GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Reading Comprehension Making Inferences Drawing Conclusions from Text Evidence

What Is This?

Making Inferences: Drawing Conclusions from Text Evidence is the process of using text clues to make educated guesses or draw logical conclusions about a subject, event, or character. This topic appears in exams to test your ability to analyze and interpret written information, identify patterns, and make informed decisions based on evidence.

Why It Matters

This topic is crucial in various exams, including the SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT, as it accounts for 20-30% of the total marks. The examiner is testing your ability to think critically, identify relationships between ideas, and make connections between text evidence and the question being asked.

Core Concepts

To master this topic, you must understand the following foundational ideas:

• Text Evidence: The specific details, facts, or quotes from the text that support your inference or conclusion.
• Inference: A logical guess or conclusion drawn from text evidence, which may not be explicitly stated in the text.
• Context: The background information, setting, or circumstances that influence the meaning of the text and inform your inference.
• Signal Words: Words or phrases that indicate the examiner is looking for an inference, such as "infer," "deduce," "conclude," or "suggest."

Prerequisites

Before tackling this topic, you must already understand:

• Basic reading comprehension skills, including identifying main ideas, supporting details, and making connections between sentences.
• Vocabulary skills, including understanding the meaning of words, phrases, and idioms.
• Critical thinking skills, including analyzing information, identifying patterns, and making logical connections.

The Rule-Book (How It Works)

The primary rule is:

• Use text evidence to support your inference: Look for specific details, facts, or quotes from the text that support your conclusion or guess.

Sub-rules and exceptions:

• Use context to inform your inference: Consider the background information, setting, or circumstances that influence the meaning of the text.
• Be careful with ambiguous language: Watch out for words or phrases that have multiple meanings or can be interpreted in different ways.
• Avoid making assumptions: Don't assume information that isn't explicitly stated in the text.

Exam / Job / Audit Weighting

Frequency: 30-40% of exam questions Difficulty Rating: Intermediate Question Type or Real-World Task Type: Multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, and essay questions

Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Must-Know Rules, Formulas, Standards, or Principles

The three most important rules for making inferences are:

• Use text evidence to support your inference: Look for specific details, facts, or quotes from the text that support your conclusion or guess.
• Consider the context: Think about the background information, setting, or circumstances that influence the meaning of the text.
• Be careful with ambiguous language: Watch out for words or phrases that have multiple meanings or can be interpreted in different ways.

Worked Examples (Step-by-Step)

Easy
Question: What can be inferred about the main character in the story? Text: "The main character is a young woman who has just moved to a new city." Reasoning: The text states that the main character is a young woman, which suggests that she is likely in her early twenties.
Answer: The main character is likely in her early twenties.
Key rule applied: Use text evidence to support your inference.

Medium
Question: What can be inferred about the relationship between the two characters in the story? Text: "The two characters have been friends since childhood, but they have been arguing a lot lately." Reasoning: The text states that the two characters have been arguing a lot lately, which suggests that their relationship is strained.
Answer: The relationship between the two characters is strained.
Key rule applied: Consider the context and look for patterns in the text.

Hard
Question: What can be inferred about the theme of the story? Text: "The story is set in a dystopian future where the government has complete control over the population." Reasoning: The text states that the story is set in a dystopian future, which suggests that the theme of the story is likely to be about the dangers of government control.
Answer: The theme of the story is likely to be about the dangers of government control.
Key rule applied: Use text evidence to support your inference and consider the context.

Common Exam Traps & Mistakes

Trap 1: Making assumptions
Mistake: Assuming information that isn't explicitly stated in the text.
Wrong answer: The main character is likely to be happy in the new city.
Correct approach: Look for specific details, facts, or quotes from the text that support your conclusion or guess.

Trap 2: Failing to consider context
Mistake: Ignoring the background information, setting, or circumstances that influence the meaning of the text.
Wrong answer: The relationship between the two characters is likely to be happy.
Correct approach: Consider the context and look for patterns in the text.

Trap 3: Being too vague
Mistake: Making a conclusion that is too general or vague.
Wrong answer: The theme of the story is likely to be about something important.
Correct approach: Use text evidence to support your inference and consider the context.

Trap 4: Being too specific
Mistake: Making a conclusion that is too specific or detailed.
Wrong answer: The main character is likely to be a specific age (e.g. 25).
Correct approach: Use text evidence to support your inference and consider the context.

Trap 5: Not using signal words
Mistake: Failing to recognize signal words that indicate the examiner is looking for an inference.
Wrong answer: The story is just a simple tale about a young woman.
Correct approach: Look for signal words such as "infer," "deduce," "conclude," or "suggest."

Shortcut Strategies & Exam Hacks

Memory Aid: Create a mental or written note with the key rules and signal words for making inferences.
Elimination Strategy: Eliminate answer choices that are too vague or too specific.
Pattern Recognition Tip: Look for patterns in the text, such as repetition of certain words or phrases.
Formula Shortcut: Use the formula "Use text evidence to support your inference" to guide your thinking.

Question-Type Taxonomy

The three distinct question formats for making inferences are:

Practice Set (MCQs)

Question 1
What can be inferred about the main character in the story? A) The main character is likely to be happy in the new city.
B) The main character is likely to be in her early twenties.
C) The main character is likely to be sad in the new city.
D) The main character is likely to be a specific age (e.g. 25).

Correct Answer: B Explanation: The text states that the main character is a young woman, which suggests that she is likely in her early twenties.
Why the Distractors Are Tempting: A and C are tempting because they are plausible conclusions based on the text, but they are not supported by specific evidence. D is tempting because it is a specific age, but it is not supported by the text.

Question 2
What can be inferred about the relationship between the two characters in the story? A) The relationship between the two characters is likely to be happy.
B) The relationship between the two characters is likely to be strained.
C) The relationship between the two characters is likely to be neutral.
D) The relationship between the two characters is likely to be complex.

Correct Answer: B Explanation: The text states that the two characters have been arguing a lot lately, which suggests that their relationship is strained.
Why the Distractors Are Tempting: A and C are tempting because they are plausible conclusions based on the text, but they are not supported by specific evidence. D is tempting because it is a vague term, but it is not supported by the text.

Question 3
What can be inferred about the theme of the story? A) The theme of the story is likely to be about the dangers of government control.
B) The theme of the story is likely to be about the importance of friendship.
C) The theme of the story is likely to be about the power of love.
D) The theme of the story is likely to be about the impact of technology.

Correct Answer: A Explanation: The text states that the story is set in a dystopian future where the government has complete control over the population, which suggests that the theme of the story is likely to be about the dangers of government control.
Why the Distractors Are Tempting: B, C, and D are tempting because they are plausible conclusions based on the text, but they are not supported by specific evidence.

30-Second Cheat Sheet

• Use text evidence to support your inference
• Consider the context
• Be careful with ambiguous language
• Avoid making assumptions
• Look for signal words such as "infer," "deduce," "conclude," or "suggest"

Learning Path

1. Begin by understanding the basic concepts of reading comprehension and vocabulary.
2. Learn the key rules and signal words for making inferences.
3. Practice making inferences using sample texts and questions.
4. Take timed drills to practice making inferences under time pressure.
5. Take mock tests to practice making inferences in a simulated exam environment.

Related Topics

• Reading Comprehension: Understanding the main ideas, supporting details, and relationships between sentences.
• Vocabulary: Understanding the meaning of words, phrases, and idioms.
• Critical Thinking: Analyzing information, identifying patterns, and making logical connections.