Main content
Inferences | Lesson
A guide to "inferences" questions on the digital SAT
What are "inferences" questions?
On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will provide an unfinished passage that introduces information about an unfamiliar topic. Based on that information, you'll be asked to select the choice that most logically completes the text.
Inferences questions will look like this:
How should we think about inferences questions?
Inferences questions are all about how we connect information and ideas to create arguments.
Some SAT preppers find it helpful to think about the components of the argument. We can break arguments into two basic parts: premises and conclusions.
Premises are the facts on which an argument is based. When premises are connected, they should provide strong evidence for the argument's conclusion.
The conclusion is the heart of the argument. It's the overall claim that the argument's author is trying to support.
Others prefer not to distinguish between premises and conclusions: we can also think of the points and information in the text as simply "clues" to the blank.
Either way, the basic task is the same: you need to identify what is missing from the argument, and fill that gap with one of the choices.
How to approach inferences questions
To solve an inferences question, consider following these steps:
Step 1: Separate the text into bullet points
Everything you need to successfully answer an inferences question is contained within the provided passage. Therefore, to find the answer, you'll need to read closely and carefully consider the information contained in the text.
A great way to do this is to take each idea in the passage and turn it into its own bullet point. This will create a step by step progression for the argument being made and allow you to see where any gaps might exist.
Step 2: Examine the argument
Consider each piece of information offered in the passage. Then consider how those pieces fit together. Do they add up to something? What's the connection between them?
Each inferences question is like a mystery. Everything you need to solve that mystery is provided for you. You just need to be a detective and piece the clues together!
By the end of this step, you should have a solid understanding of the argument being made. This should give you some idea of what might fit in the blank. At the very least, you'll be better prepared to recognize what doesn't fit in the blank.
Step 3: Explore the choices
Look at the choices one by one. Ask yourself if the information contained in the choice completes the argument in the passage.
Be wary of choices that broaden the discussion or introduce ideas not explicitly mentioned in the rest of the passage. The arguments made in inferences passages are often highly specific. Eliminate any choices that stray from or disagree with the points made in the passage.
Step 4: Select the choice that strengthens the argument
The choice you select should fit in fairly obviously with the information provided in the passage. But even further, the choice you select, when combined with the rest of the passage, should make the argument both clearer and stronger. Once you find such a choice, you can select it with confidence!
Top tips
Stay specific
Don't stray beyond what can be inferred. Be cautious with words like "most" or "many" when a passage only discusses one thing in particular. And look out for small twists and turns that make a choice seem relevant when it actually changes the focus of the argument.
Lean on transitions
Pay close attention to the transition words used throughout an inferences passage. These transitions will show you how the ideas in the passage are related. In particular, the transition words used before the blank at the end of the passage will provide a useful clue to what information you're looking for.
Let the punctuation help
Similar to transitions, punctuation marks give shape to the ideas in the passage and show how those details are connected. Colons, semicolons, and dashes can all be used to inject conclusions, examples, and exceptions. Take a closer look at these punctuation marks to see what type of information they signal within the text.
Your turn!
Want to join the conversation?
I always became distracted in solving inferences i dont know but these question are somehow tricky? Please tell me what to do if i lost my focus in the mid of reading(117 votes)
Yeah it’s very easy to get distracted. I think something that could help is reading more? I’ve found that when I read books on my spare time, I start to be able to focus a lot better on these questions.
Also, you could try looking at meditation - it has been proven beneficial for your capacity to focus(170 votes)
Do people really make bullet points? It seems inefficient for me. I would rather read it and make the main claim in my head.(42 votes)- Yeah I kind of agree with you. Considering how time is really important it’s maybe best not to actually write out bullet points.(39 votes)
- These questions are a nightmare for me:( please suggest some tips(32 votes)
- First: Focus on the topic and the idea of the text, try to find what is the main focus in the text.
Pay attention to the few sentences in the end of the text, that is what you need to support.
Restate the claim in your own word, and then write with your own word what can fill the blank.
Then look at the choices that match your prediction.
Remember, do not watch the answer choices before you came up with your prediction, otherwise you end up doing lots of mistakes in such questions.(37 votes)
- The last one doesnt seem like it should fit, the text even says "the more popular the brand is, the more people's associatio with it". So why would the answer say that it doesnt change people's perception?(12 votes)
I think what they're saying is that what the brands try to do to differientiate themselves from other brands doesn't change the customer's perception. The only thing that would cause them to buy it over another brand is that it's more popular.
Let me use Smuckers jam versus janie's jam (I just made that brand up) to illustrate.
So, Smuckers may try to get customers to think that they have healthier jam than janie jam. But customers don't buy Smuckers jam because they think it's healthier than janie jam. They just buy it because it's more popular.
Does that make sense?(23 votes)
Does anyone know what some common mistakes made with inference questions are? The main problem I have with these types of questions is finding a solution based on having to use knowledge from the text.(12 votes)
Try to find a main idea.
If you can piece all the little details into one statement, that may help you find the right choice.(6 votes)
I don't really know how to answer this properly. Can someone help?(3 votes)
Okay, you have to read the text thoroughly, and as khan academy mentioned above try to separate ideas into bullet points. And you should determine what you look for in the blank: either it is a conclusion or supporting detail (premise.) After seeing your bullet points and understanding what you look for, you should find the gap in the logic. And test your prediction with answer choices. I even struggle with this questions many times, and I hope my little advice will help you at some degree :)(17 votes)
Isn't the theory for all three levels same? Is medium and advanced level just for practicing questions?(6 votes)
Yes, I'm imagining the format is so weird because of how recently these were made(5 votes)
How do you find out what the main focus of the text is when different view points and factores are shared?(8 votes)- Recognizing the text's main focus or idea is much easier than you think...the language makes it obvious. or if you are getting confused a lot just think about how the various factors or points discussed are interconnected. I mean just think about what the narrator/author/writer is trying to tell you. idk that is just how I do it, I can just tell you the way but u yourself have to think with your brain. hope it helpsss...(4 votes)
- This type of question is the hardest question that I have studied so far. It's really confusing which one to choose cause more than one makes sense in the choice list. Has anyone got a proper way to solve this?(9 votes)
do anybody have the way to solve this kind of question ,it so hard for me,I think it let me lose the self-confidence for SAT(6 votes)- In most of the questions, the first few lines useless. I only read the lines after it and thats where the main context of the passages lie. You should also give it a try :)(6 votes)
