Why (E) is right: agreement is not a dispute
A Point at issue explanation from our free library. The question below is original, written for this page. Then the full breakdown: why the right answer is right, and why each wrong answer is wrong.
The question
Marco: 'The new policy will cut downtown traffic, but it will hurt small businesses.' Sofia: 'The new policy will cut downtown traffic, and the extra foot traffic will help small businesses.'
Marco and Sofia disagree about whether
- the new policy will reduce downtown traffic.
- foot traffic counts as real traffic.
- small businesses matter to the city's economy.
- the policy is genuinely new.
- the policy will help or hurt small businesses. Correct
Why (E) is correct
Line up their claims. Traffic: both agree it will fall. Small businesses: Marco says hurt, Sofia says help. The disagreement is entirely about the businesses, choice (E).
This pair is built to test whether you notice agreement disguised as debate: both speakers talk at length about traffic, which tempts you toward (A), but agreement is not an issue. A point at issue needs a real collision, and the only collision here is over small businesses.
Why the wrong answers are wrong
(A) Reversed: it is agreement
Both speakers say traffic will fall. This is common ground, the opposite of a point at issue.
(B) Out of scope
Neither speaker debates definitions. Sofia mentions foot traffic as a benefit; Marco never addresses it.
(C) Out of scope
Both discuss effects on small businesses, but neither questions whether those businesses matter. No conflict, no issue.
(D) True but irrelevant
Both call it 'the new policy.' Nothing is disputed about its newness, and it would not matter if it were.
Last updated October 12, 2026