Digital SAT Claims Questions: Support, Weaken & Illustrate

We've explored finding details, main ideas, and author purpose in Digital SAT passages. Now, let's tackle a slightly different beast: Claims questions. These questions present a unique challenge because they often ask you to evaluate information *outside* the passage in relation to a claim made *within* the passage. It's a twist that can catch students off guard.

Think about a student, let's call him DeAndre. He's become quite skilled at finding evidence directly stated in the text for Specific Detail questions. But then he hits a question like, "Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the researcher's assertion..." DeAndre diligently rereads the passage, searching for one of the answer choices within the text itself. He gets frustrated because none of the findings listed in the options (A, B, C, D) seem to be mentioned anywhere in the original passage. He doesn't realize the task isn't to *find* the answer in the text, but to assess how each hypothetical finding *relates back* to the claim already presented there.

This is the core misunderstanding that trips up many students on Claims questions. They require a specific type of critical thinking: connecting the passage's argument to external evidence. Let's break down the different types of Claims questions and how to handle this unique dynamic.

Understanding the 3 Types of Claims Questions

You'll encounter three main variations on the Digital SAT:

1. Illustrates The Claim: These are generally the most straightforward. The passage makes a claim about something (often a character's trait or a general idea) and ends with a blank. Your job is to choose the quotation or statement from the options that best exemplifies or shows that specific claim in action.
   • Question Format Example: "The novel depicts Councilman Sharma as pragmatic, prioritizing practical results over idealistic theories, writing ______" followed by "Which quotation from the novel most effectively illustrates the claim?"
2. Support The Claim: The passage will contain a specific claim, hypothesis, assertion, or conclusion made by the author or someone mentioned in the text. The question asks you to identify which answer choice, if it were true, would provide the *best evidence* or *strongest reason* to believe that claim.
   • Question Format Example: "Which finding, if true, would most directly support the biologist's hypothesis?" or "Which statement, if true, would most directly support the critic's assertion?"
3. Weaken The Claim: Similar to 'Support', the passage presents a claim, hypothesis, etc. However, this time you must select the answer choice that, if true, would *contradict*, *challenge*, or *undermine* the validity of that claim.
   • Question Format Example: "Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the historian's conclusion?" or "Which statement, if true, would most undermine the researchers' argument?"

Notice that for Support and Weaken questions, the answer choices introduce *new information* not present in the original passage.

The Core Principle: External Info, Internal Claim

This is the key difference from most other Reading Comp questions: **For Support and Weaken questions, the correct answer choice itself is usually NOT found within the passage.** Instead, the answer choices provide hypothetical findings, statements, or scenarios. Your task is to evaluate how each piece of *external* information logically connects back to (supports or weakens) the *internal* claim made within the passage.

However, the basis for your evaluation—the claim itself and any relevant context—is always found *within the passage*. You need that textual evidence to know what standard the answer choices must meet.

Mastering "Illustrates The Claim" Questions

These are often the easiest claim type. Keep it simple:

1. Identify the Claim: Pinpoint the specific assertion made right before the blank. What trait, idea, or characteristic is being described?
2. Match the Illustration: Read each answer choice (often a quote) and select the ONE that directly shows or exemplifies the claim identified in step 1. Don't overthink it! If the claim is "the character felt remorse," find the quote showing remorse.

Let's Practice (Refreshed Examples):

Example 1:

"The Bronze Serpent" is a 1922 poem by Gabriela Mistral. In the work, the speaker expresses a deep reverence for the natural world, writing ______

1. Which quotation from "The Bronze Serpent" most effectively illustrates the claim?

A) "My verses are like fountains, where weary souls may find refreshment for a moment."
B) "I kiss the humble stones, the rough soil speaks to me with the tenderness of a living thing."
C) "My heart became serene, my thought clear, like water running over smooth pebbles."
D) "Give me the simple life, the rustic bread, the peace of lonely mountain heights."

