Many small towns in Tamil Nadu now have at least one coaching centre for government exams. Students who once had to move to Chennai to prepare can now study close to home, saving on rent and travel. Which statement is best supported by the paragraph?

Coaching for government exams has become easier to reach for students in small towns.. The paragraph says students can now prepare close to home, so coaching is easier to reach. Closures in Chennai and rent figures are never mentioned, pass rates are not compared, and "every student" overreaches.

Chennai's coaching centres have closed down.

Students from small towns now pass these exams more often than city students.

Rents in Chennai have doubled in recent years.

Every student in Tamil Nadu is preparing for a government exam.

Tamil is one of the oldest living languages in the world. It has written literature going back more than two thousand years, and it is still spoken by millions of people today. Few languages combine such an ancient history with such a large living community. Which statement best expresses the main point of the paragraph?

Tamil is unusual in being both very ancient and still widely spoken.. The last sentence gives the point: Tamil is unusual because few languages are both very ancient and still widely spoken by a large living community. The literature and the millions of speakers are supporting details, "the oldest" overreaches, and the last the correct optionontradicts the paragraph.

Tamil has written literature more than two thousand years old.

Tamil is the oldest language in the world.

Millions of people speak Tamil today.

Ancient languages are no longer spoken anywhere.

The town's new footpath along the lake is lit at night and has benches every 200 metres. Since it opened, many families walk there in the evenings, and a few tea stalls have opened nearby. Which statement is NOT supported by the paragraph?

The footpath has reduced crime in the town.. Crime is never mentioned, so the claim that the footpath has reduced crime in the town is not supported. The lights, the families, the benches and the tea stalls are all stated in the paragraph.

The footpath has lights for use after dark.

Families use the footpath in the evenings.

There are benches along the footpath.

Tea stalls have opened near the footpath.

Teaching children to swim is as important as teaching them to cross the road safely. In a state with so many rivers, lakes and such a long coastline, knowing how to swim can save lives. The author would most likely agree with which statement?

Schools should give importance to teaching swimming.. The author ranks swimming alongside road safety for saving lives, so would agree it deserves importance in schools. The author still values road safety, mentions rivers and lakes as well as the sea, compares no sports, and says nothing about adults.

Road safety is no longer important.

Only children who live near the sea need to swim.

Swimming is more important than every other sport.

(1) Many people believe that gold is always a safe investment. (2) But gold prices have fallen sharply several times in the past forty years. (3) So gold, like any investment, carries some risk. What role does sentence (1) play in the argument?

It presents a view that the author goes on to challenge.. Sentence (1) presents a common view that the author goes on to challenge in sentences (2) and (3). The conclusion is sentence (3), the evidence is sentence (2), and no solution or example of risk is offered.

It states the author's main conclusion.

It gives evidence that supports the conclusion.

It suggests a solution to a problem.

It gives an example of a risky investment.

AI-guided practice

Logical Reasoning · Statements & Arguments

Analyzing Arguments — Questions & Answers

Analyzing arguments questions give a short argument and ask what strengthens, weakens or underlies it. First find the conclusion and the reason given for it.

5 solved questions
·
Step-by-step AI walkthroughs
·
How-to-approach tips

How to approach

Find what the paragraph actually establishes, then pick the option that says no more than that. The best-supported statement is often modest ("can", "may", "some") and close to the paragraph's main point.
Ask what the whole paragraph is building towards; it is often stated in the first or last sentence. Supporting details are true but are not the main point.
Four options restate or follow directly from the paragraph. The answer is the one that adds a claim the paragraph never makes, such as a cause, a result, a plan or a generalisation.
Identify the author's position and the reason given for it, then pick the option that fits both without going further.

5 solved Analyzing Arguments questions

Try each question first — tap an option to check your answer, or open Learn step by step for a guided walkthrough.

