Identify Argument Conclusion
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GRE Verbal › Identify Argument Conclusion
In a survey of 1,200 residents, those living within a half-mile of a new urban park reported exercising outdoors 30 minutes more per week, on average, than those living farther away. City health officials also note that building parks is cheaper per capita than subsidizing gym memberships. Consequently, the city should direct its next public-health funds toward creating additional neighborhood parks rather than expanding gym subsidies. Which statement is the author primarily trying to establish?
Residents living near the new park exercise outdoors more than residents living farther away.
Building parks is cheaper per capita than subsidizing gym memberships.
The city should allocate its next public-health funds to building more neighborhood parks instead of expanding gym subsidies.
The survey proves that the park caused every nearby resident to increase exercise by exactly 30 minutes per week.
Outdoor exercise is always more beneficial than indoor exercise.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage presents survey data on increased exercise near parks and compares the per capita cost of parks to gym subsidies. It then directs future funds toward parks based on these advantages, forming a clear policy suggestion. Choice C best states the conclusion because it encapsulates the argument’s primary directive to allocate funds to parks over gym expansions. In contrast, choice A is merely a premise, supplying survey evidence to support the benefits of parks without being the main claim. Likewise, choice B serves as cost-related evidence but does not represent the argument’s ultimate recommendation.
An airline’s operations team reports that flights using a new boarding procedure—calling passengers by smaller groups—departed an average of three minutes earlier than comparable flights using the old procedure. Customer surveys also show a modest increase in reported satisfaction with the boarding experience. Since earlier departures reduce downstream delays and the new procedure requires no new equipment, the airline should roll out the smaller-group boarding procedure system-wide. The author concludes that…
Flights using the new boarding procedure departed earlier on average than comparable flights using the old procedure.
Downstream delays are caused only by late boarding and not by weather or maintenance.
The airline should stop offering carry-on luggage to ensure on-time departures.
Customer surveys showed a modest increase in satisfaction with the boarding experience.
The airline should implement the smaller-group boarding procedure across its network.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage details earlier departures and satisfaction gains from the new procedure, noting no new equipment needed. It builds to a system-wide rollout for reducing delays efficiently. Choice C best states the conclusion because it directly conveys the argument’s advice to implement the procedure network-wide. On the other hand, choice A is merely a premise, providing departure data as evidence to justify the rollout. Similarly, choice B serves as customer feedback evidence but does not represent the main claim.
A software firm notes that customer support tickets about password resets fell sharply after it introduced optional biometric login on its mobile app. The firm also found that each password-reset ticket costs several dollars in staff time. Because biometric login can be extended to the desktop version with minimal development effort, the firm argues that it should add biometric login there as well to reduce support costs. Which statement is the author primarily trying to establish?
Biometric login is more secure than all other authentication methods in every context.
Password-reset tickets cost the firm several dollars each in staff time.
The firm should add biometric login to the desktop version to reduce customer support costs.
Support tickets about password resets fell after optional biometric login was introduced on mobile.
The decline in password-reset tickets proves that all users adopted biometric login on mobile.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage notes reduced password-reset tickets after mobile biometrics and quantifies ticket costs. It then proposes extending biometrics to desktop for similar low-effort savings. Choice C best states the conclusion because it directly expresses the argument’s recommendation to add desktop biometrics for cost reduction. However, choice A is merely a premise, providing cost data as evidence without serving as the main claim. Similarly, choice B acts as evidence of the mobile success but does not encapsulate the extension proposal.
A university committee notes that in departments where first-year students are assigned a faculty mentor, retention into the second year is 8 percentage points higher than in departments without such assignments. The committee also found that the mentoring program costs less per student than expanding tutoring services. Therefore, if the university’s goal is to improve retention with minimal new spending, it should expand the faculty-mentoring program campus-wide. The author concludes that…
The university should expand the faculty-mentoring program across the campus to improve retention cost-effectively.
Tutoring services are ineffective at improving student retention.
Retention into the second year is higher in departments that assign faculty mentors to first-year students.
