Knowing what a passage is about is not the same as knowing what its author is trying to prove. You can recognise the topic, remember the examples and still select the wrong main conclusion.
To identify the main conclusion in an LNAT passage, trace the direction of the argument: which claim are the reasons intended to support?
What Is a Main Conclusion?
The main conclusion is the central claim an argument seeks to establish. It might recommend an action, explain why a view is mistaken or defend a judgement. It does not have to contain “should”.
Supporting reasons answer “Why accept that claim?”. An intermediate conclusion does two jobs: earlier reasons support it, and it then supports a further claim.
| Part of a passage | Its role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Topic | The subject being discussed | Library opening hours |
| Evidence or premise | Information offered in support | Evening classes finish after the library closes. |
| Intermediate conclusion | A supported claim used as a further reason | Some students cannot use the library after class. |
| Main conclusion | The claim the argument ultimately supports | The college should extend library opening hours. |
| Objection | A challenge considered by the writer | Longer hours could increase staffing costs. |
| Example | An illustration of a point | A student finishing at 8 pm cannot enter a library that closes at 7 pm. |
A main-conclusion answer identifies a claim. “The passage discusses library access” identifies only a topic.
Example 1: Separate the Recommendation from Its Reasons
- Passage
Road widening takes land that the city cannot readily replace. It also encourages additional traffic, reducing the lasting benefit for congestion. Buses can carry more passengers within the existing road space. The city should therefore prioritise bus services over further road widening.
- Question
Which statement best expresses the main conclusion?
- A. Road widening uses scarce land.
- B. Additional road capacity encourages traffic.
- C. Buses can carry many passengers.
- D. The city should prioritise bus services over further road widening.
Answer: D. The other claims supply reasons for that recommendation.
A is important to the argument, but importance alone does not make a statement the conclusion. Ask why the author mentions scarce land: to help justify the choice between investment options.
You do not need to decide whether the transport claims are accurate in the real world. The immediate task is to identify how the writer uses them.
The “Because” Test: Which Claim Supports Which?
Try joining the candidate claims in this form:
The city should prioritise buses because widening roads uses scarce land and encourages additional traffic.
That follows the argument's intended direction. Reverse it:
Widening roads uses scarce land because the city should prioritise buses.
The recommendation does not explain the land requirement. This helps distinguish the conclusion from a premise.
Use the test to interpret the argument, not to certify that it is sound. A writer can offer weak reasons for a recognisable conclusion. Your job changes only if the question asks you to evaluate those reasons.
Example 2: An Intermediate Conclusion Is Not the Main One
Passage:
The last evening bus leaves before the adult-education centre closes. Students without cars therefore cannot rely on that service to get home after the final class. The transport authority should trial a later departure. A three-month trial would allow demand to be measured before a permanent change is made.
There are two plausible conclusion candidates:
- Students without cars cannot rely on the service after the final class.
- The transport authority should trial a later departure.
The first follows from the timetable information. It then becomes a reason for the second. The main conclusion is the recommendation to trial a later departure.
The final sentence supports the limited nature of the recommendation: a trial would gather information before a lasting commitment. It does not become the main conclusion simply because it appears last.
A useful argument map is: timetable mismatch → access problem → recommendation for a trial. The additional point about measuring demand supports choosing a trial rather than an immediate permanent change.
Example 3: Do Not Attribute an Opponent's View to the Author
- Passage
Critics argue that public libraries are unnecessary because information is available online. But access to information is not the only service libraries provide: they also offer quiet study space and help with finding reliable material. Councils should retain library provision even where household internet access is widespread.
- Question
What is the author's main conclusion?
- A. Public libraries are unnecessary.
- B. All online information is unreliable.
- C. Councils should retain library provision despite widespread home internet access.
- D. Quiet study space is the only useful library service.
Answer: C. A belongs to the critics and is challenged by the writer. B and D exaggerate the supporting points.
