Sufficient Assumption
Prompts for sufficient assumptions
• Which one of the following, if assumed, would justify the conclusion?
• The author’s conclusion would be properly drawn if which one of the following was true?
Sufficient assumption prompts almost always use the word IF, while necessary assumption prompts never use IF. Also, sufficient assumption prompts avoid qualifiers such as MOST. MOST JUSTIFIES, for example, is a strengthen question, while JUSTIFY by itself is a sufficient assumption question.
Before you look at the answers:
1. Pinpoint the main conclusion in the passage. (Read my previous Main Pointpost.)
2. Separate the premises from everything else. After you find the main point, don’t assume that all the other statements are premises; they might include opposing viewpoints, background information, and concessions.
3. Are there any jumps between the premises and the conclusion or between each premise? To find these jumps, look for any concepts that are discussed only once. There are usually two. The correct answer usually fills in the gap in the argument by linking those two concepts together. Alternatively, slowly read each word of the conclusion. Which phrase was not used in the premise? That word or phrase will likely reveal where the argument jumped to the conclusion: at the gap!
