Digital SAT Reading Inferences Examples: Types of Questions
Simple inferences examples from the digital SAT reading and writing section.
Inferences questions present us with an argument that needs to be completed. In these arguments, a series of facts will build upon one another to reach a logical conclusion. Since inference passages can often be dense with facts, it can often be helpful to break them down into pieces, summarizing each fact into a simple bullet point.
Examples of Inference
How would you summarize the argument here?
Type of Inferences
Type 1. One aspect of in-person shopping that online shopping can’t replicate is the opportunity to touch a product before buying it. Does this difference matter? In an experiment, researchers asked one group of participants to touch a mug and a toy, while another group was prohibited from touching the two items. The participants were then asked how much money they’d pay for the items. People who got to touch the items were willing to pay much more money for them than were people who weren’t allowed to touch the items. This finding suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text? Choose 1 answer:
- A retailers with in-person and online stores should charge the same price for a given product in both places.
- B online retailers may be able to raise the prices they charge for products that are only available online.
- C people who mainly shop online probably spend more money every month than people who mainly shop in person do.
- D in-person shopping may make products seem more valuable than they seem if only viewed online.
Type 2. Booker T. Whatley, an agricultural professor and researcher at Tuskeegee University, developed the concept of the “U-Pick” farm, where customers harvest their own produce directly from the farm. Whatley’s concept revolutionized the way small farms could do business, as it allowed them to limit labor expenses, cut out the middleman, and sell their produce directly to the public. Some critics argue that the U-Pick farm does not benefit small farms as much as Whatley claimed it would, as it requires the farms to invest in marketing and infrastructure to attract customers. However, supporters of the U-Pick farm argue that these downsides are outweighed by the benefit of __
Which choice most logically completes the text? Choose 1 answer:
- A reducing the reliance of small farms on hired labor.
- B allowing the farms to focus on growing only one type of produce.
- C allowing the farms to sell their produce in bulk.
- D requiring the farms to transport their produce to market.
Type 3. Dutch painters in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries often showed tables filled with large wheels of cheese or carved shards of butter. Some art historians, noting that dairy products were a major component of the Dutch diet, interpret these depictions as reflections of everyday Dutch eating habits. However, a group of researchers recently reviewed hundreds of food-related paintings and found that lemons—which could only be acquired in the Netherlands at great cost, since they had to be imported from warmer climates—feature in Dutch paintings of the period more than three times as frequently as dairy products do, thereby casting doubt on the idea that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text? Choose 1 answer:
- A Dutch painters of the period may have depicted foods for symbolic reasons rather than to show what Dutch people typically ate.
- B dairy products were a more significant component of the Dutch diet of the period than lemons were.
- C depictions of food in Dutch paintings of the period should be taken as realistic representations of Dutch eating habits.
- D food was a more popular subject among Dutch painters than it was among painters from other countries at the time.
Type 4. To investigate the history of plate subduction—when one of Earth’s tectonic plates slides beneath another—Sarah M. Aarons and colleagues compared ancient rocks from the Acasta Gneiss Complex in Canada to modern rocks. Using isotope analysis, the researchers found that Acasta rocks dating to about 4.02 billion years ago (bya) most strongly resemble modern rocks formed in a plume setting (an area in which hot rocks from Earth’s mantle flow upward into the crust). By contrast, they found that Acasta rocks dating to about 3.75 bya and 3.6 bya have an isotope composition that is similar to that of modern rocks formed in a subduction setting. Aarons’s team therefore concluded that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text? Choose 1 answer:
- A the majority of the rocks in the Acasta Gneiss Complex formed through subduction.
- B subduction-like processes began occurring in some locations no later than 3.75 bya.
- C the rocks in the Acasta Gneiss Complex are of a more recent origin than scientists previously thought.
- D subduction replaced mantle plume formation as the most common geological process by about 4.02 bya.
Type 5. German theater practitioner Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) believed that theater should elicit an intellectual rather than an emotional response from audiences, provoking them to consider social and political realities that extend beyond the characters and events depicted onstage. Brecht’s influence can be seen in English playwright Caryl Churchill’s 1979 play Cloud 9: although the play sometimes invites empathetic reactions, it primarily works to engage audiences in an interrogation of patriarchy and colonialism, which it does by placing audiences at a distance, thereby encouraging them to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text? Choose 1 answer:
- A reflect on social and political phenomena not directly related to patriarchy and colonialism.
