Strength of Conclusions

Objective: Understand plausible and choose it accurately in context.

plausible (adjective): Reasonable enough to be believed, although not proved. Context sentences 1. A loose cable was a plausible explanation for the screen going dark. 2. The historian offered a plausible account of why the villagers abandoned the settlement. 3. Maya's excuse sounded plausible because the bus had arrived late several times that week.

Objective: Understand probable and choose it accurately in context.

probable (adjective): Likely to happen or to be true, but not certain. Context sentences 1. With most ballots counted and a large lead, a victory for Elena seemed probable. 2. The technician identified a worn battery as the probable cause of the repeated shutdowns. 3. Another rehearsal was probable because the cast still struggled with the final scene.

Objective: Understand possible and choose it accurately in context.

possible (adjective): Able to happen or be true, even if unlikely. Context sentences 1. It is possible that the missing page slipped behind the desk. 2. A second interpretation of the poem is possible because the final line has two meanings. 3. Finishing before sunset remained possible, although the hikers would need to move quickly.

Objective: Understand certain and choose it accurately in context.

certain (adjective): Known to be true or sure to happen, with no doubt. Context sentences 1. After checking the signed receipt, I was certain that the package had been collected. 2. With every required payment already received, the treasurer was certain that the fee had been covered. 3. The diagram made one result certain: the two marked lines met at point C.

Objective: Understand tentative and choose it accurately in context.

tentative (adjective): Not final and open to change as more information becomes available. Context sentences 1. The team offered a tentative explanation while waiting for the remaining measurements. 2. Our tentative schedule places the debate on Friday, pending approval from the principal. 3. The essay's tentative conclusion may change after the writer examines the final document.

Objective: Understand conclusive and choose it accurately in context.

conclusive (adjective): Strong enough to settle a question or prove a conclusion. Context sentences 1. The clear recording provided conclusive evidence of which runner crossed the line first. 2. A matching serial number was conclusive proof that the recovered bicycle belonged to Ana. 3. The first test was not conclusive, so the class repeated it with better controls.

Objective: Understand doubtful and choose it accurately in context.

doubtful (adjective): Unlikely to be true or to happen. Context sentences 1. An outdoor performance looked doubtful as the storm grew stronger. 2. The claim became doubtful when two witnesses described events that could not both have occurred. 3. With three chapters still unread, finishing the book before lunch seemed doubtful.

Objective: Understand speculative and choose it accurately in context.

speculative (adjective): Based mainly on guesses rather than firm evidence. Context sentences 1. The essay's account of the missing explorer's final day was speculative because no journal or witness described it. 2. Without sales figures, the manager's prediction about next year's profits remained speculative. 3. The class separated documented events from speculative explanations of the character's childhood.

Objective: Understand persuasive and choose it accurately in context.

persuasive (adjective): Effective at leading someone to accept an idea or take an action through reasons or appeals. Context sentences 1. Her persuasive speech led several classmates to support a longer lunch period. 2. The letter made a persuasive case for keeping the neighborhood playground open. 3. A personal example made his appeal for volunteers more persuasive.

Objective: Understand convincing and choose it accurately in context.

convincing (adjective): Strong enough to make someone believe that something is true. Context sentences 1. The student's calculations gave a convincing explanation of the unusual result. 2. A demonstration made the inventor's claim more convincing than the advertisement alone. 3. The witness supplied a convincing account because each detail matched the available records.