ACT Preparation / Unit 21 ACT 2011 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Which Finding Supports the Claim?
The idea
A support question is answered in three steps. First, state the claim and what it predicts would be observed. Second, for each choice, ask whether the finding matches that prediction. Third, prefer the finding that also rules out the alternatives: the one that would be unlikely if the claim were false.
In practice
Worked example: an invented claim says a bird species nests on cliffs to avoid ground predators. Finding one: the birds nest on cliffs. That is the observation the claim was built to explain, not new support. Finding two: on an island with no ground predators, the same species nests on the ground. That fits the claim's reason and is hard to explain otherwise, so it supports the claim best.
Where people slip
A finding the claim was built to explain cannot also be its test. Look for new evidence that the claim predicts.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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