Inference · Topic 4 of 8

Inferences & Conclusions

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Reading · inference

An inference is what the passage implies but never states. Combine clues, and choose the answer the text best supports, not real-world truth.

01 · What it isInference = implied by clues, not stated

02 · The testNo clue to point to = just a guess

03 · The trapText support beats real-world truth

Inference = a conclusion drawn from clues — implied, never stated must know

Conclusion = where all the evidence, taken together, leads

Assumption = what the author believes but never says

Step 1: reread the part of the passage the question is about

Step 2: combine 2+ clues — what do they point to together?

Step 3: test every choice — don't stop at the first good-looking one

Step 4: choose the most reasonable — the fewest extra assumptions

Clue words: infer, imply, suggest, conclude, assume

Valid inference = you can point to the clues that support it must know

Text support beats real-world truth must know

"Can NOT be inferred": cross off the supported choices

Two plates + clock + window → Jo is expecting someone

✗ "Jo is hosting a birthday party" — no clue mentions one

Stated = on the page; inferred = read between the lines

Commonly confused

	Stated detail	Inference
Where it is	Written in the passage	Not written; it follows from the clues
How to check	Find the sentence that says it	Point to two or more clues that support it
Kitchen example	Jo set out two plates	Jo is expecting someone

Never mentioned at all → can't be inferred

Too big a leap: claims more than the clues can carry

Show 4 more facts

The writer implies; the reader infers

Facts first, then experience — knowledge links clues, never replaces them

Absolute words (all, always, never, only) rarely hold up

Inferences are probable, not certain — but they must be reasonable

Pearl

If you can't point to the clue, don't pick the choice.

Practice this topic, then test the whole section.

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