Lesson 1.02 Conclusions

In this lesson, we’ll explore one of the most important building blocks of critical thinking: conclusions. You’ll learn how to spot both main conclusions and intermediate conclusions. We’ll break down key terms, examine real examples, and give you the tools to confidently identify conclusions in everyday arguments. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to recognize how conclusions shape reasoning—and how to evaluate them like a true critical thinker.

Key Terms

conclusion - the part of the argument that the author is trying to persuade a reader to do or to believe
reason - The part of the argument that expresses why they should accept the conclusion
main conclusion - the central point an argument is trying to prove
intermediate conclusion - a conclusion within an argument that supports the main conclusion

Conclusions

In critical thinking, the conclusion is the main point an author wants the reader to accept—it's what the argument aims to prove. To support it, the author provides reasons, which explain why the conclusion should be believed.

Arguments often include more than just one conclusion. These are intermediate conclusions—smaller claims supported by reasons that, in turn, support the main conclusion. Think of them as stepping stones in the argument. Each one builds on the last, creating a chain of reasoning that leads to the final point.

Even short arguments can follow this structure:

A reason supports an intermediate conclusion,
That intermediate conclusion supports the main conclusion.

Recognizing how these parts connect helps you better analyze and evaluate arguments.

Identifying Conclusions Practice

here are some short arguments. Identify the conclusion of each argument

The college car park is overcrowded. So we need to introduce a system of parking permits.

The DNA of all citizens should be recorded on a national database, because this will help the police to identify criminals.

Parents should never shout at their children or tell them they are 'naughty'. Treating children in those ways lowers their self esteem. This encourages them to behave badly

Test Tips

On the Thinking Skills AICE exam you will be asked to read an argument and identify the main conclusion and intermediate conclusions.

It is important to always use exact words from the passage.
Conclusions can be part of a sentence, so if there is a comma, assess if the conclusion is before or after the comma.
always include one extra intermediate conclusion. For example, if they ask for three intermediate conclusions list four
the intermediate conclusion question is the only question where you should answer in bullet points.

Identifying Intermediate and Main Conclusion Practice:

Read the following passage and using the exact words from the passage as far as possible, identify the main conclusion and four intermediate conclusions.

1. Many people believe it is a bad use of money for companies and institutions to pay people to work in advertising and public relations. On the contrary, spending money on public relations and advertising should be the top priority for organisations of every kind.

2. If manufacturers want to boost sales, they should put their money into advertising. The biggest influence on sales is not how good a product actually is, but how good potential purchasers think it is, and this opinion is affected mainly by advertising. While spending money on improving a product might at best produce a minimal increase in sales, companies can achieve far better results by investing the money in advertising.

3. Similarly, when members of the public need to employ a builder, a mechanic, or even a beauty therapist, they generally choose one they have heard of, and usually have no idea how good they are at their job. Such workers should spend money on advertising. It would be a waste of time and effort for them to try to develop a good reputation for the quality of their work.

4. Politicians sometimes claim that their first aim is to improve the quality of life in their country or their local area. But even well-intentioned political parties and individual politicians will never achieve any of their goals without being elected. Since the main factor in winning elections is publicity, this must be the first priority of all politicians. Once they have gained power, their focus moves to winning the next election, and then the one after that.

5. It may seem obvious that deploying more police officers in the community would be the best way of improving public safety. However, public safety is a state of mind, which has little relation to the actual prevalence of crime. So police forces should cut back the number of police officers and devote more of their resources to public relations. Sending one extra police officer onto the streets might make a few people feel a little more confident about their own safety, but by spreading the word about low crime and high conviction rates, one additional public relations officer would make a community feel much safer.

Using exact words from the passage as far as possible, identify the main conclusion.

Using exact words from the passage as far as possible, identify three intermediate conclusions.

Page updated

Report abuse