Great question. The main difference between a general claim and a main point is that a general claim is dependent upon context. On the LSAT, a general claim usually refers to a premise or assumption that the speaker/author is making in the text. A main point, on the other hand, is the overall conclusion and purpose of what the author/speaker is saying.
Now let's take a look at this question.
Henry's argument concludes that there must be some other explanation (other than communicating the location of the food source) for the honeybees' dance.
Winifred responds, saying not necessarily. This is his main point (that it's not necessarily true that there must be some other explanation for the honeybees' dance). He supports his conclusion by saying that most animals have several ways of accomplishing critical tasks. He provides further support by stating that bees of certain species can navigate using either the position of the Sun or the memory of the landmarks. He then says that similarly, for honeybees, scent trails are a supplementary, not an exclusive means of communicating.
The question asks us about the role that Winifred's statement about how bees of some species navigate plays in his argument.
In our analysis of Winifred's argument, we know that the statement in question about how bees of some species navigate is used as support for the claim that most animals have several ways of accomplishing critical tasks. In the answers, we're looking for a choice that paraphrases our prediction.
Answer A is incorrect because Winifred is not addressing an ambiguity in Henry's use of the expression "communicate the location." This answer choice is out. Winifred makes no mention of an ambiguity.
Answer B says it provides evidence in support of a general claim. This is correct; it's just what we're looking for. The statement that bees of certain species can navigate using either the position of the Sun or the memory of the landmarks is used as support for the general claim that most animals have several ways of accomplishing critical tasks. This is our answer choice.
Answer C is incorrect because it is not attempting to call into question key evidence cited by Henry. The statement that bees of certain species can navigate using either the position of the Sun or the memory of the landmarks is supporting the claim that most animals have several ways of accomplishing critical tasks, which is in turn used to support the conclusion that there doesn't necessarily have to be some other explanation for the honeybees' dance. Winifred is calling into question Henry's conclusion, not Henry's evidence.
Answer D is incorrect because Henry's conclusion and premises do not contradict AND because this is failing to accurately describe the role the statement has in Winifred's argument.
Answer E is incorrect because the statement isn't providing an alternative explanation for the honeybees' dance; it's providing support for a general claim.
Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any more questions!
Faith-KunguMarch 7, 2019
thank you
RaviMarch 12, 2019
@Faith-Kungu, you're welcome! Happy to help!
rcmcgraw0March 30, 2019
I was a little confused because I chose answer E. I thought that it was an alternative to Henry's idea for the dance. Can you explain why it is a general claim and not an alternative?
Jacob-RApril 3, 2019
Answer E doesn’t actually ever provide another “explanation†for the honeybees’ dance — at most, it simply says that scent trails are supplementary, and never tells us what the dance is for! That is why answer E is incorrect.
I hope that helps. Please let us know if you have further questions.
rcmcgraw0May 6, 2019
Hi I have more a general question I have been going over explanations for answers and they are really great and detailed which I enjoy, however noticed most explanations are from 5-12 minutes per answer. Do you have some tips on how to do this process much faster since we only have 1:25 seconds per question? How to quickly understand the passage and eliminate bad choices
RaviMay 6, 2019
@rcmcgraw0,
Great question. The explanations are 5-12 minutes because they delve deeply into the problem. in terms of processing information faster, the first step is to make sure you're processing everything correctly as you're reading the question.
The test gives you enough time to read the question and all of the answers before making a choice. Make sure when you're reading each sentence, you're internalizing what's being said and connecting it to what you've previously read for the particular question.
The thing that'll help you the most with answering questions more quickly is focusing on your accuracy and simply practicing tons. Practice, practice, and more practice is the best way to improve your performance on this test. There aren't any quick tricks, unfortunately—you've simply got to make sure you understand the material extremely well. This is best done by reading carefully and internalizing everything that's being discussed.
Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any other questions!
rcmcgraw0May 7, 2019
Hi Ravi
Thank you, I tried in beginning writing answers out, as they do in the problems with contrapositive and everything I just wasnt having enough time. I am slowly getting better and hopefully soon I can consistently determine answers in the allotted time frame
RaviMay 7, 2019
@rcmcgraw0, keep up the hard work! You are bound to improve if you continue to practice and apply significant effort.
DalaalFebruary 21, 2020
I still don't quite understand the difference between a general claim and a conclusion, is a general claim the same as a generalization or principle? Does it have to be an opinion? Can it be a fact?
