TOEFL Reading Question Type - Inference Question

This is part of a series of TOEFL Reading Question Types. In today’s post, we will discuss an "Inference" question. An inference question requires you to make logical assumptions and connections by using the information in the passage to come up with a new conclusion. In other words, an inference question asks you to pick up on information that is indirectly given, rather than being directly stated in the passage. Questions of this type will often contain words like “imply”, “suggest”, or “infer” in the question prompt. 

Question: Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about the location of the meteorite impact in Mexico? 

1. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists from 1980 to 1990.
2. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán region.
3. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it had occurred.
4. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact site because of its climate.

TOEFL Reading Tips & Strategies: How to Answer “Inference” Questions

These questions require more than just English skills. They require logical thinking.   Here are 5 tips for answering an inference question:

1. Read the question carefully and understand what you are being asked
2. Make sure you understand the main idea of the whole paragraph.
3. Use the process of elimination. The answer is incorrect if it is beyond the scope of the information in the passage.  In other words, you can't really make this inference based only on the passage. You must use your logical thinking.
4. Pay attention to answers containing extreme language such as always, forever, never, all, totally, completely or extreme phrases such as "this is the only (x)," or "this is the limit of (y)," and so on. They are used as traps and are often INCORRECT.
5. Pay attention to answers only repeating words from the passage but don't answer the question. These answers look appealing because they contain technical words that you saw in the passage. But, if you read them carefully, they aren't correct! 

Conclusion

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