Reading Standards Of Learning (SOL) Practice Test

Understanding inference means recognizing that sometimes what a text lets you determine isn’t stated outright, but is a conclusion you reach by looking at clues and using what you already know. The true statement captures this: an inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence in the text that isn’t stated explicitly. You’re using hints the author provides—descriptions, actions, dialogue, or events—to decide what those hints imply. For example, if a scene describes a character shivering, pulling on a coat, and glancing at a dark sky, you can infer that it’s cold outside or that rain might be coming, even though the text doesn’t say “it is cold” or “rain is approaching.” The inference rests on concrete details plus your reasoning. Inference isn’t the same as summarizing, which would simply restate the main ideas in fewer words; it’s about drawing a new understanding from clues. It’s also broader than just predicting, since predicting is one type of inference, but inference can also reveal characters’ feelings, motives, or past events based on evidence. So the statement that accurately describes inference is that it’s a conclusion drawn from evidence in the text that isn’t explicitly stated.