Separate a Stated Fact from an Inference
Identify what a passage says directly and what a reader concludes from it.
Supplied materials
- Paper and a pencil, or say your answers aloud.
Learn the idea
A stated fact is a detail written directly in the text. An inference is a conclusion based on details and reasoning. An inference can be well supported, but label it as an inference instead of pretending the author stated it.
Read this original report: “At 8:10, the school bus arrived. Three students held wet umbrellas. A puddle lay beside the bus door. The driver waited until everyone was seated before closing the door.” The report never says exactly when or where rain fell.
- List two details that appear directly in the report.
- Underline the wet umbrellas and puddle.
- Write “It may have rained nearby” as an inference, not a quoted fact.
- Choose the check answer that is explicitly stated.
See the method in action
“Three students held wet umbrellas” is stated. “There may have been rain” is an inference from the wet umbrellas and puddle; another explanation could still be possible.
Check your reasoning
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See the answer and explanation
The bus arrived at 8:10.
The opening sentence directly gives 8:10 as the arrival time. The other choices add circumstances or feelings that are not in the report.
Take it further
Write one cautious inference about the driver: waiting until everyone was seated may show attention to passenger readiness. Name the action supporting it and explain that the report does not tell the driver’s thoughts.
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Check the subject sources
These LifeStarter passages, scenarios and exercises are authored for this Academy with AI assistance and review. External resources keep their publishers’ terms. A grade label suggests a starting level; it does not establish alignment with your school’s complete requirements.