner is off, and a volunteer was burned picking it up. A cloth wrap is in the drawer. The kitchen should not send that kettle to the line again until the handle is wrapped.

The muffins that sold out before noon were the ones on the top shelf. The baker concludes that putting any muffin on the top shelf is enough to make it sell out before noon.

The clinic set aside the first hour for patients who said noise bothered them. Those patients' missed visits fell. The director concludes that the quiet hour caused the drop.

The town board put a double-decker bus on the harbor route so more riders could sit. The board concludes that riders who used to stand on that route will now get a seat.

The shop started selling bikes with covered baskets, and those bikes came back less often with rain-soaked groceries. The owner concludes that the covers kept the groceries dry.

The bakery's morning oven is full, and several bread orders are turned away. The owner plans to add an evening oven shift and concludes that those turned-away orders can then be filled.

The receptionist says the cracked front step can wait because appointments are short. Patients have stumbled on that crack this week, and a bag of patch mix is in the closet. The crack should be patched before tomorrow's early appointments.

The shop set out ten loaner umbrellas this morning. By noon, seven had been borrowed and not brought back. The other loaner umbrellas were still in the stand, and the shop has no further umbrellas.

The gift shop's sales rose in the month after the front room was painted. The owner concludes that the new paint caused the higher sales.

The boarding house began sprinkling salt on the icy front steps, and falls on those steps declined. The keeper concludes that the salt caused the decline in falls.

The town board set cones along the bus pull-in so cars would not block it. Buses began leaving that stop on time more often. The board concludes that the cones caused the improved departures.

The bakery often runs out of pies by two, and afternoon customers leave without one. The baker plans to take pie preorders in the morning and concludes that fewer afternoon customers will leave without a pie.

The front wheel nut should be tightened before the next grocery run. The nut has worked loose, the wheel wobbles on turns, and a wrench in the shop box will tighten it.

The clinic replaced dim bulbs in the waiting room, and patients stopped tripping over the rug. The director concludes that the brighter bulbs stopped the tripping.

If the bakery oven is on, the vent fan is on. If the vent fan is on, the back window is open. The oven is on this morning, and the front window is shut.

The nursery left a stack of garden-club flyers on the counter, and membership forms came back in greater numbers. The clerk concludes that the flyer stack caused the increase in forms.

The kitchen began clipping an allergy card on trays for diners who had reported a nut allergy. Mistaken nut servings to those diners fell. The cook concludes that the cards caused the drop.

Standees on the noon bus are mostly riders carrying bags. The depot plans to reserve the front seats for riders with bags and concludes that those riders will no longer have to stand.

Some staff say the door mat is fine because it is new. A new mat can still slide in the rain, and customers have skidded on it. The mat should be secured before the next rainy day.

The depot surveyed riders who were still at the stop after the bus had left. Most said the bus should run more often. The depot concludes that most riders on that route want more frequent buses.

The diner cut its menu from forty dishes to twelve, and the kitchen began sending plates out faster. The owner concludes that the shorter menu caused the faster service.

The bakery switched to a larger kneading hook, and the bread rose higher. The baker concludes that the larger hook caused the higher rise.

The clinic put bright tape along the edge of a low step, and stumbles at that step fell. The facilities lead concludes that the tape caused the fewer stumbles.

Cakes have burned because nobody in the front room heard the kitchen timer. The baker plans to hang the timer on a hook by the oven and concludes that fewer cakes will burn.

The clinic's vaccine line blocks the hallway, and patients cannot reach the exam rooms. A second table in the side room would split that line. Splitting the line will let those patients reach the exam rooms.

Most of the morning passengers on the pier bus paid with a card. Some of those morning passengers paid with cash. The afternoon passengers were not included in that count.

The shop stopped taking boot repairs after four, and complaints about late pickups then disappeared. The cobbler concludes that no customer after four had wanted a repair.

The corner shop took the doors off its pantry shelves, and sales of boxed meals rose. The owner concludes that the open shelves caused the higher sales.

The florist began using vases with heavy bases, and fewer vases were knocked over in the doorway. The florist concludes that the heavy bases prevented those spills.

The diner's single lunch line backs onto the sidewalk. The owner plans to open a second register and concludes that the sidewalk backup will end.

Water shows on the greenhouse boards only under the watering can. The hose is coiled on the far wall and was not used. The leaking can, not the hose, is what slicks those boards.

The community kitchen replaced dense recipe cards with cards that use fewer steps, and volunteers made fewer cooking mistakes. The lead concludes that the simpler cards caused the fewer mistakes.

The only stop where the noon bus waits more than a minute is the clinic stop. Today the noon bus waited three minutes at its second stop. It did not wait at its first stop.

The bakery began selling the previous day's bread at half price each morning, hoping to clear it. The owner concludes that less day-old bread will be thrown out at night.

The workshop began storing oily rags in a metal can away from the paint shelf. Fewer rags were found scorched after that. The lead concludes that moving the rags away from the paint stopped the scorching.

The noon bus leaves riders standing in the aisle. The depot plans to add a trip at twenty past twelve and concludes that fewer riders will have to stand on the noon bus.

Rain drips through a torn awning seam onto the bread table. The seam should be sealed before the next market day. A tube of sealant in the stall box is enough to close that seam.

The cook tasted one spoon from the top of the stew pot, which had not been stirred, and found that spoonful too salty. The cook concludes that every layer in the pot is too salty.

The boarding house put a night-light in the upstairs hall, and falls on that hall's rug declined. The keeper concludes that the night-light caused the decline.