Tutoring Explanation: The claim is that the speaker shows "deep reverence for the natural world." We need a quote that exemplifies this feeling. (A) compares verses to fountains, focusing on poetry's effect. (C) uses nature ("water," "pebbles") as a simile for inner state, not reverence *for* nature. (D) expresses a desire for simple, rustic life. (B) directly shows reverence: "kiss the humble stones," soil speaks with "tenderness." This directly illustrates deep respect and connection to nature. Correct Answer: B

Example 2:

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is an 1892 short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The narrator, undergoing a 'rest cure,' is portrayed as increasingly disturbed by her confinement and surroundings: ______

2. Which quotation from "The Yellow Wallpaper" most effectively illustrates the claim?

A) "John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures."
B) "I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus—but John says the very worst thing I can do is think about my condition."
C) "The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others."
D) "There are things in that paper which nobody knows but me, or ever will. Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day."

Tutoring Explanation: The claim is the narrator is "increasingly disturbed by her confinement and surroundings." We need a quote showing this disturbance related to her environment. (A) describes her husband, John. (B) describes her feelings about her treatment and lack of stimulus. (D) shows her obsession with the wallpaper but less directly the *disturbance* caused by surroundings. (C) vividly describes the wallpaper using negative, disturbed language ("repellent," "revolting," "unclean," "dull yet lurid," "sickly"), directly illustrating her disturbed perception of her surroundings. Correct Answer: C

Example 3:

"The Souls of Black Folk" is a 1903 work by W.E.B. Du Bois. In it, Du Bois emphasizes the unique perspective granted by the 'double-consciousness' of African Americans: ______

3. Which quotation from "The Souls of Black Folk" most effectively illustrates the claim?

A) "To the real question, How does it feel to be a problem? I answer seldom a word."
B) "One ever feels his twoness,—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body..."
C) "He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows..."
D) "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line,—the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea."

Tutoring Explanation: The claim is about the "unique perspective" granted by "double-consciousness." We need a quote defining or showing this concept. (A) describes being seen as a problem. (C) describes a desire for acceptance. (D) identifies the global color-line. (B) directly defines the feeling of "twoness" – "two souls, two thoughts," "warring ideals" – which is the essence of double-consciousness as described by Du Bois, thus illustrating the unique perspective. Correct Answer: B

Mastering "Support" & "Weaken" The Claim Questions

These require more analysis. Remember, the answer choices are *new* information.

Approach:**

Let's Practice (Refreshed Examples):**

Example 1 (Support):**

Urban planner Fatima Rossi is renowned for her designs integrating public art with functional infrastructure. Rossi's work often reflects the complex history and diverse communities of the neighborhoods she redesigns. In an architectural journal, a critic argues that Rossi's ability to embed local narratives within her designs is what creates such a strong sense of place and community connection in her projects.

1. Which of the following findings from a community survey would best support the critic’s argument?

A) Residents praise Rossi's designs primarily for their modern aesthetic and use of durable materials.
B) Attendance at community events held in Rossi-designed plazas has increased by 15% year over year.
C) Surveys show residents in Rossi-designed areas report a significantly higher feeling of connection to local history and neighbors compared to residents in areas with standard infrastructure.
D) Rossi's design process involves numerous consultations, but final decisions often prioritize engineering requirements over community suggestions.

Tutoring Explanation: The critic's claim (argument) is that embedding *local narratives* creates a *sense of place and community connection*. We need a finding that links these elements. (A) focuses on aesthetics/materials, not narratives/connection. (B) shows increased event attendance, which might imply connection, but doesn't directly link it to the *narratives* in the design. (D) describes her process but potentially weakens the community connection aspect. (C) directly links Rossi's designs to residents feeling a higher connection to *local history* (narrative) and *neighbors* (community connection), perfectly supporting the critic's claim. Correct Answer: C

Example 2 (Support):**

Sepsis remains a critical challenge in hospitals, often triggered by an overwhelming immune response to infection. Common indicators include elevated levels of inflammation markers like lactate and C-reactive protein (CRP). This immune cascade can damage organs. In a recent trial, pulmonologist Dr. David Chen and his team hypothesized that early administration of concentrated omega-3 fatty acids could dampen this excessive inflammation and mitigate organ damage during sepsis.