Which option describes how inference questions should be answered?

• A. The author’s background unrelated to the text.
• B. Personal beliefs not supported by the text.
• C. Clues from the text that support a reasonable assumption.
• D. The direct quote from the author.

Answer: (C)

Inferring means using clues the author provides to form an educated guess about something not stated outright. The best description is that inference questions are answered by clues from the text that support a reasonable assumption. This keeps your reasoning grounded in evidence from the passage rather than outside ideas or explicit statements.

Think of it this way: you look for hints, details, or patterns in the writing that point to something the author implies but does not directly say. For example, mentioning dark clouds and an empty street might lead you to infer that rain is coming, even though the author never says it outright.

Relying on the author’s background, on personal beliefs, or on a direct quote would not be inference, because those approaches either bring in outside information or focus on explicit wording rather than what the text suggests beneath the surface.