The depot began handing a free map to each rider, and fewer riders asked the driver for directions. The dispatcher concludes that the maps caused the drop in those questions.

The diner started keeping a lid on the fryer between batches, and grease spots on the nearby floor became rare. The cook concludes that the lid kept the grease off the floor.

Grocery deliveries sit on the sidewalk because the shop's hand truck has a flat tire. The owner plans to borrow the bakery's hand truck each morning and concludes that the boxes will be inside before the shop opens.

The clinic's supply shelf sags because a bracket is loose, and boxes slide toward the edge. Tightening that bracket will stop the boxes from sliding. A screwdriver in the drawer can do the tightening before the next restock.

The gardener cannot soak the ferns and water the cactus on the same day, because the cactus has to stay dry. The ferns were soaked today. The ivy, which may share a day with either plant, was left untouched.

A ladder is safe to climb only if it has twelve sound bolts. The shop's ladder has twelve bolts. The clerk concludes that the ladder is safe to climb.

The clinic moved each blood draw to an earlier point in the visit so the result would return before the patient left. The director concludes that fewer patients will have to come back another day for that result.

The depot chalked each stop's name on the curb, and fewer riders flagged the bus from the wrong corner. The dispatcher concludes that the chalk marks caused that drop.

The market stall's cooler is full, and rounds of cheese are spoiling on the table. The seller plans to leave the cheese in the next stall's cooler overnight and concludes that less of it will spoil.

People had to shove the workshop door during the last fire drill. The exit latch should be oiled before the next drill. The latch sticks, and a squirt from the bench can would free it.

The hardware shop sorted mixed bolts into labeled bins, and clerks filled bolt orders faster. The manager concludes that the labeled bins caused the faster work.

A ticket is entered in the red book exactly when it is sold before the first boat. The six o'clock tickets were entered in the red book. The eight o'clock tickets were entered in the blue book.

The garden shop started a punch card that gives a free seedling after ten purchases. The owner expects regular customers to come in on more days. The owner concludes that those customers will now visit more often each month.

The kitchen began using a separate board for raw chicken, and stomach illness among people who ate there fell. The cook concludes that the separate board caused the drop.

Riders miss the bus while they count out coins at the door. The depot plans to sell prepaid fare cards and concludes that fewer riders will miss the bus for that reason.

Patients cannot check a bandage in the clinic mirror because the glass stays fogged after showers. A small fan on the shelf would clear that mirror. Patients will be able to use the mirror for those checks if the fan is turned on first.

The market sign promises fresh bread, and the loaves on the table were baked that morning. A customer argues that the loaves cannot be fresh, because they were sliced an hour ago and a sliced face is no longer a fresh cut. The customer concludes that the sign is false.

The garden workshop cut its tool demos from thirty minutes to ten, and more visitors stayed until the end. The manager concludes that the shorter length caused people to stay.

The clinic set a water pitcher in the waiting room, and complaints about long waits fell. The director concludes that the pitcher caused the fewer complaints.

The town board built a roofed shelter at the windy stop, and fewer riders left before the bus arrived. The board concludes that the shelter caused those riders to stay.

Shoppers leave the market halfway through an errand when the rain starts. The stall plans to lend umbrellas at the gate and concludes that more of those shoppers will stay and finish the errand.

Crushed rose canes split and then take in rain. The pruning shears crush the stems instead of cutting them. Those shears should be sharpened before the next pruning.

The fruit crate went out on the south truck. Everything delivered to the school came off the north truck. The north truck had already left before the fruit crate was packed.

A shopper argued that the planned bus stop would block the clinic door. Another shopper answers that the first shopper once missed the bus, so the objection can be ignored. From that, the second shopper concludes that the stop will not block the door.

The bakery began baking muffins in a larger tin, hoping each breakfast customer would buy more. The owner concludes that the average customer will now spend more.

The repair shop began stapling a large name slip on each finished item, and fewer customers walked out with someone else's order. The clerk concludes that the slips caused the drop in mix-ups.

The grocery's single checkout line blocks the aisle that other shoppers still need to use. The owner plans to move the line into the front lobby and concludes that the aisle will then stay clear.

The morning flour sacks are still on the sidewalk because the hand truck's tire is flat. A pump in the closet would fill that tire. The tire should be pumped up before the next flour delivery.

The community kitchen began offering a second soup beside the usual one, and less soup was left at closing. The cook concludes that giving diners a choice caused the drop in leftovers.

Every volunteer on the morning shift worked the serving line, and none of those volunteers worked the dish sink. Riley worked the dish sink during the meal. The afternoon crew was a separate group of volunteers.

The depot plans to skip two lightly used stops on the express bus so the ride will take less time. The dispatcher concludes that express riders will reach the harbor sooner.

The market cashier began keeping large bills in a zip pocket on the apron, and end-of-day cash shortages fell. The stall lead concludes that the zip pocket caused the fewer shortages.

The nursery's potting bench runs out of soil by noon, so afternoon plantings are skipped. The owner plans to have a sack of soil delivered at eight in the morning and concludes that those afternoon plantings can then be done.

Smoke from the clogged fryer filter sets off the hall alarm during lunch. A clean filter is sitting on the supply shelf. Tomorrow's lunch should not start until that filter is swapped.

Ridership on the harbor bus rose by 50 percent, while ridership on the market bus rose by 10 percent. The depot concludes that the harbor bus gained more riders than the market bus.

The workshop began locking its tool cage at night, and fewer tools were missing from the cage in the morning. The lead concludes that the lock caused the drop in missing tools.