Choose what the text actually supports
Separate observation from inference.
The idea
A conclusion must fit the information supplied. A comparison with several changing factors does not establish which factor caused the outcome.
A method to try
- Locate the sentence supporting your answer.
- Check words such as all, always and only against the text.
- Reject a plausible claim if the passage does not support it.
Follow the reasoning.
A library added new lamps and extended its opening hours in the same month. Visits increased. Does this establish that the lamps caused the increase?
- The observation establishes that visits rose after two changes. It does not isolate the effect of either one.
- Longer opening hours supply an alternative explanation: people had more opportunities to visit. A useful follow-up would compare periods or libraries with similar opening hours.
- A carefully limited conclusion is that the changes coincided with higher attendance. Choosing that claim does not mean the lamps had no effect; it means their individual effect has not been demonstrated.
Think it through first.
A report says some surveyed students cycle to class. Can you conclude that most students cycle?
Show the explanation
No.
Some establishes at least a portion, not a majority. The size and representativeness of the survey would also matter.
Make it your own
After reading, explain the method in your own words and identify the condition that makes it valid. Then try the linked starter practice without referring back to the worked example. Review the reasoning behind an error before repeating the same item; remembering an answer is different from being able to solve a new problem.
This lesson is one part of a short starter pathway. It does not cover the full exam syllabus or establish a predicted score.
Official references
These provider and publisher links explain the exam or underlying concepts. Our lessons and questions are original, independent practice.
View 5 references and checked dates
- College Board: SAT structure (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
- College Board: practice (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
- College Board: dates and deadlines (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
- College Board — SAT content domains (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
Concept and scope reference. Our questions and explanations are original; no provider endorsement.
- Purdue OWL — Commas vs. Semicolons (opens in a new tab)Checked 2026-09-20
Concept and scope reference. Our questions and explanations are original; no provider endorsement.