Drawing Conclusions
Drawing-conclusions items overlap with inference but lean on synthesizing multiple parts of the passage. Where an inference is a small step from one sentence, a conclusion typically requires combining two or three facts to land on a new statement that the passage as a whole supports.
Common conclusion question stems: - Based on the passage, which of the following must be true? - The passage best supports the conclusion that… - From this passage, the reader can conclude that… - Which statement is most consistent with the author's argument?
A simple two-step process: 1. Locate evidence. Find the two or three sentences that together support a candidate answer. If you cannot point to specific sentences, the conclusion is not justified. 2. Test for contradiction. Read the candidate answer back against every relevant sentence. If any sentence cuts against it, the conclusion is wrong, no matter how appealing.
Cause and effect. Many conclusion items hinge on a cause-effect chain stated in pieces. - The passage says A leads to B and that B leads to C. The conclusion A leads to C is supported. - But beware the reverse: C leads to A would not be supported, even if it sounds related. Direction matters.
Distinguish correlation from causation. A passage describing two trends that move together does not always claim one causes the other. A conclusion that asserts causation when the passage shows only correlation is unsupported.
The "must be true" standard. ASVAB conclusion items demand the answer be necessarily true given the passage, not just probably true. When weighing candidates, ask: is there any way for the passage to be true and this conclusion to be false? If yes, the conclusion is unsupported.
Author's purpose questions are a related sub-type: Why did the author write this? Common answers — to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to instruct, to warn. Match the answer to the dominant tone of the passage. A passage full of statistics and neutral facts is informing; one full of strong adjectives and recommendations is persuading.