Some paleontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur,

The best strategy is to read each question exactly as it is written, and then answer that question instead of worrying about question type. Let's do that for this example:

To find the conclusion drawn by the argument as a whole, it is important to understand the role of each piece of the passage:

• First, the author introduces a "suggestion" made by some paleontologists: "Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop."
• Then, the author then states his/her conclusion: "This, however, is unlikely." "This" refers back to the suggestion introduced in the first sentence.
• Next, he/she provides evidence to support this conclusion: "because galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs." The word "because" is a good hint that this piece of the passage supports the conclusion, because it shows a causal relationship between the two bits of information.
• Finally, the author provides further information to explain how we know that the evidence (that galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs) is correct.

With this understanding of the passage, let's go through the answer choices:

From the analysis above, we know that "galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs" supports the author's overall conclusion. Because this answer choice does not express the conclusion of the passage, (A) is out.


This information explains how we know the provided evidence is correct. It is not the conclusion of the argument, so (B) is out.


This is more like it. The author's overall point is that the "suggestion" that "Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop" is "unlikely." This answer choice maps very nicely to the conclusion as written in the passage. (C) is our answer.


You state in your analysis that "D states something that can be inferred." We are not looking for an inference (or an assumption on which the argument depends, as might be the case here). We are looking for the answer choice that "most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the argument." With a clear understanding of the passage, we know that (D) does not at all state the author's conclusion. (D) is out.


Again, this might be an assumption on which the argument depends, or could be seen as a strengthener for the author's argument. Either way, it does not express the conclusion of the passage, so we can eliminate (E).

I hope that helps!
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Option C: it is the correct option that defines conclusion of the statement.

The conclusion for the statement is that some of the paleontologists who have suggested the Apatosaurus to be able to gallop is unlikely. Therefore, this option completely defines that incorrect suggestion.

The other options are out of context.


Kindly give kudos if you agree or like the explanation!

Paleontologists : X Dinosaur was able to gallop.

Author : Negative. If X would have galloped, his legs would have been broken.

(This is the main point that author wants to make. We want to build our conclusion on Author's view and not on the view of Paleontologists. Let us go to options and use "Therefore" before every answer choice.


(A) Therefore, Galloping would probably have broken the legs of Apatosaurus.

Incorrect : Author's view is X never galloped. If X would have galloped, then his legs would have been broken.

(B) Therefore, It is possible to calculate that Apatosaurus leg bones could not have withstood the strain of galloping.

Incorrect : Not the main point we want to discuss. It can be an assumption but no the conclusion.

(C) Therefore, The claim of paleontologists that Apatosaurus was able to gallop is likely to be incorrect.

Correct : As we discussed above.

(D) Therefore, If galloping would have broken the legs of Apatosaurus, then Apatosaurus was probably unable to gallop.

Incorrect : Different from Author's view and can't be the conclusion.

(E) Therefore, Modern bones are quite similar in structure and physical properties to the bones of Apatosaurus.

Incorrect. It can be an assumption to prove the fact the calculations can be done properly as two type of bones are quite similar, but it can not be a conclusion.
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Answer should be C as it correctly describe the conclusion of the argument

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i got the correct answe but i want to know on what ground we can reject "B" and "D". Please help..

GMATNinja
Hi I have 3 doubts:
Choices A,B and C repeat the informations already mentioned in the argument. But option D states something that can be inferred reading between the lines..So why is (1) D incorrect?;(2) only C correct but not A or B and (3) what are the differences between "Inference", "Conclusion" ,"Main point" and "Must be true" type questions?

Looking forward to your thoughtful insights...
Thanks in advance

We need the "conclusion" of the argument. Note that the argument gives a conclusion:

Some palaeontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop. - Context. We will talk about Apatosaurus and the claim of the palaeontologists about them.

This, however, is unlikely, - CONCLUSION
The author is refuting the claim of the palaeontologists. He says that their claim is likely to be incorrect. This is the conclusion. This is the reason the author wrote this argument - to tell us that the claim of the palaeontologists is likely to be incorrect.

