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Learn to use clues in a passage to figure out what the author is really telling you.
Have you ever watched a movie and figured out the ending before it happened? You used clues from the story to make a guess. That's exactly what drawing a conclusion means! You put together details to figure out something the author didn't say directly.
People have been teaching this skill for a very long time. Let's look at how reading and thinking skills have grown over the years.
On the ISEE, you'll read short passages and answer questions. Some questions will ask you to figure out something the passage doesn't say directly. You'll need to use the details like puzzle pieces to find the answer. Let's learn how!
Drawing a conclusion is like being a detective. You gather clues (details from the passage) and put them together. Here are the key ideas you need to know.
Imagine you're building a bridge. On one side are the details from the passage. On the other side is your conclusion. The bridge is your thinking — it connects the clues to the answer. Let's look at a diagram that shows this.
Notice how the bridge connects both sides. Without the details, you can't reach the conclusion. And without your thinking, the details just sit there. You need both parts!
Let's break down the exact steps you should follow when you see a conclusion question on the ISEE. Think of these steps as your detective toolkit.
Here's a quick way to check your answer: use the "Because" test. Say your conclusion out loud and add "because." Then point to details in the passage. If you can finish the sentence with real details, your conclusion is strong!
Not all conclusion questions look the same. Let's learn to spot them! Here are the different ways the ISEE might ask you to draw a conclusion.
When you see any of these signal words, your brain should say: "Time to be a detective!" Look back at the passage and find the clues. Then pick the answer that the clues support best.
Let's practice together! Read this short passage, then follow the steps to draw a conclusion.
Question: Based on the passage, you can conclude that Maria is most likely —
Great job following along! Notice that (C) says "cooking dinner" — but the passage mentions a party, not dinner. That's how you eliminate tricky wrong answers. Always check the details!
Not all conclusions are good ones. Some are too big, some are off topic, and some are just guesses. Let's learn to tell the difference between a strong conclusion and a weak one.
| Type of Answer | What It Looks Like | Why It's Wrong (or Right) |
|---|---|---|
| Strong conclusion ✅ | Matches several details in the passage. | You can point to specific clues that prove it. This is the right answer! |
| Too big ❌ | Goes way beyond what the passage says. | Example: "Maria is the best baker in the world." The passage never says that. |
| Off topic ❌ | Talks about something the passage doesn't mention. | Example: "Maria is going shopping." The passage says nothing about shopping. |
| Opposite ❌ | Says the opposite of what the passage means. | Example: "Maria has plenty of time." But the passage says she was worried about time. |
| Half right ❌ | Has some true details but adds wrong information. | Example: "Maria is baking for her birthday." Baking is right, but the passage says party, not birthday. |
Drawing conclusions is connected to other reading skills you'll use on the ISEE. Let's see how it compares to some similar question types.
| Skill | What It Means | How It's Different |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing a Conclusion | Using details to figure out something the passage doesn't say directly. | You combine multiple clues to reach an answer. |
| Finding the Main Idea | Figuring out the big message of the whole passage. | Main idea is about the whole passage. A conclusion can be about one part. |
| Making an Inference | Reading between the lines to understand hidden meaning. | Very similar to conclusions! Both use clues. Inferences focus on feelings or reasons. |
| Finding a Detail | Locating a specific fact stated in the passage. | Detail questions have answers written right in the passage. Conclusions do not. |
As you get better at drawing conclusions, you'll notice it helps with all these other question types too. It's like a superpower that makes your whole reading brain stronger! In upper level ISEE tests and in middle school, you'll face even trickier conclusion questions with longer passages. The skill you're building now is the same one you'll use later.
Now it's your turn! Read each short passage and answer the question. Remember to find the clues, think about what they mean, and choose the answer the passage supports. You've got this!
You've learned that drawing a conclusion means using details from the passage to figure out something the author didn't say directly. You follow four steps: read the question first, underline clues in the passage, put the clues together, and pick the answer you can prove with those clues.
Watch out for wrong answer traps that are too big, off topic, opposite, or only half right. Use the "Because" test to make sure your answer is backed up by details. Remember to eliminate wrong answers and always answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing on the ISEE. You're a reading detective now. Go get those answers!