01
Many small towns in Tamil Nadu now have at least one coaching centre for government exams. Students who once had to move to Chennai to prepare can now study close to home, saving on rent and travel.
Which statement is best supported by the paragraph?
4 steps · reveal one at a time
1. Step 1: Read the Paragraph
  The paragraph describes how coaching centres for government exams are now available in small towns in Tamil Nadu. This means students no longer need to move to Chennai to prepare, allowing them to study closer to home and save money.
2. Step 2: Analyze the Impact
  The key change is that students can now prepare 'close to home'. This directly implies that the accessibility of coaching for government exams has improved for those living in small towns. They don't have to travel or relocate.
3. Step 3: Evaluate the Options
  Consider what the paragraph actually states or strongly implies. It doesn't mention Chennai centres closing, compare pass rates, give specific rent figures, or claim every student is preparing. It focuses on the convenience of location for small-town students.
4. Step 4: The answer
  So the answer is (C) Coaching for government exams has become easier to reach for students in small towns. The paragraph explicitly states students can now study 'close to home', which means coaching is more accessible for them.
02
Tamil is one of the oldest living languages in the world. It has written literature going back more than two thousand years, and it is still spoken by millions of people today. Few languages combine such an ancient history with such a large living community.
Which statement best expresses the main point of the paragraph?
4 steps · reveal one at a time
1. Step 1: Understand the Goal
  The question asks you to identify the main point of the paragraph. This means finding the central idea or message the author wants to convey, not just a supporting detail.
2. Step 2: Identify Key Facts
  The paragraph states that Tamil is one of the oldest living languages with literature over two thousand years old. It also mentions that millions of people still speak it today.
3. Step 3: Find the Main Idea
  Look for a sentence that summarizes the overall message. The last sentence states: 'Few languages combine such an ancient history with such a large living community.' This highlights Tamil's unique combination of age and widespread use.
4. Step 4: The answer
  So the answer is (C) Tamil is unusual in being both very ancient and still widely spoken. This option perfectly captures the unique combination of ancient history and current widespread use that the paragraph emphasizes as its main point.
03
The town's new footpath along the lake is lit at night and has benches every 200 metres. Since it opened, many families walk there in the evenings, and a few tea stalls have opened nearby.
Which statement is NOT supported by the paragraph?
5 steps · reveal one at a time
1. Step 1: Identify the Goal
  The question asks us to find the statement that is NOT supported by the information given in the paragraph. We need to check each option against the text.
2. Step 2: Analyze the Paragraph
  The paragraph states that the footpath is lit at night, has benches every 200 metres, is used by families in the evenings, and has led to tea stalls opening nearby.
3. Step 3: Check Each Claim
  Let's see which claims are directly mentioned. The text confirms lights, benches, families using it in the evenings, and tea stalls. These are all explicitly stated facts from the paragraph.
4. Step 4: Find Unsupported Claim
  The paragraph mentions nothing about crime or any reduction in it. This specific claim is not present or implied anywhere in the provided text.
5. Step 5: The answer
  So the answer is (D) The footpath has reduced crime in the town. This statement is not supported because the paragraph does not mention crime at all.
04
Teaching children to swim is as important as teaching them to cross the road safely. In a state with so many rivers, lakes and such a long coastline, knowing how to swim can save lives.
The author would most likely agree with which statement?
4 steps · reveal one at a time
1. Step 1: Understand the Passage
  The author states that teaching children to swim is as important as teaching them road safety, especially in a state with many rivers, lakes, and a long coastline. The key message is that knowing how to swim can save lives.
2. Step 2: Infer Author's View
  By comparing swimming to road safety in terms of life-saving importance, the author implies that swimming should be taken seriously and taught effectively. Both are crucial skills for children's safety.
3. Step 3: Evaluate the Options
  Consider which statement best reflects the author's strong emphasis on swimming's life-saving importance. The author values road safety, mentions various water bodies, doesn't compare sports, and doesn't discuss adults.
4. Step 4: The answer
  So the answer is (A) Schools should give importance to teaching swimming. The author ranks swimming alongside road safety for saving lives, strongly suggesting it deserves importance in education.
05
(1) Many people believe that gold is always a safe investment. (2) But gold prices have fallen sharply several times in the past forty years. (3) So gold, like any investment, carries some risk.
What role does sentence (1) play in the argument?
4 steps · reveal one at a time
1. Step 1: Analyze the Argument
  Let's break down the argument sentence by sentence to understand the role each plays. We are looking specifically at sentence (1).
2. Step 2: Examine Each Sentence
  Sentence (1) states a common belief: "Many people believe that gold is always a safe investment." Sentence (2) starts with "But," signaling a contrast to sentence (1) by providing evidence. Sentence (3) begins with "So," indicating it's the conclusion drawn from the previous points.
3. Step 3: Identify the Challenge
  Sentence (1) introduces a popular opinion about gold. However, sentence (2) immediately presents information that goes against this opinion. This means the author is setting up a view that they will then challenge or refute with evidence and a conclusion.
4. Step 4: The Answer
  So the answer is (D) It presents a view that the author goes on to challenge. Sentence (1) introduces a common belief that the subsequent sentences (2 and 3) work to disprove.

Free to start

Get exam-ready on Analyzing Arguments

Generate fresh analyzing arguments practice sets in Test Studio, get step-by-step AI explanations the moment you slip, and close the gaps in Socrative Mode.

Start practising free Browse all topics

Step-by-step AI solutions
Fresh practice sets on demand
Guided Socrative Mode drills

How to approach

5 solved Analyzing Arguments questions

Get exam-ready on Analyzing Arguments

More in Statements & Arguments