The university’s goal is to improve retention with minimal new spending.
All departments with mentors use identical mentoring practices and therefore achieve identical retention gains.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage starts with data on higher retention in departments with mentoring and compares the program’s cost to that of tutoring services. It then ties this to the university’s goal of improving retention cheaply, leading to a campus-wide expansion suggestion. Choice B best states the conclusion because it encapsulates the argument’s primary recommendation for expanding the mentoring program to achieve cost-effective retention gains. On the other hand, choice A is merely a premise, offering statistical evidence of retention benefits to bolster the main claim without being the conclusion. Likewise, choice C serves as contrasting evidence against tutoring but does not represent the argument’s ultimate point.
A school district piloted later start times at three high schools and found that average first-period attendance improved by 4%, while disciplinary referrals during the first two hours of the day declined. The district’s transportation office reports that bus schedules can be adjusted without purchasing additional buses, though some routes would shift slightly. On balance, the district should implement later start times at all high schools to improve student engagement without major new costs. Which of the following best states the conclusion of the argument?
The district should adopt later start times at all high schools because the benefits outweigh the manageable scheduling changes.
Average first-period attendance improved by 4% at the three pilot schools.
The district should eliminate first period entirely.
Later start times will improve attendance at every grade level in the district.
Bus schedules can be adjusted without purchasing additional buses.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage presents pilot data on attendance and disciplinary improvements, then addresses manageable bus adjustments. It weighs benefits against minor changes to advocate district-wide adoption. Choice C best states the conclusion because it captures the argument’s primary recommendation for later start times across high schools. In contrast, choice A is merely a premise, offering attendance statistics as support rather than the conclusion. Likewise, choice B provides evidence on scheduling feasibility but is not the overall point.
A beverage company tested two package designs for its sparkling water. In matched stores, the new design increased unit sales by 6% but also increased customer complaints about damaged cans during shipping. The logistics team reports that switching to a slightly thicker cardboard tray would reduce damage complaints to below the current level while adding only $0.01 per unit in packaging cost, far less than the profit from the additional sales. The main point of the argument is that…
Customer complaints about damaged cans increased after the new design was introduced.
The company should keep the new design and adopt the thicker tray to preserve sales gains while reducing damage.
The new package design increased unit sales by 6% in matched stores.
A $0.01 increase in packaging cost per unit will necessarily eliminate all customer complaints.
The company should discontinue selling sparkling water because shipping damage harms its reputation.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage describes sales increases and complaints from the new design, then introduces a low-cost solution with thicker trays to address damage. It builds by noting that the added cost is outweighed by sales profits, leading to a balanced recommendation. Choice C best states the conclusion because it directly conveys the argument’s advice to retain the design with the tray modification for sustained benefits. Conversely, choice A is merely a premise, providing sales data as evidence to support the recommendation rather than the conclusion itself. Similarly, choice B acts as evidence of the problem but does not capture the overall resolution proposed.
A city’s transportation department reports that after it replaced several downtown traffic lights with roundabouts, average vehicle delay at those intersections fell by 22% and the number of injury accidents fell by 15% over the next year. Because the department’s budget for intersection upgrades is limited, it should prioritize roundabouts rather than installing additional adaptive-signal systems, which are more expensive to maintain and have shown only modest delay reductions in prior pilot programs. Which of the following best states the conclusion of the argument?
Average vehicle delay at the converted intersections fell by 22% in the year after the roundabouts were installed.
Adaptive-signal systems are more expensive to maintain than roundabouts.
The decline in injury accidents was caused entirely by the replacement of traffic lights with roundabouts.
The city should eliminate traffic lights throughout the entire metropolitan area.
Given limited funds, the city should prioritize building roundabouts for intersection upgrades.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage begins by presenting data on the benefits of roundabouts, such as reduced delays and accidents, and then contrasts this with the higher maintenance costs and lesser effectiveness of adaptive-signal systems. It builds toward a recommendation by emphasizing the department’s limited budget as a key constraint. Choice C best states the conclusion because it directly captures the argument’s primary recommendation to prioritize roundabouts given financial limitations. In contrast, choice A is merely a premise, providing factual evidence about delay reductions to support the main claim rather than serving as the conclusion itself. Similarly, choice B acts as supporting evidence by highlighting the cost disadvantages of adaptive systems, but it does not encapsulate the overall point of the argument.
