How to see it
That is inference. The writer leaves clues and you join them up, like a detective. A clue, plus what you already know, gives you the idea. But every idea needs a clue you can point to. No clue, no answer.
A worked example
Clue one: he pushes away his favourite pie, so something is on his mind. Clue two: he keeps glancing at the phone, so he is waiting for a call. Clue three: he jumps up so fast that the chair falls. Sam is anxious, waiting for news.
The common mistake: an answer that could be true, with no clue for it
The trap is an answer that could be true. Maybe Sam is ill? People who feel ill push their food away. But nothing else points that way, and three clues point to waiting. Choose what the passage shows, not what might be true.
Try one
Which quotation best suggests that Sam was waiting for a call?
- A'pushed away his favourite pie'
- B'Every few seconds he glanced at the phone'
- C'his chair toppled over'
- D'he jumped up'
- E'on the table'
Show the answerHide the answer
Right: B, 'Every few seconds he glanced at the phone'
Glancing at the phone again and again is waiting. The toppled chair shows how much the call mattered.