Explicit and Implicit Information Flashcards
All 12 cards in this deck
What is explicit information?
Information the text states directly, so you can point to the words. In 'The kitchen was freezing', the cold is explicit.
What is implicit information?
Information the text suggests but doesn't state, which you work out from clues. In 'She kept her coat on while she washed up', the cold kitchen is implicit.
What is an inference?
A sensible conclusion you draw from evidence in the text. A good inference can always be backed up by specific words in the passage.
What is over-inference?
A conclusion that goes further than the text supports. 'He checked his watch twice' supports "he is aware of the time", but not "he is late for a job interview".
How can you test whether an inference is safe?
Ask: which exact words prove this? If you can't point to them, or you have to invent part of a story to make it work, it is an over-inference.
What is the difference between a paraphrase and an inference?
A paraphrase says what the text states, in other words (still explicit). An inference works out something the text does not say. 'She sobbed' → "she cried" is a paraphrase; "she is upset" is an inference.
Can Paper 1 Question 1 test implicit information as well as explicit?
Yes: AO1 covers both. But a Question 1 answer must be clearly supported by the given lines, so the correct option is usually a close paraphrase or a small, safe inference, never a guess.
Why do wrong options in Question 1 often sound believable?
They are written to be plausible: a likely guess about the character, a detail from elsewhere in the source, or the text's own words used in the wrong sense. The right option is the one the given lines actually support.
In 'Mrs Okafor's hands, cracked and swollen at the knuckles, never stopped moving', is "her hands are swollen" explicit or implicit?
Explicit, because the text says 'swollen'. That she is a hard worker, or is restless, would be implicit: suggested by 'never stopped moving', not stated.
In 'The shop bell hadn't rung since Tuesday', what can you safely infer?
That the shop has had few or no customers for days. You can't safely infer that the shop is closing down: nothing in the sentence says so.
In 'Rain had found its way through the roof again; three buckets stood in the hall', which is stated and which is suggested?
Stated: rain came through the roof and there were three buckets in the hall. Suggested: the roof leaks often (the word 'again'). Over-inference: "the family can't afford repairs", which the text never hints at.
You don't know a word in the given lines. What should you do?
Check whether the paper has glossed it, then use the rest of the sentence to work out its meaning. Question 1 options often swap a hard word for a simpler synonym, so try putting each option in its place.