Inference Vs Conclusion

Do the right way

Hi, I am facing difficulty in a particular type of Logical Reasoning question which asks to identify the correct inference of a passage and where one of the answer choices is a conclusion.I have a confusion to identify which one is a conclusion and which one is an inference. Can anyone explain what is the difference between Inference and Conclusion?

LSATcantwin

An inference is like a piece of missing information that we gather from the information that is given. It’s like saying;

• I was hungry, and I only had a sandwich in the house a couple hours ago. Now I’m full.

From that you infer that I probably ate the sandwich, you reach a conclusion, based on the information given.

A conclusion can be an inference, or it can just simply be what a person is trying to prove.
For example;

• If an animal has a tail, then it is a dog. Since this animal has a tail I conclude it is a dog.

The conclusion is; the animal is a dog.

Normally a conclusion of an argument has reasons given for concluding it. In my example above the animal has a tail, and if an animal has a tail then it’s a dog. Those are my reasons, or premises.

Now, in many cases an inference and conclusion can be the same thing. The inference you make can be like the conclusion of the argument. This is sorta what happens on a MSS question.

Does this make sense?

Eric25

Can you tell us where the question is? (prep test, section, #) I'm curious to do it as well to make sure I really know the difference between an inference and conclusion.

Do the right way

@LSATcantwin Thanks for the explanation. Yes, that was helpful.

Do the right way

@estouten25 The question was not from any PT. I just came across this type of question on some forum.

goingfor99th

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