Spanish 3 Quiz: Explaining With Cause Effect
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Explaining With Cause EffectQuestion 1 of 9

Durante una conversación informal, Carlos le dice a su amigo: "Oye, no dormí nada anoche porque estuve estudiando hasta las tres de la mañana; así que hoy estoy completamente agotado. ¿Me puedes cubrir en el trabajo esta tarde?"

A Spanish-3 instructor evaluating Carlos's use of cause-effect language would most likely note that his statement demonstrates which of the following structural features?

A single causal chain in which one cause ('no dormí nada') generates one intermediate effect ('agotamiento'), which in turn becomes the cause of a second-level request, creating a two-step causal sequence that justifies the favor.
A simple one-step cause-effect structure where staying up late is directly linked to the request for coverage, with 'así que' serving as the only logical bridge between the two ideas — the exhaustion is treated as incidental context rather than as a structurally distinct intermediate effect.
A reversed cause-effect structure in which the request for coverage is presented first and the explanations of studying late and exhaustion are offered afterward as post-hoc justifications — a sequencing pattern that, while uncommon in writing, is characteristic of spontaneous informal spoken Spanish.
A parallel cause-effect structure in which two independent causes — studying late and current exhaustion — are simultaneously linked to one effect, the request, without any hierarchical or sequential relationship between the two causes, making 'así que' an additive rather than consequential connector here.
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Spanish 3 Quiz

Spanish 3 Quiz: Explaining With Cause Effect

Practice Explaining With Cause Effect in Spanish 3 with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Explaining With Cause Effect, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Spanish 3.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Durante una conversación informal, Carlos le dice a su amigo: "Oye, no dormí nada anoche porque estuve estudiando hasta las tres de la mañana; así que hoy estoy completamente agotado. ¿Me puedes cubrir en el trabajo esta tarde?"

A Spanish-3 instructor evaluating Carlos's use of cause-effect language would most likely note that his statement demonstrates which of the following structural features?

  1. A single causal chain in which one cause ('no dormí nada') generates one intermediate effect ('agotamiento'), which in turn becomes the cause of a second-level request, creating a two-step causal sequence that justifies the favor. (correct answer)
  2. A simple one-step cause-effect structure where staying up late is directly linked to the request for coverage, with 'así que' serving as the only logical bridge between the two ideas — the exhaustion is treated as incidental context rather than as a structurally distinct intermediate effect.
  3. A reversed cause-effect structure in which the request for coverage is presented first and the explanations of studying late and exhaustion are offered afterward as post-hoc justifications — a sequencing pattern that, while uncommon in writing, is characteristic of spontaneous informal spoken Spanish.
  4. A parallel cause-effect structure in which two independent causes — studying late and current exhaustion — are simultaneously linked to one effect, the request, without any hierarchical or sequential relationship between the two causes, making 'así que' an additive rather than consequential connector here.
Explanation: When analyzing cause-effect structures in Spanish, your job is to map out the logical chain of ideas — identifying not just what causes what, but how many steps the reasoning travels before reaching its conclusion. In Carlos's statement, trace the logic carefully: studying late → no sleep → exhaustion → request for coverage. The "no sleep" and "exhaustion" aren't two separate causes working in parallel — they form a sequence where each step feeds into the next. "Agotado" isn't just background color; it's the direct intermediate effect that motivates the request. The connector "así que" links the exhaustion (the intermediate effect) to the favor, completing a genuine two-step causal chain. This makes A the correct answer — Carlos constructs a layered causal sequence, not a flat one. B misreads the structure by collapsing the chain into one step and demoting exhaustion to "incidental context." But the syntax doesn't support that — Carlos explicitly states he is exhausted because he didn't sleep, and therefore needs coverage. That's three connected propositions, not two. C is tempting because informal speech sometimes does reverse cause-effect order, but Carlos actually presents causes before the request, following a forward-sequential structure. The framing here is conventional, not inverted. D describes a parallel, non-hierarchical structure — two independent causes pointing to one effect. That would look like "I stayed up late AND I'm tired, so..." But Carlos doesn't present them as equal and independent; the exhaustion results from the lost sleep, establishing hierarchy. When you see cause-effect questions, always sketch the logical arrow map before choosing — parallel vs. sequential structures often hinge on whether the intermediate steps are causally linked to each other or simply co-occurring.

