Conclusions and Generalizations

Make a sensible reasoning or conclusion to the situation.

The horse reared up on its hind legs, pawing the air and neighing loudly.

What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above?

• The horse was white.

• The horse was sleepy.

• The horse was excited.

• The horse was calm.

Make a sensible reasoning or conclusion to the situation.

As his mother honked the horn outside, Tom ran down the stairs, buttoning his shirt.

What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above?

• Tom liked to run.

• Tom was hurrying.

• Tom was hungry.

• It was raining.

Make a sensible reasoning or conclusion to the situation.

As she sat on the front porch, Lulu wiped the sweat from her face and took another drink of water.

What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above?

• It was cold.

• A storm was coming.

• Lulu lives in Michigan.

• It was hot.

Make a sensible reasoning or conclusion to the situation.

The line of voters at the voting place grew larger, but no one wanted to leave, although the wait would be very long. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above?

• The voters were interested in the election.

• There was going to be a riot.

• The election workers were gone.

• The voters were being paid.

Make a sensible reasoning or conclusion to the situation. At the end of each school day, Miss Simmons would sweep the floor, empty the trash, arrange the desks and clean the board in her classroom. What conclusion can you draw from the sentence above?

• The school was too poor to hire a janitor.

• Miss Simmons like to have her room clean.

• Miss Simmons had nothing else to do.

• The students were messy.

Making Generalization. Choose the best generalization for the following paragraphs.

All birds have wings. But not all birds can fly. Birds that do not fly are called flightless birds. The penguin is one example. It uses its wings to swim underwater. Ostriches and emus flap their wings when they want to scare an enemy. Rheas use their wings like rudders when they are running from an enemy. There is even a kind of small parrot that climbs trees and then uses its wings to parachute to the ground.

What can you say in general about flightless birds?

• All flightless birds are large.

• Flightless birds are fast runners.

• Flightless birds have different uses for their wings.

• The wings of flightless birds are useless.

Making Generalization. Choose the best generalization for the following paragraphs.

Ants are one of the most widespread insects in the world. Ants are called social insects because they live in colonies made up of other ants. A colony may have a few dozen or several million ants living in it. Ants in a colony are divided into different groups. Worker ants look for food and take care of the young. Soldier ants defend the nest from invaders. The queen ant lays eggs. These are the three main groups in an ant colony.

What generalization can you make about ants based upon your reading?

• All ants live in large colonies

• All ants in a colony have a job.

• All ants work to defend the colony.

• All ants are endangered species.

Making Generalization. Choose the best generalization for the following paragraphs.

About 20% of Americans have allergies. Allergies can range from mildly annoying to deadly. An allergy is an overreaction of a person’s immune system to something that is harmless. Many people are allergic to dust, pollen, or mold. Some people are allergic to certain kinds of food, perfume, or medicines. An allergy might cause sneezing, coughing, or a rash. Sometimes, an allergy is so severe, it can lead to death.

What generalizations can you make about allergies based upon your reading?

• All allergies are deadly.

• Everyone has allergies.

• Allergies can cause different reactions in different people.

• Allergies are not deadly at all.

Identify if it is a VALID or FAULTY generalization.

Telling a lie is always wrong.

• VALID

• FAULTY

Identify if it is a VALID or FAULTY generalization.

Democrats always know what is best for the country.

• VALID

• FAULTY