Inference vs what the text says
Don’t invent a story the passage never told.
← All countdown tipsInference questions ask what you can reasonably work out from a passage — not what you already know about life, and not a wild guess. The safe answer is always backed by a word, phrase, or clear hint in the text.
Picture it: said vs worked out
- Stated → you can point to the exact words
- Inferred → not written outright, but the text clearly points that way
- Too far → might be true in real life, but the passage never supports it
Coach tip: before choosing, ask “Which phrase proves this?” If you can’t find one, skip that option.
Remember — the method
- Read the question: does it ask what the text says, or what you can work out?
- Find the relevant sentence(s) in the passage first.
- For each option, hunt for a supporting quote or clear hint.
- Cross out anything that needs world knowledge, invents a motive, or adds “probably” without evidence.
Question wording to watch
Often means “stated”
according to the text · the passage says · which of these is true · what do we know for certain
Often means “infer”
suggest · imply · you can tell · most likely · we can conclude · how does … feel
Emotion and motive answers still need a clue in the text — a slammed door, a trembling hand, a muttered word — not “what most people would feel.”
Exam trap
Options that are true in life but not in the passage are classic traps. So are answers that stretch a soft hint into a huge claim (“she hated him”, “he was definitely lying”).
✓ Supported inference
Text: “Maya’s coat was soaked; she wiped rain from her glasses.”
→ It had been raining outdoors.
✗ Too far / life knowledge
Same sentence…
→ Maya forgot her umbrella and was late for school. (Never said.)
Watch the word probably in options: it often dresses up a guess. Only keep it if the text really leans that way.
Question patterns you might see
Same skill, harder outfits — from a clear quote to motive traps and “probably” options.
1 · Simple — Spot the stated fact
Passage: “The shop closed at five.” Question: “When did the shop close?” Answer is the quote — not “when shops usually close.”
2 · Simple — One-step inference
“Dad switched off the lamp and the room went dark.” You can tell the lamp was the light source — the text doesn’t need to say “the lamp was lighting the room.”
Clue: lamp off → room dark
Inference: the lamp had been lighting the room
Not inferred: Dad was going to sleep / Dad was angry
3 · Medium — Prove it with a phrase
Question: “Which phrase shows Priya was nervous?” Hunt the evidence, then match the option — don’t pick a feeling that “sounds right.”
4 · Medium — True in life, not in the text
Passage mentions a dog barking at night. Option: “Dogs bark when they are hungry.” That may be true in general — but this passage never says why this dog barked.
✓ Safe
Something disturbed the dog at night (supported).
✗ Trap
The dog was hungry / lonely / untrained (not given).
5 · Trickier — Emotion / motive goes too far
“Jamal stared at his shoes and spoke in a whisper.” You might infer he felt shy or uneasy. Jumping to “he was ashamed of a crime” invents a story the text never told.
6 · Trickier — The “probably” trap
Option A: “She was probably late because of traffic.” Option B quotes the bus arriving late. Prefer the option the text actually builds — soft “probably” wording often hides inventing.
Text: “The bus crawled through the city and Aisha arrived after the bell.”
✓ She was delayed by a slow bus journey (supported).
✗ She was probably stuck in a car / overslept / forgot her bag.
7 · Trickiest — Two true-sounding options
Both options feel sensible. Only one has a clear phrase behind it. Train the habit: underline the evidence, then choose — never the other way round.
Habit: find quote → test option → decide
If two options both need guesses, re-read — one of them usually goes beyond the passage.
Coach tip: when stuck, cover the options and say out loud what the passage actually allows. Then uncover and match — it cuts down “sounds true” answers.
Tomorrow (D-25): analogies — A is to B as…
Next step
Practice locks the idea in. WhatsApp delivers tomorrow’s tip to your phone — same group as mock updates.