Question 2

A Spanish-3 oral exam rubric includes the following criterion: 'The student uses cause-effect connectors accurately and in a way that reflects genuine logical dependency between ideas, not merely decorative insertion of connectors.'

A student produces the following response during a role-play in which she must suggest that her partner eat breakfast before class:

"Te recomiendo que desayunes antes de clase porque, por eso, así tendrás más energía y, por lo tanto, podrás concentrarte mejor en los estudios."

Based on the rubric criterion cited above, the instructor would most likely evaluate this student's use of cause-effect connectors as problematic for which specific reason?

  1. The student's response lacks any genuine causal connector, since 'porque' here introduces only a string of consequence markers rather than a subordinate clause with a conjugated verb, leaving the sentence grammatically fragmentary and the causal relationship structurally absent.
  2. The student incorrectly uses 'porque' in this context because 'porque' requires the subjunctive mood in the following clause when the speaker is making a recommendation, and 'tendrás' in the future indicative violates this grammatical constraint regardless of the connectors used.
  3. The student's primary error is combining 'así' and 'por lo tanto' within the same sentence, since 'así' is exclusively an informal spoken connector and 'por lo tanto' is exclusively a formal written connector — the rubric penalizes this kind of register inconsistency as a failure of pragmatic accuracy.
  4. The student inserts 'por eso,' 'así,' and 'por lo tanto' in immediate succession after 'porque' — all three signal consequence, and stacking them without intervening propositions between them constitutes connector redundancy, where the markers decorate the sentence rather than each anchoring a distinct logical step. (correct answer)
Explanation: When evaluating connector usage in Spanish, the key question isn't just which connectors appear, but how they function structurally — whether each one anchors a distinct logical step or simply decorates the sentence. Look at the student's response: after "porque," she immediately chains "por eso," "así," and "por lo tanto" in rapid succession. All three of these express consequence — they're synonyms doing the same logical job. A well-constructed causal chain requires each connector to introduce a new proposition that follows from the previous one. Here, no new proposition separates these markers; they pile on top of each other without advancing the reasoning. This is precisely what the rubric calls "decorative insertion" — the connectors signal logical sophistication without actually delivering it. That makes D correct. Choice A is wrong because the sentence is not grammatically fragmentary — "porque" does introduce a subordinate clause with conjugated verbs ("tendrás," "podrás"), so the causal structure is present syntactically. The problem is logical, not grammatical. Choice B invents a rule that doesn't exist: "porque" does not require the subjunctive. Subjunctive is triggered by the main clause verb ("recomiendo que"), not by causal connectors — the future indicative after "porque" is perfectly standard. Choice C fabricates a rigid formal/informal incompatibility between "así" and "por lo tanto." Register mixing can be a real concern, but neither connector is exclusively restricted to one register, and the rubric specifically targets logical dependency, not register inconsistency. For this exam, train yourself to ask: does each connector introduce a genuinely new idea, or is it restating the same relationship? Stacking synonymous connectors is a classic fluency trap — it looks sophisticated but violates the very logic connectors are meant to create.

Question 3

Two friends are discussing weekend plans over the phone. Miguel says: "Oye, como mañana va a llover todo el día y los boletos del museo están en oferta esta semana, te propongo que vayamos al museo en vez de al parque." His friend responds: "Tiene sentido, pero yo prefiero quedarme en casa porque así descanso más."

Miguel uses two causes to support a single suggestion. Which of the following analyses correctly identifies both causes and evaluates the logical relationship between them in his cause-effect explanation?