Supporting the conclusion with the rest of the text:
- because galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs.
- Experiments with modern bones show how much strain they can withstand before breaking.
- By taking into account the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones, it is possible to calculate that those bones could not have withstood the strains of galloping.

We have identified the conclusion. It is given in option (C).
The other options, though may be true, are not the conclusion of the argument.

Thanks a ton for your analysis....GMATNinja

Some paleontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop. This, however, is unlikely, because galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs. Experiments with modern bones show how much strain they can withstand before breaking. By taking into account the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones, it is possible to calculate that those bones could not have withstood the strains of galloping.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the argument as a whole?


(C) The claim of paleontologists that Apatosaurus was able to gallop is likely to be incorrect.
Summarizes the argument in a perfect manner.

(E) Modern bones are quite similar in structure and physical properties to the bones of Apatosaurus.
"Experiments with modern bones show how much strain they can withstand before breaking. By taking into account the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones, it is possible..."

I did the mistake of equating modern bones to Apatosaurus leg bones. Do not hurry.
It is clearly written that the experiment is taking into account the details of Apatosaurus leg bones since they have already experimented something similar with modern bones.

Simple answer is author wanted to convey that Apatosaurus unable to gallop.
Option B repeats the last statement of the passage.
Option C is better answer than D if you compare because last line of the passage weakened the claim of paleontologists.

Some paleontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus, a huge dinosaur, was able to gallop. This, however, is unlikely, because galloping would probably have broken Apatosaurus’s legs. Experiments with modern bones show how much strain they can withstand before breaking. By taking into account the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones, it is possible to calculate that those bones could not have withstood the strains of galloping.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the argument as a whole?


(A) Galloping would probably have broken the legs of Apatosaurus. X
This is true, but it's not the essence of the argument.

(B) It is possible to calculate that Apatosaurus leg bones could not have withstood the strain of galloping. X
Again, this is true, but it's not the conclusion.

(C) The claim of paleontologists that Apatosaurus was able to gallop is likely to be incorrect. CORRECT
The very first sentence sets the stage for what the passage is all about. The author starts off by acknowledging a claim by some P's and asserts that they are likely to be incorrect. He/she then provides evidence against that claim by citing experiments which show that galloping would probably have broken the D's legs. Hence, the claim of P's is likely to be incorrect.

(D) If galloping would have broken the legs of Apatosaurus, then Apatosaurus was probably unable to gallop. X
Again, true, but not the conclusion.

(E) Modern bones are quite similar in structure and physical properties to the bones of Apatosaurus. X
Definitely no.
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in this question if we hypothetically assume an option which says ''Apatosaurus were not able to gallop''. Then this option can also become our conclusion.
THANK YOU

The stimulus says some paleontologist, but as a choice he makes a general conclusion of all paleontologist. That’s why I rejected C. Explain please

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The question asks us to find the answer choice that "most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn by the argument as a whole." So, we're not looking for a word-for-word restatement of the conclusion exactly as it's written. Instead, we're looking for the answer choice that fits best out of the five options given to us.

You're right that (C) doesn't specify that only "some" paleontologists believed that the dinosaur could gallop. But (C) captures the point of the passage as a whole -- the author thinks that it is unlikely that the Apatosaurus could gallop. Additionally, none of the other answer choices come close to expressing the author's conclusion (see this post for a full rundown of the options), so (C) most accurately expresses the conclusion.

I hope that helps!
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(A) Galloping would probably have broken the legs of Apatosaurus.
The might have not galloped and it's just part of the argument and not the conclusion by itself

(B) It is possible to calculate that Apatosaurus leg bones could not have withstood the strain of galloping.
This isn't the conclusion and only establishing the second half of the argument

(C) The claim of paleontologists that Apatosaurus was able to gallop is likely to be incorrect.
This is exactly what the passage intends our answer

(D) If galloping would have broken the legs of Apatosaurus, then Apatosaurus was probably unable to gallop.
They might have been able to gallop and broken or devised some indegenious way of walkking by which the strain was reduced we never know and moreover it's not the main conclusion

(E) Modern bones are quite similar in structure and physical properties to the bones of Apatosaurus.
This is just restating part of the passage therefore out

Therefore IMO C

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