Which term describes a logical guess a reader makes about what the author means, based on evidence in the text?

Which term describes a logical guess a reader makes about what the author means, based on evidence in the text?

• A. Infer
• B. Imagery
• C. Setting
• D. Theme

Answer: (A)

Making a logical guess about what the author means, based on evidence in the text, is inferring. Inferring means looking at clues the author provides—words, actions, descriptions—and combining them with what you already know to decide what the author implies, even if it isn’t stated outright. For example, if a character shivers and mentions an incoming storm while dark clouds gather, you can infer that the mood will become tense or that danger is looming. This is different from imagery, which is the vivid sensory detail the author uses to paint a picture; setting, which is the time and place of the story; and theme, which is the broader message or lesson the text communicates. Inferring is how readers actively construct meaning from the clues the text offers.

Making a logical guess about what the author means, based on evidence in the text, is inferring. Inferring means looking at clues the author provides—words, actions, descriptions—and combining them with what you already know to decide what the author implies, even if it isn’t stated outright. For example, if a character shivers and mentions an incoming storm while dark clouds gather, you can infer that the mood will become tense or that danger is looming. This is different from imagery, which is the vivid sensory detail the author uses to paint a picture; setting, which is the time and place of the story; and theme, which is the broader message or lesson the text communicates. Inferring is how readers actively construct meaning from the clues the text offers.