How to do this drill
- Underline the reported observation.
- Box the writer's conclusion.
- Circle every stated limit.
Material
A six-week lending pilot placed board games in three apartment lobbies. Sign-out records showed that cooperative games were borrowed more often than long strategy games. Short resident interviews suggested storage size and simple instructions influenced choices. Because participation was voluntary and the pilot ran during winter, the organizers did not claim the pattern would apply to every building or season. They recommended testing smaller game sets in two more locations.
Your tasks
- State the observation, possible explanation, and limit separately.
- Why is ‘Residents always prefer simple games’ unsupported?
Check your work
Finish the tasks first, then open the answer to compare.
Show the answer
Answer
Cooperative games were borrowed more in this pilot; size and instructions may have influenced choices; voluntary winter participation in three buildings limits generalization.
How to reach it
- Keep record data separate from interview explanation.
- Preserve suggested rather than proved.
- Carry all scope limits into the conclusion.
Evidence
‘Always’ removes the setting, sample, season, and cautious language, turning one observed pattern into a universal preference.
Review your attempt
- Did you distinguish observation from explanation?
- Does your conclusion retain the pilot boundary?
Take it further
Write one responsible headline and one misleading headline for the excerpt.
