Inference questions make up about 13-18% of the ACT Reading section, and they’re often some of the hardest to answer. In this lesson, you’ll learn the specific strategies you need to answer inference questions accurately.
Inference questions don’t have an answer stated directly in the passage the way detail questions do. Instead, they test whether you can use the passage’s information to logically deduce the best answer.
Here is an example of an inference question:
Notice what this question is asking you to do: infer the best answer based on what the passage implies. Unlike detail questions, you won’t find the correct answer written word-for-word in the text. For example, the passage doesn’t explicitly say that the residents of Gordon Heights are artistic and sophisticated. Instead, you use the author’s language and descriptions to decide which answer choice best matches what the passage suggests.
Keep these points in mind when approaching an inference question:
The relevant lines for inference questions can be harder to locate because the evidence is often spread throughout the passage. However, the question will usually include keywords that point you to the right area to search.
There will always be evidence for the correct answer. The ACT doesn’t make you guess - the passage will support the correct choice. Sometimes that support won’t appear as an exact phrase from the passage, but the meaning of the passage will clearly back it up.
It’s important to identify the question type on ACT Reading so you can use the right strategy. So how can you tell when a question is an inference question? Let’s practice.
Below are two different types of questions, but only one is an inference question. Which one is it?
Is the inference question the first or the second one?
Answer: The first question is the inference question. It asks what the author “suggests.” That wording signals that the author didn’t state the answer directly, and you need to infer which choice best matches what the passage implies.
The second question is a detail question because it asks what “the passage indicates.” In other words, the passage explicitly states the information, and your job is to locate it.
Let’s revisit the first inference question example, but this time with the passage excerpt.
What do you think is the best answer?
Answer: A is the best answer. The question includes keywords that help you locate the relevant parts of the passage, such as “dismay…moaning…so brazen” and “made himself respected in Cranford.”
Even though the passage doesn’t explicitly say that the Cranford ladies were outraged and then later accepting of Captain Brown, the language and details provide evidence that this is the best description of their reaction.
Inference questions can be challenging because you have to connect ideas rather than match exact wording. But if you use the question’s keywords to find the right evidence - and remember that the passage will always support the correct choice - you can answer these questions consistently.