A coastal town is considering whether to restore a nearby wetland. Environmental scientists report that the wetland historically absorbed storm surge and that towns with similar restorations experienced lower flood-repair costs over the following decade. Although restoration has a high upfront price, the town’s finance office estimates that avoided repairs would exceed the project cost within twelve years. Therefore, the town should proceed with wetland restoration as a fiscally prudent flood-mitigation strategy. The main point of the argument is that…
Wetlands can absorb storm surge and reduce flooding impacts.
The town should restore the wetland because the long-term savings from avoided flood repairs justify the cost.
The town should rely exclusively on seawalls rather than any nature-based flood protection.
Wetland restoration has a high upfront price.
All coastal towns will recover restoration costs within exactly twelve years.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage discusses wetlands’ flood-absorbing role and data from similar restorations, then compares upfront costs to long-term savings. It builds to a fiscal justification for proceeding with restoration. Choice C best states the conclusion because it encapsulates the argument’s primary assertion that restoration is worthwhile due to net savings. Conversely, choice A is merely a premise, stating wetlands’ benefits as supporting evidence rather than the conclusion. Likewise, choice B highlights a counterpoint on costs but does not capture the argument’s resolution.
A publishing house compared two approaches to editing: a traditional process and a new workflow that uses software to flag consistency issues before human review. In a six-month trial, books edited under the new workflow had 25% fewer post-publication corrections, and overall editing time per manuscript fell by 10%. Since the software license costs less than the labor savings from reduced editing time, the house should adopt the new workflow for all nonfiction titles. Which of the following best states the conclusion of the argument?
Overall editing time per manuscript fell by 10% under the new workflow.
Books edited under the new workflow had fewer post-publication corrections during the trial.
Fiction titles are inherently harder to edit than nonfiction titles.
The publishing house should adopt the new software-assisted workflow for all nonfiction titles.
The software will eliminate the need for human editors.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage compares editing workflows, noting fewer corrections and time savings with the new method. It then weighs the software cost against labor savings, leading to an adoption recommendation for nonfiction. Choice C best states the conclusion because it directly conveys the argument’s advice to implement the new workflow for efficiency gains. In contrast, choice A is merely a premise, providing data on corrections as evidence without being the main claim. Similarly, choice B serves as time-related evidence but does not represent the overall recommendation.
A regional hospital found that when it standardized discharge instructions into plain language, 30-day readmissions for heart-failure patients dropped from 18% to 14%. The hospital’s quality team notes that producing the standardized instructions required a one-time investment but now saves nurses time on repeated explanations. Thus, the hospital should standardize discharge instructions for other chronic conditions as a cost-effective way to reduce readmissions. The author concludes that…
Standardizing discharge instructions for other chronic conditions would be a cost-effective strategy to reduce readmissions.
The hospital should stop treating heart-failure patients because readmissions are too costly.
Readmissions are caused primarily by patients’ refusal to follow medical advice.
Plain-language discharge instructions lowered 30-day readmissions for heart-failure patients from 18% to 14%.
Nurses spend time repeatedly explaining discharge instructions to patients.
Explanation
This question tests the ability to identify an argument’s conclusion in a GRE Verbal Reasoning context. Conclusions are the main claims or recommendations that the argument aims to establish, while premises are the supporting evidence or reasons provided to justify that claim. The passage details readmission reductions from plain-language instructions and their time-saving benefits for staff. It then advocates extending this approach to other conditions for broader cost-effective gains. Choice C best states the conclusion because it captures the argument’s primary suggestion to standardize instructions across conditions to lower readmissions. On the other hand, choice A is merely a premise, offering statistical evidence of the program’s success to support the recommendation. Likewise, choice B provides additional evidence on staff efficiency but is not the argument’s main claim.