Before choosing an answer, label speakers mentally: “critics say…” and “author replies…”. Contrast words help you see a response, but the whole passage establishes whose position is being defended.
Conclusion Indicator Words Are Clues
Words such as “therefore”, “thus”, “so” and “consequently” can introduce a conclusion. “Because”, “since” and “given that” can introduce reasons.
They are not a substitute for following the logic:
- “Therefore” can introduce an intermediate conclusion, as in the bus example.
- “Since” can refer to time rather than a reason.
- A passage can state its main conclusion without any indicator.
- A conclusion can appear at the beginning or in the middle.
Consider: “The school should keep its music programme. It gives pupils access to instruments they could not otherwise use, and provides a setting for collaborative performance.” The conclusion comes first; the reasons follow.
Example 4: Preserve the Author's Qualification
Passage:
Automated marking can return feedback quickly, but speed does not establish reliability. Where an assessment requires judgement about an original argument, teachers should review automated results before using them to make high-stakes decisions.
The main conclusion is that teachers should review automated results before using them for high-stakes decisions where assessment requires judgement about an original argument.
“Automated marking should be banned” is too strong. “Teachers should review every automated result” loses the stated boundary. “Automated marking is quick” is supporting context rather than the recommendation.
A shorter answer can be accurate, but it must retain the limitation that matters. Watch for options that broaden a narrow conclusion into a universal policy.
Can the Main Conclusion Be Unstated?
A passage may suggest an overall position without giving you one sentence to copy. Any reconstruction still needs support from the text.
For example: “The new entrance has steps but no ramp. Wheelchair users must ask staff to bring a portable ramp, which is stored in a locked office. Describing this as independent access stretches the term beyond recognition.”
The final sentence expresses the author's criticism indirectly: the entrance does not provide independent access for wheelchair users. An answer recommending demolition of the building would invent a policy the passage never advances.
Our guide to stated, implied and inferred information in LNAT questions explains how to distinguish a supported interpretation from speculation. Also read the exact task: the main conclusion, a general summary and the writer's purpose are related but different requests.
A Five-Step Method for LNAT Conclusion Questions
- Identify the disagreement or problem. What issue gives the argument its purpose?
- Separate the voices. Mark the author's position, reported opinions and objections.
- Draft the claim in your own words. Complete: “The author wants the reader to accept that…”.
- Trace the support. Check which statements give reasons for your candidate and whether it supports a further claim.
- Compare the options precisely. Preserve scope, certainty and qualifications, and reject a premise presented as the overall conclusion.
Do not improve the author's argument into one you personally prefer. Familiar-topic knowledge can encourage exactly that mistake; see why outside knowledge can hurt your LNAT score.
The official LNAT hints and tips stress attention to exact meaning and warn that answer choices can be almost right. Comparing the role and scope of the final two options is more useful than choosing the one that sounds most persuasive.
Practise with an Argument Review Log
Use the official LNAT practice materials first. After each passage, write three short notes:
- Main claim: one sentence stating the author's position.
- Support: the reasons intended to establish it, including any intermediate step.
- Nearest distractor: why it is evidence, an objection, too broad or otherwise mismatched.
For additional passage work, explore ExamPrepIQ LNAT practice options or open LNAT practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the main conclusion always the last sentence?
No. It can appear at the beginning, middle or end, or require an accurate paraphrase of the overall position. Identify its role in the argument, not its location.
How is a main conclusion different from an intermediate conclusion?
An intermediate conclusion is supported by reasons and then used to support another claim. The main conclusion is the claim those supporting steps ultimately aim to establish.
Can the main conclusion be factually wrong?
Yes. Identifying an argument's conclusion does not mean agreeing with it. A weak argument still has a claim it is trying to establish; assess its strength only when the task calls for that assessment.
What if two answers both appear in the passage?
Check their roles. One may be a supporting reason or an opponent's view. Then compare scope and qualifications: appearing in the passage does not automatically make a statement the main conclusion.
Official guidance and linked resources checked on 6 September 2026.