- B focus on the characters’ beliefs about social and political issues as revealed by the characters’ actions.
- C be dispassionate as they think critically about the social and political questions raised by the play.
- D recognize pertinent social and political parallels between Germany during Brecht’s time and England at the time when Churchill was writing Cloud 9.
LESSON 3
Digital SAT Reading
9 steps to go from beginner to understanding the digital SAT questions, improving your knowledge, skills and ability to do your best in the SAT text.
The first lesson focused on the SAT reading area of textual and quantitative evidence. The second lesson introduces our lessons on SAT grammar with subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Now complete the information and ideas section with the central ideas and inference questions.
Make an Inference Explanations
1
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The text doesn’t discuss what retailers “should charge”, so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, the study in the text suggests that in-person stores may actually be able to charge more for a given product, since shoppers can touch it.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The text doesn’t discuss products that are only available online, so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, products only available online would still have the problem of shoppers not being able to touch them, and the study suggests that this lowers the prices shoppers are willing to pay.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The text doesn’t discuss how much people spend each month, so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, since being able to touch a product tends to make people “willing to pay much more money” for it, we might predict that an online shopper would be willing to spend less on the same purchases as an in-person shopper.
- (Choice D, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. The text tells us that “people who got to touch the items were willing to pay much more money for them than people who weren’t allowed to touch” them. This suggests that being able to interact with a product in person may make it seem more valuable to a shopper.
2
- (Choice A, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. The passage tells us that the U-Pick model revolutionized the way that small farms could do business, “as it allowed them to limit labor expenses”. This suggests that the U-Pick farm model reduced the reliance of these farms on hired labor.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The text never discusses what (or how many) types of produce are grown on U-Pick farms, so there’s no basis for this inference.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The text never discusses selling produce in bulk, so there’s no basis for this inference.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. In fact, the text states that at U-Pick farms, “customers harvest their own produce directly from the farm”, indicating that there is no need for U-Pick farms to transport their produce anywhere.
3
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. In fact, the text suggests that Dutch painters do have reasons for depicting foods other than to show what Dutch people typically ate. For example, lemons in a painting could indicate wealth or prosperity. (Note that the text says “casting doubt on the idea that” before the blank, so (A) is actually the opposite of what we’re looking for.)
- (Choice B, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. In fact, the text suggests the opposite: it says that dairy products were a “major component of the Dutch diet”, while lemons were an expensive import item, so we can infer that lemons were eaten much more rarely than dairy products.
- (Choice C, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. The text tells us that lemons—an expensive imported product—feature in Dutch paintings of the period more frequently than dairy products do. Since it’s unlikely lemons were eaten more often than dairy, this fact casts doubt on the theory that these paintings realistically depicted Dutch diets.
- Choice D, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The passage doesn’t mention painters from other countries, so there’s no basis to make this inference.
Top Tip: Read carefully! Note that the text says “casting doubt on the idea that” right before the blank. This is important: it means the blank should state an idea that probably isn’t true. If you picked (A), it might have been because you missed that phrase — with “casting doubt on the idea that”, (A) is actually the opposite of what we’re looking for!
4
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. There’s no mention in the passage of what proportion of the rocks within Acasta Gneiss Complex were formed through subduction, so there’s no basis for this inference.
- (Choice B, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. Because researchers found “Acasta rocks dating to about 3.75 bya” were similar to “modern rocks formed in a subduction setting”, we can infer that subduction-like processes must have begun occurring in the Acasta Gneiss Complex by this time.
- (Choice C, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The passage discusses various rocks in the Acasta Gneiss Complex that are dated to different periods of time, but nothing in the passage suggests that these dates are or were wrong.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. We only know about geological processes at the Acasta Gneiss Complex, so we do not have information to make inferences about geological processes in general. Also, notice that the rocks dated to 4.02 bya were found to still be formed in a plume setting, so the transition must have happened after this time.
5
- (Choice A, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. Reflecting on things that aren’t related to patriarchy and colonialism wouldn’t “engage audiences in an interrogation of patriarchy and colonialism”. That creates a confusing contradiction.
