Identify the conclusion | Quick guide

A quick guide to "Identify the conclusion" questions

Some LSAT questions ask you to Identify the Conclusion of a line of reasoning. Here’s a helpful definition that can clear things up:

Conclusion: the one statement that is supported by the other statements, and that itself doesn’t support any other statements.

Common wrong choice types:

Sub-Conclusion: Also known as a subsidiary or intermediate conclusion, a sub-conclusion is a claim that looks like a conclusion (because it is supported by one or more other statements), but that isn’t the main conclusion—it’s a conclusion that also supports a different claim!

Checklist

✓ Find the point: Determine which statement seems like the main prediction, value judgment, interpretation, or theory. What is the one thing the arguer is trying to convince us of?

✓ Look for support indicator words: Some words indicate that the statements they introduce are part of a support statement, and are not the conclusion. Support indicators like because, since and for can introduce statements that explain why the arguer believes a claim.

✓ Double-check the claim: If the statement you chose seems to retroactively, or continue on to, support a different claim, then you haven’t chosen the main conclusion. In fact, it’s now more likely that the different claim being supported is the main conclusion.

✓ Look for conclusion indicator words: Some words are good indicators that the statements they introduce are part of a conclusion. The most common examples are thus and therefore, but however, yet, although and but can indicate conclusions, too.

✓ Clarify pronouns: If the main conclusion is ambiguous—for example, “but this is a mistake”—it’s a good idea to rephrase the main conclusion using other parts of the passage. What is “this”, and what does it mean that it’s a “mistake”?

✓ Match it! Find the choice that accurately paraphrases the main conclusion that you identified.

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Marina
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Marina's post “How do I see through my t...”
How do I see through my tears while studying?
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Rachael Ewud
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Rachael Ewud's post “Is there a way to practic...”
Is there a way to practice specifically conclusion questions after going through this lesson?
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doug conley
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to doug conley's post “If I answer all the quest...”
If I answer all the question s in this section, how can I access the Logical Reasoning articles and videos?
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rakesh tiwari
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to rakesh tiwari's post “how to make difference be...”
how to make difference between background information and main conclusion?how to determine a particular claim(of author) is worth to be a conclusion or it just a background information?
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Eugen Mbah
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How can I have questions only on logical reasoning? or
questions identifying the main parts of an argument?
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