Evidence

On the GED test, you’ll be asked to read passages, evaluate the evidence, and then make inferences and draw conclusions.

This lesson is a part of Onsego GED Prep.

Video Transcription

On the GED test, you’ll be asked to read passages, evaluate the evidence, then make inferences and draw conclusions.
Evidence is something that can be proved; for example, well-known facts, statistics, or expert quotations can be used as evidence to support a claim. A claim is a statement that someone believes to be true. It can be an opinion, idea, or conclusion that needs to be proven.
So, when you are asked to evaluate evidence, look for parts of the text that provide reasons, examples, or data that support the main claims. Then, you can decide if the provided passage is an evidence-supported logical conclusion or, rather, a personal belief without any proof.

Evidence backs up or validates a claim. It can take the form of facts, examples, statistics, or quotes from experts. Look for segments in the text that offer reasons, specific instances, or numerical data that bolster the main claims.
Let’s check this example.
Sydney, a trained dog, hunts for mold by sitting down when she detects it. She’s one of about ten dogs in the US trained for this. Sydney detected mold in an unexpected area in a house where a boy with epileptic seizures lives. Her detection led to the discovery and planned removal of the mold, potentially improving the boy’s health. Mold-sniffing dogs are a new concept in the US, unlike in Europe, where they’ve been used for years. They offer a quicker, less expensive method than traditional mold detection, costing less than $500 compared to the thousands and weeks required by other methods.

The claim here is that ‘Sydney is effective at detecting mold.’
The story details instances where Sydney successfully detected mold. This is evidence supporting the claim about the dog’s effectiveness.

Let’s check another example.

Thomas Edison is often credited with inventing the light bulb, but his work was built on the efforts of earlier inventors. Before Edison’s patent, Sir Humphry Davy created an early form of electric light, and Joseph Swan developed a practical version of the light bulb in England. Edison’s contribution was making the light bulb useful for everyday use by improving the filament and inventing a longer-lasting bulb. His invention, along with the development of a reliable electrical distribution system, brought electric light to the masses.

What evidence supports the claim that Thomas Edison made the light bulb useful for everyday use?

A. Edison improved the filament and invented a longer-lasting bulb.
B. Edison’s light bulb design was patented in many countries.
C. Edison was the first to invent the light bulb.
D. Edison’s light bulbs were used in homes and businesses.

To answer this question, identify the evidence provided in the passage that supports the claim that Thomas Edison made the light bulb useful for everyday use. The passage mentions that Edison improved the filament and invented a longer-lasting bulb, which made the light bulb practical for widespread use.

Option A is the correct answer because it provides specific details about Edison’s contributions that made the light bulb useful for everyday use.
B is incorrect because, while patents can be important, the passage does not mention this as the key evidence for making the light bulb useful for everyday use.
C is incorrect because Edison was not the first to invent the light bulb; his contribution was improving it.
D is incorrect because it describes the usage of the bulbs rather than Edison’s specific contributions that made them useful.

In conclusion, by identifying and evaluating the evidence, you can make informed decisions and answer GED questions effectively. Let’s practice and solve a few more quizzes.

Last Updated on October 20, 2025.