Choose the option that most logically completes a passage (conclusion or next sentence).
Core Idea
When a passage ends with a blank, the correct completion follows the logical direction the text has been building toward—it's the conclusion the evidence points to, not a new idea.
Understanding
Follow the runway. The blank needs a sentence that lands where the passage is already heading.
Read the passage, make a quick prediction, then test whether each choice follows the nearby sentence without adding a new topic or a bigger claim.
Trap: if the option reverses the argument or feels like a fresh idea, it is not the completion the passage needs.
Step by Step
- Read the passage and note the direction of the argument—is it building toward a positive finding, a contrast, a limitation?
- Before looking at options, predict in your own words what should fill the blank.
- Compare each option to your prediction. The closest match is usually correct.
- Check that your chosen answer connects to the sentence immediately before the blank—transitions should feel seamless.
- Verify the answer doesn't introduce information or claims the passage hasn't set up.
Misconceptions
- Picking an answer that's true but doesn't follow from the passage's specific line of reasoning.
- Choosing a dramatic or surprising conclusion when the passage has been building toward something straightforward.
- Ignoring transition signals (words like "however," "therefore," "despite this") that tell you the passage's direction just before the blank.
Worked Example
Economists studying minimum wage increases in mid-sized U.S. cities between 2010 and 2020 found that employment levels in the restaurant industry did not decline significantly following wage hikes of up to 15%. However, the researchers also observed that many restaurant owners offset higher labor costs by reducing employee hours rather than cutting positions. This suggests that while headline employment figures remained stable, ______
Select an answer to see the explanation