What best describes an inference and which textual clues support forming one?

What best describes an inference and which textual clues support forming one?

• A. An inference is a guess about the author's intent that is not based on evidence
• B. An inference is a reasonable conclusion drawn from evidence and prior knowledge; clues include hints in descriptions, dialogue, and outcomes
• C. An inference is the sequence of events in a story
• D. An inference is a restatement of the main idea

Answer: (B)

An inference is a reasonable conclusion you reach by combining what the text shows with what you already know. You use clues the author provides—descriptions, dialogue, and outcomes—to support that conclusion, even if the author doesn’t say it outright. For example, if a character shivers, wraps their coat tighter, and the narrator notes cold wind, you can infer that it is cold or that the character feels fear, based on those details and your prior knowledge about how people react to cold or fear. The clues help you connect details to a larger meaning beyond a single sentence. This is not just a guess without evidence, nor is it simply the order of events (that’s plot). And it isn’t a restatement of the main idea; that would be paraphrasing.

An inference is a reasonable conclusion you reach by combining what the text shows with what you already know. You use clues the author provides—descriptions, dialogue, and outcomes—to support that conclusion, even if the author doesn’t say it outright. For example, if a character shivers, wraps their coat tighter, and the narrator notes cold wind, you can infer that it is cold or that the character feels fear, based on those details and your prior knowledge about how people react to cold or fear. The clues help you connect details to a larger meaning beyond a single sentence.

This is not just a guess without evidence, nor is it simply the order of events (that’s plot). And it isn’t a restatement of the main idea; that would be paraphrasing.