English 11 / Unit 10: Test Skills for Reading and Writing
10.3 Inferences and Evidence
Notes
An inference is a conclusion that the text strongly supports, not a guess. The right answer must be provable from the passage.
- Reject choices that add information not in the passage or go beyond it.
- For evidence questions, pick the sentence or data that directly supports the claim. Check numbers and trends in any table or graph described in words.
- Words like "suggests" and "implies" mean the answer is not stated outright but follows logically.
- Worked example: "Marta checked the sky, then packed an umbrella." You can infer she expected rain; you cannot infer she dislikes the sun.
Practice
Passage: "When the museum extended its hours to include Friday evenings, attendance on Fridays rose from about 200 visitors to about 900." Which statement is best supported?
Only the increase in Friday attendance is supported by the data.
Claim: "Sleep improves memory." Which finding best supports the claim?
Only the second link sleep to better recall.
Passage: "After Dev read the recipe three times, he shopped for butter, flour and sugar and then borrowed his neighbor's mixing bowl." What can most reasonably be inferred?
He had to borrow a bowl, which implies he lacked one.
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