A recent poll found that over 80 percent of the residents of Nalmed Pr

I believe someone posted something similar above, but one thing I’ve begun to notice is that focusing on the question stem and defining your exact goal is incredibly important.

In this example, we need to fill in a blank that follows an argumentative conclusion and the word “since”. Therefore, we are looking for a factual premise that backs up the conclusion mentioned in the same sentence.

“Nevertheless, the POLL RESULTS indicate that expansion of the rail system, IF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED, would be unlikely to achieve its goal of easing congestion because______”


(1st). The conclusion given is somewhat of a “hypothetical” conclusion.

The author is not discussing whether or not the rail system CAN be completed. Any fact that tends to show it will be hard to complete this rail system or that it is too expensive will NOT undermine the poll results.

The author is saying even IF we were to build the rail system, based on these poll results, the rail system still would not ease congestion.

So we need to find a reason why the poll results (which say 80% of residents are in favor of the rail system and are willing to pay for it) somehow indicate that the rail system, IF implemented, would not help with the traffic.

D is one of those classic traps that show up in a Conclusion like this. The author is saying if a certain plan were enacted, it would not reach its goal. Whether or not the plan is hard to enact will have no impact on this statement.

(2nd) The author is looking at these poll results and using them as his support for his Conclusion that the plan of the rail system will not ease traffic congestion.

The author does not really give any premise to back up this conclusion. We need to find a fact that will give us more conviction in the claim that the poll results showing 80% of the ppl are in favor of this rail system and are willing to pay for it in the form of increased taxes shows that the planned rail system will NOT ease traffic congestion.

As another poster mentioned above, only A and B discuss the poll results in any meaningful way. While this does not automatically mean one of them must be correct, it’s a pretty big clue.

C just tells us that the traffic has become worse. It does not tell us how the poll results would suggest that the plan will not be successful.

E provides a potential benefit to the new rail system. If people can use the rail system to commute, then this give us more belief in the OPPOSITE claim: the rail system might actually ease traffic congestion.

Lastly, B discusses the minority of ppl and the fact that they have no opinion either way. The fact they have no opinion can not really support the claim that the poll results involving the other 80% who support the plan indicate that this rail system will not meet its goal of easing traffic.

Lastly, A tells us that the “primary benefit” most of the people who favored the plan in the polls believe they will get out of this rail system plan is “less congestion during their highway commute”.

While this definitively does not show us that they will in fact continue to commute, this fact suggests to us that most of these 80% of residents in favor of the rail system PLAN to continue their commute.

In the worst case scenario, if this rail system is built and most of the ppl will not use it and keep driving during their commute (because they believe that the rail system will ease the traffic congestion by way of everyone else no longer commuting and instead using the rail), then no one will end up using the rail system and traffic congestion will continue.

Everyone seems to be betting on the hopes that everyone else will use the rail. In the end though, it might be the case that none use the rail and we are left with the same traffic congestion.

This fact gives us more belief that even though the polls tell us that the majority of people are in favor of this rail system, it might be the case that most do not use it and the traffic congestion remains.

This is all we need to show when looking for an answer that strengthens or supports a conclusion.

A

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