  1. The two causes are (1) rain tomorrow and (2) the discounted museum tickets. They are parallel and independent — either one alone could logically justify the museum suggestion, and together they create a convergent causal structure that strengthens the recommendation. (correct answer)
  2. The two causes are (1) rain tomorrow and (2) the museum discount. They are sequential — the rain creates the need to stay indoors, which then makes the museum discount relevant, forming a chain in which the second cause depends on the first being true.
  3. The two causes are (1) rain tomorrow and (2) the preference to avoid the park. They are contrasting causes that together establish why the park is undesirable before the museum is proposed as the alternative, making 'como' a concessive rather than a causal connector here.
  4. The two causes are (1) the museum discount and (2) the friend's preference for staying home. They are additive causes that Miguel combines to make the museum option appealing to both speakers, using 'como' to introduce the shared reasoning.
Explanation: When analyzing cause-and-effect structures in Spanish, your job is to identify what reasons are actually stated and how those reasons relate to the suggestion being made. Miguel's sentence contains two explicit causes introduced by "como": (1) it's going to rain tomorrow, and (2) the museum tickets are discounted this week. Both lead to the same conclusion — let's go to the museum. This makes A the correct answer. The two causes are parallel and independent because either one alone provides a reasonable justification: rain makes outdoor plans impractical, and the discount makes the museum financially attractive. Together, they converge to reinforce a single suggestion, which is classic convergent causal reasoning. B misreads the relationship as sequential, suggesting the discount only becomes relevant because of the rain. But Miguel never implies this dependency — he presents both causes as separate, simultaneous reasons, not a chain where one unlocks the other. C incorrectly identifies one of the causes as "the preference to avoid the park." Miguel never states a preference against the park — avoiding it is a consequence of the rain, not a stated cause. This option also misclassifies "como" as concessive, but "como" here functions causally ("since/because"), not as "although." D pulls in the friend's preference for staying home, which isn't part of Miguel's reasoning at all — that detail comes from the friend's response, after Miguel already made his suggestion. Mixing up whose reasoning belongs to whom is a common trap. Study tip: When identifying causes in a passage, only count what the speaker explicitly states before making the suggestion — don't import details from other speakers or draw inferences the text doesn't support.

Question 4

Listen to the following exchange (transcribed here for the exam):

Lucía: "Oye, ¿por qué no vamos al concierto este fin de semana?" André: "Mira, me encantaría, pero dado que tengo tres exámenes la semana próxima, no puedo permitirme perder tiempo de estudio; por ende, prefiero quedarme en casa." Lucía: "Entiendo, aunque es una lástima."

In André's response, the phrase 'por ende' functions as which type of logical marker, and what does this reveal about his communicative strategy?

  1. 'Por ende' functions as a concessive marker, and André uses it to acknowledge Lucía's suggestion as valid while softening the refusal — a strategy that maintains social harmony in interpersonal exchanges.
  2. 'Por ende' functions as an additive marker, and André uses it to pile on a second, reinforcing reason for declining, which together with 'dado que' creates a double-justification structure common in formal registers.
  3. 'Por ende' functions as a consequential marker (therefore/hence), and André uses it to signal that his decision to stay home is the logical conclusion drawn from the cause he has already stated — his upcoming exams — making his refusal a reasoned outcome rather than an arbitrary preference. (correct answer)
  4. 'Por ende' functions as a causal marker equivalent to 'porque,' and André uses it to introduce the primary reason for his refusal, with the exam information serving as background context rather than as the main cause.
Explanation: When analyzing discourse markers in Spanish, your first move should be to ask: what is the logical relationship this word creates between the clauses around it? Markers can express cause, consequence, addition, or concession — and confusing these categories is exactly what this question tests. André's sentence has a clear two-part structure: he states a cause ("dado que tengo tres exámenes") and then draws a conclusion from it ("prefiero quedarme en casa"). The phrase 'por ende' — meaning "therefore" or "hence" — sits between those two parts, signaling that what follows is the logical result of what came before. This makes C correct. André isn't just listing reasons; he's constructing a reasoned argument where the refusal is presented as an inevitable conclusion, not a personal whim. This is a deliberate communicative strategy: by making his refusal look logically unavoidable, he distances himself from blame and softens the social impact. A is wrong because concessive markers (like aunque or si bien) introduce a contrast or an acknowledgment of an opposing point — they don't signal conclusions. Notice that Lucía uses "aunque" at the end, which is the actual concessive marker in the exchange. B is wrong because additive markers (like además or también) stack information without implying a logical derivation. 'Por ende' doesn't add a second independent reason — it derives a conclusion from the first. D is wrong because 'por ende' is consequential, not causal. Causal markers like "porque" introduce the reason; 'por ende' introduces the result. Mixing up cause and consequence is the most common trap with discourse markers. Study tip: Memorize this chain — dado que / porque (cause) → por ende / por lo tanto / así que (consequence). When you see 'por ende,' always look backward for the cause and forward for the result.

