Statements and Conclusions  Aptitude basics, practice questions, answers and explanations 
Prepare for companies tests and interviews
 

Statements and Conclusions: In these type of questions a statement is given followed by some conclusions. The student is required to go through the statements meticulously and then decide which of the given conclusion/s follows on its basis.

Statement: A statement is a formal account of certain facts, views, problems or situations expressed in words.

Conclusion: A conclusion is a belief or an opinion that is the result of reasoning out a given statement. It can also be defined as a proposition in an argument to which other propositions in the argument given support.

Keywords: Words, such as all, no, few, most, must, had to, will be, always, never, should be, may, may not etc, help in evaluating the given conclusions.

Examples:
Statement:  ‘South-Asia will remain unaffected by global crisis’ – World Bank.
Conclusion:  Sri Lanka, a South – Asian country, may or may not face the problem caused by global crisis.

Eg 1:
Statement: Start to think of travelling by train for a holiday. A train journey can give one a better view of places on the way which an air journey cannot give.

Conclusions: I. While going for a holiday, people want to enjoy the view of the places on the way.
                     II. People should not travel by air when they are going for a holiday.

(1) if only conclusion I follows.

(2) if only conclusion II follows.

(3) if either I nor II follows.

(4) if neither I nor II follows.

(5) if both I and II follow

Ans: Choice (4)
Explanation: I is an assumption. II is a suggestion but not a conclusion. Hence, neither I nor II follows.

Exercise Questions

1. Statement: Vegetable prices are soaring in the market.

   Conclusions: I. Vegetables are becoming a rare commodity.
                        II. People cannot eat vegetables.

   (1) if only conclusion I follows.

   (2) if only conclusion II follows.

   (3) if either I nor II follows.

   (4) if neither I nor II follows.

   (5) if both I and II follow

Ans: Choice (4)
Explanation: The availability of vegetables is not mentioned in the given statement. So, I does not follow. Also, II is not   directly related to the statement and so it also does not follow.

2) Statement: All the organised persons find time for rest. Sunitha, inspite of her very busy schedule, finds time for rest.

    Conclusions: I. Sunita is an organised person.
                         II. Sunita is an industrious person.

    (1) if only conclusion I follows.

    (2) if only conclusion II follows.

    (3) if either I nor II follows.

    (4) if neither I nor II follows.

    (5) if both I and II follow

Ans: Choice (5)
Explanation: Sunita has a very busy schedule. This means that she is industrious. But still she finds time for rest. This means that she is an organised person. So, both I and II follow.

3) Statement: Death keeps no calendar.

   Conclusions: I. Man must die one day.
                        II. Death can come at any time.

   (1) if only conclusion I follows.

   (2) if only conclusion II follows.

   (3) if either I nor II follows.

   (4) if neither I nor II follows.

   (5) if both I and II follow

Ans: Choice (5)
Explanation: Both I and II directly follow from the statement.

4) Statement: The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.

  Conclusions: I. Your life will be dull if you don’t face a problem.
                       II. To escape from problems, you should have some solutions with you.

   (1) if only conclusion I follows.

   (2) if only conclusion II follows.

   (3) if either I nor II follows.

   (4) if neither I nor II follows.

   (5) if both I and II follow

Ans: Choice (4).
Explanation: Clearly both I and II do not follow from the  given statement.