ACT and SAT Reading: Reasonable Inferences
Every correct answer on the ACT and SAT Reading sections must be directly supported by the passages in some way. The exams try to obscure this seemingly-simple fact with questions that sound more open-ended than they actually are. One common example of this obfuscation is questions that ask what can “reasonably be inferred” from a passage.
In order to conform to the “directly supported” rule, ACT and SAT inferences must be more limited and literal than the kinds of inferences you can make in a high school literature class. Here are some examples of what the ACT and SAT do and do not consider a “reasonable inference.”
Inferences from a Single Sentence
When Angela met Rick at the park, she was wearing a Braves baseball cap that he had never seen her wear before.
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Reasonable Inferences
- Angela has never worn her Braves baseball cap in the presence of Rick.
- Angel put the Braves cap on before she met Rick at the park.
Unreasonable Inferences
- Angela got the cap recently. (The sentence doesn’t say how long Angela has had the cap.)
- Angela has never worn the cap before. (She could have worn the cap outside the presence of Rick on any number of occasions.)
- Angela bought the cap, OR Angela borrowed the cap. (We don’t have enough information to say how Angela came to possess the cap.)
- Angela wore the cap because it was hot outside. (It could have been a fashion choice.)
Inferences from Two or More Sentences
Julian enjoys watching soccer.
Julian prefers to watch American sports leagues.
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Reasonable Inferences
- Julian prefers watching Major League Soccer (an American soccer league) over Premier League (an English soccer league).
- Given the choice, Julian would prefer to watch an American soccer game over a game from another country.
Unreasonable Inferences
- The only sport Julian watches is soccer. (The sentences don’t say that Julian watches soccer exclusively.)
- Julian only watches American soccer leagues. (Preferring to watch one type of league does not exclude the possibility of watching other types of leagues.)
- Julian enjoys playing soccer. (Watching a sport is not equivalent to playing that sport.)
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