Question 5

Marta le escribe un mensaje a su compañera de cuarto, Daniela: "Daniela, he notado que últimamente llegas muy tarde y la música está muy alta. Por eso, me resulta imposible concentrarme para estudiar mis exámenes finales. Te pido, por favor, que bajes el volumen después de las diez de la noche."

In Marta's message, which sentence most precisely functions as the cause that she uses to justify her request to Daniela?

  1. She states that Daniela arrives very late and plays music too loudly, which are the behaviors she identifies as the direct source of her inability to concentrate. (correct answer)
  2. She states that she cannot concentrate on studying for her final exams, which is the academic consequence she frames as the primary reason for making the request.
  3. She makes the request itself — asking Daniela to lower the volume after ten — which is the action she proposes as the logical outcome of the problem she has described.
  4. She implies that the situation has been ongoing for some time, and it is this extended duration — rather than any single behavior — that constitutes the underlying cause driving her request.
Explanation: When analyzing a persuasive or explanatory message, it helps to map out the classic cause-and-effect-request structure: someone identifies a cause (what is happening), states an effect (how it impacts them), and then makes a request (what they want changed). Keeping these three roles distinct is exactly what this question tests. In Marta's message, she mentions two behaviors — Daniela arriving very late and playing music too loudly. These are the observable actions she points to as the source of the problem. That makes A the correct answer: those behaviors are the direct cause she identifies, the starting point of her entire argument. B is tempting because Marta does mention her inability to concentrate on finals, but that is the effect or consequence of the behaviors, not the cause. She uses it to explain why the behaviors are problematic, not as the root of the problem itself. Confusing cause with effect is the classic trap here. C describes the request — lowering the volume after ten — which is the proposed solution, the third element of the structure, not the cause. The request is the outcome of her reasoning, not the reason for it. D misreads the word últimamente ("lately") as the central cause. While it does suggest the situation is ongoing, duration is a detail that adds context; it is not framed as the primary driver of her request the way the specific behaviors are. As a study tip, when a question asks you to identify the cause in a passage, always ask yourself: what action or condition is presented as the starting point that sets everything else in motion?

Question 6

Un estudiante practica una conversación oral para clase de español. Quiere sugerirle a su amigo que llegue temprano a la reunión. Considera las siguientes opciones para expresarlo:

(1) "Debes llegar temprano a la reunión." (2) "Como el tráfico siempre es terrible los viernes, te sugiero que salgas con una hora de anticipación." (3) "El tráfico es terrible y la reunión es importante." (4) "Por eso, llega temprano."

Which of the four options above represents the most complete cause-effect explanation for a suggestion, as expected at an advanced level of interpersonal communication?

  1. Option (1), because it delivers a direct command that implicitly assumes the listener understands the cause without needing it to be stated explicitly.
  2. Option (2), because it explicitly names a causal condition ('como el tráfico es terrible') and links it directly to a suggestion, forming a complete cause-effect structure in a single, coherent utterance. (correct answer)
  3. Option (3), because it presents two relevant facts that together establish the full context a listener needs, even though no explicit connective links them to a recommendation.
  4. Option (4), because 'por eso' is a cause-effect connector, and using it alone with an imperative verb efficiently signals that a cause has been previously understood by both speakers.
Explanation: When assessing interpersonal communication at an advanced level, you should ask yourself: does this utterance do both things — explain why and state what to do — in a unified, logical structure? That combination is the hallmark of sophisticated cause-effect communication in Spanish. Option B accomplishes exactly this. The subordinating conjunction como ("since/because") introduces a causal clause ("el tráfico siempre es terrible los viernes"), which then directly motivates the suggestion ("te sugiero que salgas con una hora de anticipación"). Notice that te sugiero que also correctly triggers the subjunctive (salgas), which signals grammatical maturity. The cause and the recommendation are woven into one coherent sentence — that is what "most complete" means here. The other options each fall short in a specific way. Option A gives a direct command (debes llegar) with no stated reason — it is assertive but lacks any cause-effect architecture. A command is not a suggestion with reasoning; it just tells. Option C lists two related facts but never connects them to a recommendation. Presenting context without a directive or connective leaves the communicative act incomplete — you are describing, not advising. Option D uses por eso, a valid cause-effect connector, but it only works as a follow-up to something already said; standing alone, it references a cause without actually stating one, making the utterance dependent and incomplete on its own. A useful strategy: on questions about communicative competence, look for the option that is self-contained — one that could stand alone and still fully communicate cause, reasoning, and recommendation without relying on outside context.

