It says "head over to the practice area and give a few Identify the Conclusion questions a try" Where do I find the Practice Area? I clicked the LSAT Practice in the top left corner but that doesn't take me to any practice questions. I haven't actually done the LSAT Diagnostic yet, so maybe that's why...but still it's not clear. Maybe include a link here that takes you right to it.

I'm pretty sure you correctly assumed this is due to the fact that you haven't taken the diagnostic yet. I agree that it would be helpful to have a way to practice questions directly after reading through the guides, instead of just offering practice questions via the generated practice plan based on the diagnostic.

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Course: LSAT > Unit 1

Lesson 6: Logical Reasoning – Articles

Identify the conclusion | Examples

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Identify the conclusion examples and practice

The Main Conclusion question type is a particularly important one to master, because identifying the main conclusion is an essential step in solving many other types of questions. We’re now ready for some practice. In the following arguments, can you identify the Main Conclusions?

Example 1

A new process enables ordinary table salt to be fortified with iron. This advance could help reduce the high incidence of anemia in the world's population due to a deficiency of iron in the diet. Salt is used as a preservative for food and a flavor enhancer all over the globe, and people consume salt in quantities that would provide iron in significant amounts.

A paraphrase of the argument’s overall takeaway might be something like, “Iron fortified salt could reduce anemia.” There are no indicator words to help us break down the stimulus but we can still figure out the role of each claim:

1) A new process enables ordinary table salt to be fortified with iron.
2) This advance could help reduce the high incidence of anemia in the world's population due to a deficiency of iron in the diet.
3) Salt is used as a preservative for food and a flavor enhancer all over the globe, and
4) People consume salt in quantities that would provide iron in significant amounts.

The only statement that is supported by evidence is Claim 2: the position that iron-fortified salt could reduce the level anemia caused by iron deficiency. Claims 1, 3, and 4 are are asserted without any support. Claim 1 provides background, and Claims 3 and 4 support the conclusion that fortified salt could have a significant health impact by establishing that salt is widely consumed throughout the world.

Therefore, the main conclusion is: “[Fortifying table salt with iron] could help reduce the high incidence of anemia in the world's population due to a deficiency of iron in the diet.”

Example 2

Does the position of a car driver's seat have a significant impact on driving safety? It probably does. Driving position affects both comfort and the ability to see the road clearly. A driver who is uncomfortable eventually becomes fatigued, which makes it difficult to concentrate on the road. Likewise, the better the visibility from the driver's seat, the more aware the driver can be of road conditions and other vehicles.

A paraphrase of the takeaway? Something like:

The position of a driver’s seat can affect safety.

This position is staked out early in the argument, and then backed by support.

1) Does the position of a car driver's seat have a significant impact on driving safety?
2) It probably does.
3) Driving position affects both comfort and the ability to see the road clearly.
4) A driver who is uncomfortable eventually becomes fatigued, and
5) Fatigue makes it difficult to concentrate on the road.
6) The better the visibility from the driver's seat, the more aware the driver can be of road conditions and other vehicles.

The argument identifies two ways that seat position can affect safety: fatigue and visibility. The first sentence introduces the question the argument is concerned with answering, and the next states the argument’s answer to that question: seat position does impact safety. The following sentences explain and justify that claim: they act as support. Therefore, the main conclusion is that the position of the driver’s seat probably has a significant impact on driving safety.

Example 3

Economist: Some critics of the media have contended that negative news reports on the state of the economy can actually harm the economy because such reports damage people's confidence in it, and this lack of confidence in turn adversely affects people's willingness to spend money. But studies show that spending trends correlate very closely with people's confidence in their own immediate economic situations. Thus these media critics are mistaken.

This is another argument with two sides: there’s the critics’ thesis that news of a bad economy can make the economy worse, and there’s the economist’s position that these critics are mistaken.

Prediction: The main point might be paraphrased as: “the critics are wrong.”

1) Some critics of the media have contended that negative news reports on the state of the economy can actually harm the economy because such reports damage people's confidence in it, and
2) This lack of confidence in turn adversely affects people's willingness to spend money.
3) But studies show that spending trends correlate very closely with people's confidence in their own immediate economic situations.
4) Thus these media critics are mistaken.

The conclusion-indicator “thus” helps identify the last sentence as the argument’s main conclusion. It’s also the only statement that’s supported by evidence but not acting as support for some other claim. Claims 1 and 2 express an opposing view. Claim 3 gives some reason to doubt this view, and Claim 4 concludes, on the basis of this objection, that the critics are mistaken.

Your turn!

While conclusions are still fresh in your head, why not head over to the practice area and give a few Identify the Conclusion questions a try?

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srdjangavranic
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to srdjangavranic's post “It says "head over to the...”
It says "head over to the practice area and give a few Identify the Conclusion questions a try"

Where do I find the Practice Area? I clicked the LSAT Practice in the top left corner but that doesn't take me to any practice questions.
I haven't actually done the LSAT Diagnostic yet, so maybe that's why...but still it's not clear.

Maybe include a link here that takes you right to it.
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(19 votes)
Answer
- Emma Faith Robertson
  Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Emma Faith Robertson's post “I'm pretty sure you corre...”
  I'm pretty sure you correctly assumed this is due to the fact that you haven't taken the diagnostic yet. I agree that it would be helpful to have a way to practice questions directly after reading through the guides, instead of just offering practice questions via the generated practice plan based on the diagnostic.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
A A
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to A A's post “*Question Type*: Determin...”
Question Type:
Determine the Function (describe the role played)

Stimulus Breakdown:
Conclusion: Being able to fortify table salt with iron could help the world to combat anemia caused by iron deficiency.
Evidence: People all over the world use salt, and they use enough of it that they'd actually get a bunch of iron in their diet this way.

Answer Anticipation:
They're asking us about the last idea, which was the 2nd premise. You can pretty much always tell that two ideas connected by the word "and" will be premises. "And" connects two things that are on the same level. When there is more than one premise, and the stem asks us about the role of one of those premises, they often like to refer to that role as "providing PARTIAL support".

Correct Answer:
B

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Nope. The 2nd sentence is the conclusion.

(B) YES! It's a premise.

(C) Nope. It supports the author. The author is not going AGAINST it.

(D) No, "qualify" means "to narrow the scope or applicability of a claim". It GOES against a claim, when you qualify it. f.e. Unqualified claim: "I hate spicy food". Qualified claim: "I hate spicy food, except for spicy Indian food."

(E) There's not really a principle under this very practical argument. And the final claim in the argument is definitely not illustrating a principle; it's not a specific example of a general rule.

Takeaway/Pattern: The hardest part of this probably just finding the Conclusion. Like finding the Conclusion on ID the Conc questions, finding it on Determine Function questions usually involves upside-down arguments: we'll see the conclusion first, and THEN the author will support or unpack that claim. This paragraph has a frequently used structure in Conclusion / Determine Function questions:
1. Background fact for context
2. Conclusion (signified by some opinion indicator, like "probably", or by virtue of it being a prediction)
3. Premise 1, and Premise 2.
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(4 votes)
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ayushaman459
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to ayushaman459's post “where is the practice are...”
where is the practice area?
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