Inference and the writer’s purpose

What an inference is

An inference is a conclusion that the passage supports but does not state in words. If a passage says the streets were wet and people carried umbrellas, you can infer that it had rained.

What NCET asks

• “What can be inferred from the passage?”
• “The writer would most likely agree that…”
• “The purpose of the passage is to…” (inform, persuade, entertain, describe, warn)
• “The tone of the writer is…”

How to answer

• The right inference is supported by evidence in the text. Point to the sentence that supports your choice.
• Reject options that go too far (“The writer hates all technology”) or that need information the passage does not give.
• For purpose, ask what the writer wants the reader to do or feel after reading.

Common mistakes

• Choosing something that is true in real life but has no support in the passage.
• Confusing what a character in the passage thinks with what the writer thinks.

Practice tip

After each Kashmiri passage you read, write one sentence that begins “The writer seems to believe that…” and underline the evidence for it.