Question 7

A student wants to explain to a Spanish-speaking host family why she needs to use the internet every evening. She drafts the following sentence: "  tengo que entregar tareas en línea todas las noches,   necesito acceso al internet después de cenar." Which pair of connectors correctly fills the blanks and best reflects the cause-effect relationship she intends to communicate?

  1. 'Aunque' … 'sin embargo' — these connectors introduce a concessive contrast rather than a causal relationship, so while they might soften the request politely, they misrepresent the logical structure the student intends to communicate.
  2. 'Como' … 'por eso' — 'como' introduces the causal premise at the start of the sentence, and 'por eso' signals the resulting need, creating a grammatically natural and logically coherent cause-effect structure appropriate for this context. (correct answer)
  3. 'Porque' … 'por eso' — while both connectors relate to causality, opening a sentence with 'porque' is grammatically problematic in Spanish because it requires an antecedent clause, and pairing it with 'por eso' creates redundancy that sounds unnatural.
  4. 'Ya que' … 'pero' — although 'ya que' can introduce a known cause, 'pero' is an adversative connector that signals contrast rather than consequence, making the second clause sound like an objection rather than a logical outcome of the first.
Explanation: When connecting ideas in Spanish, you need to match the logical relationship between clauses to the correct type of connector. Cause-effect relationships require specific tools: one connector to introduce the cause and another to signal the consequence. Mixing in concessive or adversative connectors will distort your meaning even if the sentence sounds superficially fluent. In this sentence, the student is explaining a cause (submitting assignments online) and its logical result (needing internet access). Answer B — Como… por eso — handles this perfectly. Como is used at the beginning of a sentence to present a known or established reason, similar to "since" or "given that" in English. Por eso then introduces the consequence, meaning "that's why" or "therefore." Together they form a natural, coherent structure: Como tengo que entregar tareas en línea todas las noches, por eso necesito acceso al internet después de cenar. Answer A (aunque… sin embargo) fails because both connectors express concession or contrast — they imply "even though," which undermines the cause-effect logic entirely. Answer C (porque… por eso) stumbles because porque cannot open a standalone sentence in Spanish; it requires a main clause to attach to, making it grammatically awkward in this position. Additionally, pairing it with por eso doubles up on causality redundantly. Answer D (ya que… pero) starts well — ya que can introduce a cause — but pero is adversative, signaling contrast or opposition rather than a natural outcome, which makes the second clause sound like a contradiction. Your strategy: memorize the sentence-opening cause connectors — como, ya que, puesto que — and pair them with consequence markers like por eso or por lo tanto when building cause-effect sentences.

Question 8

Profesora García le pide a su clase que expliquen en español por qué recomiendan cierta estrategia de estudio. Un estudiante responde: "Recomiendo estudiar en grupos pequeños. Es muy efectivo. Así aprendes mejor." Otro estudiante responde: "Ya que la memoria se refuerza mediante la discusión activa con otros, recomiendo estudiar en grupos pequeños, pues de esa manera cada miembro consolida el conocimiento al explicárselo a sus compañeros."

Comparing the two student responses strictly in terms of cause-effect language for interpersonal communication at an advanced level, which of the following statements is most accurate?

