ACT Preparation / Unit 18 ACT 1708 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Does the Evidence Support the Claim?
The idea
An evidence question is answered in three steps. First, state the claim exactly, including its limits: some or all, now or always, here or everywhere. Second, ask what the evidence actually shows, and about whom. Third, judge the fit: evidence supports a claim only if it is relevant to it, sufficient for its scope, and no stronger or weaker than it.
In practice
Worked example: an invented passage claims that "the new reading program works in every school in the district," and offers one school's improved scores as evidence. The evidence is relevant, about the program, but insufficient: one school cannot show results in every school. A choice saying the evidence fully supports the claim overlooks the scope; a choice saying it supports a narrower claim, about that one school, fits.
Where people slip
Check scope first: compare the claim's reach with the evidence's reach before judging anything else.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for ACT Preparation