- (Choice B, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. The passage mentions that Churchill was influenced by Brecht’s belief that plays should provoke audience members “to consider social and political realities that extend beyond the characters and events depicted onstage”, so there’s no basis for an inference about audience members deeply engaging with characters’ beliefs and actions.
- (Choice C, Checked, Correct) This is the best choice. Churchill’s play was influenced by Brecht’s belief that theater should elicit an intellectual rather than an emotional response from audiences, making them think about social and political issues that also exist outside of the play. Therefore, it makes sense that Churchill would strive to have audiences think dispassionately (i.e., without emotion) and critically about the social and political questions raised by the play.
- (Choice D, Incorrect) This inference isn’t supported. No mention is made of social and political issues in Germany during Brecht’s time, so there’s no basis for this inference.
END OF THE LESSON
Frequently Asked Questions About Inference (SAT Reading)
What is an inference question on the Digital SAT?
An inference question on the Digital SAT asks you to figure out something that is not directly stated in the passage. You must use clues from the text to understand what the author means or suggests.
How do you answer inference questions on the Digital SAT?
First, read the passage carefully. Then look for clues that help you understand what the author is trying to say. Choose the answer that matches what the passage hints at, not what it says directly.
What is an example of an inference question?
An example of an inference question is: “What does the author suggest about the character’s feelings?” or “What most logically completes the text?”
What is the best way to get better at inference questions?
The best way to get better at inference questions is to practice reading carefully and thinking about what the author suggests. Look for key details that give you clues, and check your answers by reading the passage again.
What is the difference between an inference and the main idea?
An inference is something you figure out from clues in the text. The main idea is the big point the author wants to share directly. Inferences are hidden; main ideas are clear.
FAQ: Use Inferences Examples
What is inference?
Inference is the process of drawing a conclusion based on evidence and prior knowledge rather than explicit statements. It means you make an educated guess about what the author is trying to communicate.
How do you make an inference in reading?
When reading a story or passage, you use clues the author gives, combined with your own background knowledge, to read between the lines and infer something that is not directly stated.
What does it mean to draw a conclusion?
To draw a conclusion means to come up with a logical answer or judgment based on pieces of evidence and observations presented in the text.
How is inference different from a guess?
An inference is an educated guess made using evidence and reasoning, while a guess might be random without any basis in the information given.
Why is inference important for reading comprehension?
Inference is an important part of reading comprehension because it helps you understand the intended meaning and deeper messages without the author explicitly stating everything.
Can you give an example of inference in literature?
In To Kill a Mockingbird, readers infer the attitudes and feelings of characters like Atticus or Scout based on their actions and dialogue, even if those emotions are never directly stated.
What are rules of inference?
Rules of inference are logical principles, such as syllogism and disjunctive syllogism, that guide how to derive conclusions correctly from given facts or premises.
What is the ladder of inference?
The ladder of inference is a mental process that shows how people move from observation to conclusion by making assumptions and interpretations step by step.
How can inference help when writing an essay?
When writing an essay, using inference allows you to explain what the evidence suggests rather than just stating facts, making your argument stronger and more insightful.
What happens if you infer the wrong thing?
Inferring the wrong thing means reaching a conclusion not supported by the evidence, which can lead to misunderstanding the author’s message or the text’s meaning.
Useful Information: Understanding and Using Inference
Inference is a key skill in both reading comprehension and critical thinking. It is the process of drawing conclusions based on pieces of evidence, observations, and prior knowledge rather than just guessing randomly. When you read, you are constantly making inferences to understand the world around us, the author’s intended meaning, and the deeper messages within texts.
For example, in literature, inferences allow us to grasp what a character feels or thinks without the author having to explain everything explicitly. This is why inference is an important part of reading and writing. You’re making educated guesses based on what the author gives us as clues combined with what you already know.
Using formal rules of inference, such as syllogism, helps us reach logical conclusions step by step. The ladder of inference explains how we start with raw observations and climb towards conclusions, which can either be correct or lead us astray if assumptions are wrong.
When preparing for the SAT, learning to make inferences will improve your ability to read between the lines, avoid red herrings, and better understand complex passages. Practice tests and flashcards can help you master this skill. Remember, inference is not just a guessing game — it’s a reasoned process that helps you explain everything to us about the text without the author having to say it outright.