  1. The first response is preferable because 'así' functions as a cause-effect connector and the language is simple and accessible — at the interpersonal level, clarity and naturalness matter more than structural complexity, so asserting effectiveness directly is sufficient justification.
  2. The first response is stronger because 'así' and 'es muy efectivo' together imply causation economically, without over-explaining — this mirrors how native speakers naturally communicate cause-effect relationships in spontaneous conversation, where brevity signals fluency.
  3. Both responses are equally effective because each ultimately arrives at the same recommendation, and in interpersonal communication, the content of the suggestion matters more than the linguistic structure or the depth of the causal justification used to support it.
  4. The second response is stronger because it identifies a specific causal mechanism ('la memoria se refuerza mediante la discusión activa'), links it explicitly to the recommendation using 'ya que,' and then specifies how the effect operates, demonstrating multi-layered causal reasoning that the first response lacks. (correct answer)
Explanation: When evaluating cause-effect language at an advanced interpersonal level, you're not just asking whether causation is implied — you're asking whether it's constructed with precision. Advanced Spanish communication requires you to identify a mechanism, connect it explicitly to your claim, and trace how the effect unfolds. That layered structure is what separates sophisticated reasoning from simple assertion. The second response does exactly this. "Ya que" introduces a specific causal premise — that memory is reinforced through active discussion — before the recommendation is even stated. Then "pues de esa manera" extends the logic further, explaining how the effect operates at the level of individual members. This is multi-layered causal reasoning: cause → recommendation → elaborated effect. Answer A is tempting because "así" genuinely can signal consequence in Spanish, and clarity does matter in communication. But "así aprendes mejor" only gestures at an outcome without explaining why or how — it asserts rather than justifies. Simplicity is a virtue, but it's not a substitute for causal depth at the advanced level. Answer B makes a similar error by reframing the first response's weakness as a fluency signal. Brevity in native speech reflects compressed logic that both parties already understand — not absent logic. Claiming that omitting explanation "mirrors fluency" confuses register with rigor. Answer C is the most dangerous trap: it judges both responses by outcome (same recommendation) rather than by linguistic and structural quality. In language assessment, how you communicate the reasoning is precisely what's being evaluated. When you see questions comparing responses for advanced language use, always ask: does the response name a mechanism, link it causally, and trace its effect? That's your checklist for D-level reasoning.

Question 9

En una conversación entre compañeros de trabajo, Sofía le dice a Ramón: "Ramón, dado que el cliente principal nos ha pedido la propuesta para el jueves y hoy ya es martes, te pido que canceles cualquier reunión no urgente esta semana para que podamos concentrar todos los esfuerzos del equipo en este proyecto."

Sofía's request contains an implicit secondary cause that she does not state with a connector but that a listener must infer for the full causal argument to be coherent. What is that implicit cause?

  1. The implicit cause is that Sofía has the authority to cancel Ramón's meetings, which the listener must infer in order to understand why the request is directed at Ramón rather than at someone else on the team.
  2. The implicit cause is that the client is the most important stakeholder, and prioritizing their request over internal meetings is a professional norm that the listener must recognize as the ethical foundation of Sofía's argument.
  3. The implicit cause is that two days is insufficient time to complete the proposal without eliminating other obligations — without this assumption, the urgency of canceling meetings does not logically follow from the deadline alone. (correct answer)
  4. The implicit cause is that Ramón is the person responsible for scheduling team meetings, and without inferring this role, the listener cannot understand why the cancellation request is addressed to him specifically rather than to the whole team.
Explanation: When analyzing causal arguments in Spanish, you need to distinguish between what is explicitly stated with connectors like "dado que" or "para que" and what must be inferred to make the logic hold together. Sofía gives an explicit cause (the client needs the proposal by Thursday and today is Tuesday) and an explicit goal (concentrating team efforts). But ask yourself: does the deadline alone logically force the cancellation of meetings? Only if you first accept an unstated premise — that two days is too little time to complete the proposal while also honoring other obligations. Without that assumption, you could imagine two days being perfectly sufficient, and the urgency would evaporate. This hidden premise is the implicit secondary cause, and C captures it exactly. A is tempting because authority does matter in workplace communication, but the passage never asks you to question why Sofía can make this request — it only asks what makes the causal chain coherent. Her authority is a pragmatic background condition, not a cause within the argument itself. B introduces professional ethics as a foundation, but Sofía never frames the client's importance as a reason for anything — she frames the deadline as the reason. You'd be inventing a causal layer that isn't logically required. D focuses on Ramón's scheduling role, similar to A. Like A, this explains why Ramón is the addressee, not why the deadline creates urgency requiring meeting cancellations — a different logical question entirely. Your strategy: when a question asks for an implicit cause, trace the stated reasoning step by step and identify the gap — the missing link that must be true for the conclusion to follow.