The act of drawing a conclusion from clues in a text is called what?

• A. Inference
• B. Prediction
• C. Summary
• D. Analysis

Answer: (A)

Inferring is drawing conclusions from clues in a text by combining what the author hints with what you already know. It’s like reading between the lines. The author provides hints—like actions, dialogue, expressions, or details about a situation—that point to a feeling, motive, or outcome that isn’t stated outright. Using those clues plus your knowledge, you figure out what’s really going on.

For example, if a character says little, avoids eye contact, and leaves a room when a topic comes up, you can infer they are uncomfortable or guilty, even though the text doesn’t say that directly.

Prediction would be guessing what will happen next, not what’s already implied. A summary restates main ideas, and analysis breaks parts apart to see how they fit. So the best term for drawing conclusions from clues is inference.