📚 Reasoning Ability – “Statement & Conclusion”
What we’ll learn
- What a statement and a conclusion are.
- How they are linked.
- A quick way to solve them.
- A tiny practice example.
Why it matters
In many exams (e.g., Manipur Patwari / Lekhpal) you’ll see questions that give a short paragraph and ask you to pick the best conclusion that follows from it.
If you know the rule, you can answer correctly every time.
1. The Basics
| Term | Simple Definition | Everyday Analogy |
|---|---|---|
| Statement | A fact or piece of information presented in the paragraph. | A sentence in a recipe (“Add 2 cups of flour”). |
| Conclusion | A sentence that logically follows from the statement(s). | After reading the recipe sentence, you might say, “The cake will be sweet.” |
Rule of thumb:
If a statement tells you something is true, then a conclusion must be a logical result of that truth.
2. How Statements and Conclusions Work Together
- Read the statement(s).
Look for what is explicitly said. - Think of the “next step.”
Ask yourself what must be true if the statement is correct. - Check the options.
Only one option is a logical consequence; the others are either unrelated or contradict the statement.
Analogy:
Imagine you’re watching a domino chain.
Statement = “The first domino falls.”
Conclusion = “The next domino will also fall.”
You don’t jump to “The sky is blue” – that’s unrelated.
3. Quick Solving Steps
| Step | What to Do | Sample Thought |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify the statement(s). | Highlight the facts. | “The sky is clear.” |
| 2. List possible consequences. | Write down what must be true if the fact is correct. | “There will be no rain.” |
| 3. Match with answer choices. | Pick the choice that is a direct consequence. | A. “It’s sunny.” – likely correct. |
| 4. Eliminate distractors. | Anything that talks about unrelated topics or contradicts the fact is wrong. | B. “The market is closed.” – unrelated. |
Tip:
If you’re unsure, try turning the statement into a question and see what a true answer would be.
4. Tiny Example
Statement
“All the students who studied hard passed the test.”
Options
A. Some students did not study hard.
B. Every student studied hard.
C. Every student who studied hard passed.
D. Only one student passed.
Correct Conclusion
C. Every student who studied hard passed.
Why?
The statement tells us that studying hard guarantees passing.
Option C repeats that guarantee.
Options A, B, and D either add new information or contradict the statement.
5. Practice Exercises
| # | Statement | Options | Your Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The road is wet after the rain.” | A. It will dry up soon. B. It might be slippery. C. It is sunny. D. The sky is cloudy. |
|
| 2 | “No one entered the museum after midnight.” | A. The museum will close early. B. The museum is open at midnight. C. The museum will be empty after midnight. D. The museum has a guard. |
|
| 3 | “All oranges in the basket are ripe.” | A. Some oranges are unripe. B. Every orange in the basket is ripe. C. Oranges taste sweet. D. The basket is green. |
Check your answers:
1‑C, 2‑C, 3‑B
6. Common Pitfalls
| Mistake | Why it’s wrong | How to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Picking an unrelated statement as a conclusion. | It doesn’t follow from the given fact. | Focus only on what the statement explicitly says. |
| Choosing a contradictory statement. | It directly opposes the given fact. | Look for words like “not,” “never,” or “only” that could flip the meaning. |
| Assuming extra information is true. | The statement might not cover all details. | Stick to what is explicitly provided. |
7. Final Quick‑Check Checklist
- Did I read the statement carefully?
- Did I write down the logical consequence?
- Does the chosen option match that consequence?
- Are there any trick words that change meaning?
If you can answer “yes” to all, you’ve nailed the Statement & Conclusion question!
Good luck! Keep practicing with more paragraphs, and you’ll get faster and more accurate. Happy studying! 🚀