Identifying the Main Conclusion

The ability to identify the main conclusion of an argument is the single most important reading skill for the LNAT. Many questions directly ask you to identify the main conclusion, and nearly all other question types depend on your understanding of it. If you misidentify the conclusion, you are likely to get multiple questions wrong on that passage.

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What Is a Conclusion?

In the context of argumentative writing, the conclusion is the central claim that the author is trying to establish — the point they want you to accept as true or reasonable.

A conclusion is not:

• A summary of the passage (though it may appear in a summary)
• The last sentence of the passage (though it sometimes is)
• A factual statement (facts are premises, not conclusions)
• A background statement or scene-setting

A conclusion is:

• The claim that the premises (reasons, evidence) are meant to support
• The "so what?" of the argument
• What the author wants you to walk away believing

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Conclusion vs. Premise vs. Sub-Conclusion

These three components are often confused. Understanding the difference is critical.

Component	Role	Example
Premise	A reason or piece of evidence that supports the conclusion	"Studies show that early intervention reduces reoffending rates by 40%."
Sub-conclusion	An intermediate claim, supported by premises, that itself supports the main conclusion	"Therefore, early intervention is an effective approach to reducing crime."
Main conclusion	The central claim of the entire argument	"The government should invest significantly more in early intervention programmes."

The Logical Chain

In a well-structured argument, the logic flows like this:

Premise → supports → Sub-conclusion → supports → Main Conclusion

Example:

1. Premise: "Research demonstrates that restorative justice programmes reduce reoffending by 27%."
2. Premise: "These programmes cost less per offender than imprisonment."
3. Sub-conclusion: "Restorative justice is both more effective and more cost-efficient than incarceration."
4. Main conclusion: "The criminal justice system should shift its emphasis from punishment to restorative justice."

Notice that the sub-conclusion (3) is supported by the premises (1, 2) and itself supports the main conclusion (4).

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How to Identify the Main Conclusion

Method 1: The "Therefore" Test

The main conclusion is the statement that everything else in the passage is trying to prove. You can test whether a statement is the conclusion by placing "therefore" before it and seeing if the rest of the passage logically supports it.

• If the passage's arguments lead logically to the statement → it is likely the conclusion
• If the statement is something the passage uses as a stepping stone to a bigger point → it is a premise or sub-conclusion

Method 2: The "Because" Test

Try reformulating the argument as: "[Conclusion] because [premises]."

If the reformulation makes sense, you have correctly identified the conclusion.

Example:

"The government should invest in early intervention because research shows it reduces reoffending and because it is more cost-effective than imprisonment."

The part before "because" is the conclusion. The parts after "because" are the premises.

Method 3: Look for Signal Words

Authors often (but not always) signal their conclusion with indicator words:

Conclusion Indicators	Premise Indicators
Therefore	Because
Thus	Since
Hence	Given that
Consequently	As shown by
It follows that	The evidence suggests
In conclusion	Research demonstrates
The key point is	For example
I argue that	One reason is
This shows that	It is worth noting that
We must conclude that	Studies indicate

Warning: Do not rely solely on signal words. Many authors state their conclusion without any indicator word, and some use indicator words ambiguously. Always verify using the "therefore" or "because" tests.

Method 4: Check the Position in the Text

While the conclusion can appear anywhere in a passage, it most commonly appears in one of these positions: