Making Inferences Flashcards
All 11 cards in this deck
What is an inference?
Working out something the writer suggests but doesn't state, using evidence from the text. It shows the examiner you understand what a detail reveals, not just what it says.
What is the difference between paraphrase and inference?
Paraphrase restates the text in other words ("the coat was too big"). Inference explains what it reveals ("the coat was probably handed down, which hints the family couldn't afford new clothes").
How do explicit and implicit information differ?
Explicit information is stated directly. Implicit information is suggested, and you have to infer it. In Question 7(a), the best similarities are often implicit ones you infer from both texts.
Which phrases signal an inference in your writing?
This suggests…, this implies…, this reveals…, we can infer that…, perhaps…. They tell the examiner you are going beyond the words on the page.
Why is tentative language (perhaps, might, could) useful when inferring?
Inferences are interpretations, not facts. Tentative language shows you know a detail could mean more than one thing, which helps you offer alternative or layered readings, a mark of perceptive answers.
What is over-inference, and why does it lose credibility?
Claiming more than the evidence supports, e.g. reading "she checked the lock twice" as "she was a criminal on the run". Every inference must be anchored to a detail you can quote.
What makes an inference perceptive rather than just clear?
A clear inference states the obvious meaning. A perceptive one goes further, e.g. to what a detail reveals about a whole way of life, a period or a hidden reason, and may build several inferences from one detail.
In "She counted the coins twice before handing them over", what can you infer?
Money is tight and every coin matters to her. Perhaps she can't afford a mistake, or doesn't trust the person she's paying. The repeated checking hints at worry, not just carefulness.
In "Every chair in the waiting room had a different stain", what can you infer?
The place is heavily used and poorly looked after. There is no money or care to replace the furniture, which may suggest the people who wait there are not treated as a priority.
How can you infer something from what a text doesn't mention?
Absences are evidence too. If a long description of a journey never mentions food, warmth or rest, you can infer the travellers went without them, or that comfort simply wasn't expected.
Why should you use short, embedded quotations when inferring?
A word or two ("threadbare", "unopened letters") lets you zoom in on exactly what triggers the inference. Long quotations waste time and hide what you are actually reading into.