Inference and Vocabulary

• Distinguish between stated information and reasonable inferences
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple-meaning words
• Eliminate inference answer choices that are too extreme or unsupported
• Return to the passage for evidence before selecting an answer

Inference questions ask what can be reasonably concluded from the passage. The answer is not stated directly but is strongly supported by the text. The correct inference is always conservative; if an answer choice uses extreme language ('always,' 'never,' 'completely'), it is usually wrong. Vocabulary-in-context questions give you a word and ask what it means in a specific sentence, and the ACT nearly always points to the line: 'As it is used in line 27, the word ... most nearly means' (or a phrase, 'the phrase ... most nearly means'). Passages are printed with every fifth line numbered: find the nearest printed number, count to the line, and read the whole sentence it sits in. The ACT loves testing common words with secondary meanings: 'grave' (serious, not just a burial place), 'check' (restrain, not just a bank check), 'sound' (reliable, not just a noise). Always substitute your answer back into the sentence to verify it makes sense. For both types, the habit that matters is going back to the passage: find the line, reread a sentence before and after it, and only then compare the choices. Every locked answer should have a line behind it. A strong word in the passage can seem to back an extreme choice; the surrounding lines usually show a narrower meaning.

• For inference questions, the correct answer is 'one small step' beyond what the text states. Not a giant leap.
• For vocabulary-in-context, cover the original word and read the sentence to predict the meaning before looking at choices.
• If two answer choices are close, return to the passage. The one with more textual support wins.