What is an inference?

What is an inference?

• A. An educated guess about meaning not directly stated
• B. A direct statement from the text
• C. A summary of the text
• D. An author's tone

Answer: (B)

Inferring means drawing a conclusion from clues in the text and what you already know, rather than repeating what is stated exactly. It’s an educated guess about meaning that isn’t stated outright. That’s why the best description is an educated guess about meaning not directly stated. A direct statement from the text is something the author says plainly, which you could quote. A summary condenses the main ideas. An author’s tone refers to the writer’s attitude or mood, not to interpreting unstated meaning. For example, if a character shivers, checks the door, and humbles their pace, you might infer they are cold or anxious, based on those clues, even though the exact feeling isn’t written word-for-word.

Inferring means drawing a conclusion from clues in the text and what you already know, rather than repeating what is stated exactly. It’s an educated guess about meaning that isn’t stated outright. That’s why the best description is an educated guess about meaning not directly stated. A direct statement from the text is something the author says plainly, which you could quote. A summary condenses the main ideas. An author’s tone refers to the writer’s attitude or mood, not to interpreting unstated meaning. For example, if a character shivers, checks the door, and humbles their pace, you might infer they are cold or anxious, based on those clues, even though the exact feeling isn’t written word-for-word.