1. Overview
Some reading questions do not ask what the text says but what it suggests - how a writer or speaker feels, what they mean without stating it, or their opinion of something. This is inference: working out the meaning from the writer's clues. In this paper you show it not by writing an explanation but by choosing the right answer - a multiple-choice letter, or matching a statement to the right person. The move is the same each time: read the clues, work out what they imply, then pick the option that says that meaning in different words.
Key Definitions
- Inference: Working out an idea the writer suggests but does not state directly - "reading between the lines".
- Implied meaning: Something the text points to without saying it outright.
- Attitude / feeling: How a writer or speaker feels about something - for example pleased, worried, annoyed, impressed or doubtful.
- Paraphrase: Saying the same idea in different words. The correct answer usually paraphrases the text; it will not repeat the text's exact words.
- Distractor (trap option): A wrong multiple-choice option that looks right - often one that just repeats a detail from the text, or is true but does not answer the question.
Core Content
How this is tested
You meet implied meaning and attitude in three forms, and each is answered briefly - usually one mark:
- Multiple choice: a question with four options (A-D); you write the letter of the best answer.
- Matching: you read several short accounts by different people (A, B, C...) and match statements to the right person by writing a letter.
- Short answer: a quick Which...? / Give... / Why...? answered in a few words, sometimes needing you to spot an implied feeling.
You almost never write a paragraph explaining "how you can tell". So do not over-write: the answer is a letter or a short phrase, and it is worth one mark.
The key rule: match the meaning, not the words
The correct answer re-states the text's idea in different words. A wrong option often uses the same words as the text but does not fit - the classic "same words, wrong person" trap. Always choose by meaning, never because the words look familiar.
The inference move: Clue, then Meaning, then Match
- Find the clue. A strong verb, an adjective, a small action, or what someone leaves unsaid.
- Work out what it implies. Slammed the door implies anger, not calm.
- Match it to the option that says the same thing in other words - and reject the ones that do not.
Worked example - multiple choice
Source text (invented, like the passages you will read on your paper):
Mr Alvarez glanced at the report card, then set it face-down on the table without a word. He refilled his coffee slowly, and when Nadia asked if she could go to her friend's house, he said only, "We'll see." He did not look up.
How does Mr Alvarez feel about the report card?
- A. proud
- B. bored
- C. disappointed
- D. surprised
Working: he sets the card face-down and says nothing, then answers Nadia only with "We'll see" without looking up - signs of someone unhappy but holding back. A is the opposite; B does not fit the tension; D is not suggested. The best-supported answer is C, disappointed - even though the word never appears in the text.
Answer: C. Notice you did not quote or explain in sentences - you reasoned in your head and wrote a letter.
Worked example - matching
Read these short, invented accounts:
A: "The trip was fine, I suppose. I'd have preferred the beach, but I didn't say so." B: "I couldn't wait to get there, and it was even better than the photos." C: "I went because everyone else was going. I'm still not sure it was worth it."
Which person suggests they enjoyed the trip most?
Working: B couldn't wait and found it better than the photos - clear enthusiasm, in different words from "enjoyed". A is lukewarm ("fine, I suppose"); C is doubtful ("not sure it was worth it").
Answer: B. The word "enjoyed" is not in B's account - you match on the meaning. (On the real paper there are usually four or five people to choose from, not three.)
Locating an opinion
Some matching questions ask which person gives, holds or changes an opinion. An opinion is a personal view others could disagree with - look for signposts such as should, best, I think and definitely - as opposed to a fact you could check. You are not sorting statements into "fact" or "opinion"; you are finding the person whose words show a view.
Command words to expect
- Which...? - points you to a choice, or a person to identify.
- Give... - write a short detail or reason (a few words, not a sentence).
- suggests that / feels / thinks - the item is testing an implied idea; match on meaning.
- explains that / why - find where a reason is given.
How these questions are marked
They are worth one mark each, one answer per mark, and together they make up under a quarter of the Reading and Writing paper's marks - reliable marks that reward careful reading, not long writing. Cambridge sets the exact number and wording for each session, so always answer to the marks and instructions printed on your own paper, and check the current syllabus or ask your teacher if you are unsure.
Exam Focus
- Write a letter or a short phrase, not a paragraph. These are one-mark answers; long explanations waste time you need elsewhere.
- Match on meaning, not on shared words. The right answer paraphrases; the trap repeats the text's words.
- Use the clue, do not copy it. Spot the strong verb, adjective or small action, then choose the option it points to.
- Answer the exact question. If it asks how someone feels, choose a feeling; if it asks which person, identify the person.
Common Mistakes
- ❌ Wrong: Choosing the option that repeats words from the text.
- ✓ Right: Choose the option that gives the same meaning in different words.
- ❌ Wrong: Choosing the strongest feeling (for example "furious") when the text
only shows a mild one.
- ✓ Right: Choose the feeling the clues actually support, not the most dramatic option.
- ❌ Wrong: Picking the option that is true but does not answer the question.
- ✓ Right: Check the option actually answers what was asked.
- ❌ Wrong: Matching a statement to the wrong person because the words look familiar.
- ✓ Right: Match by meaning - beware "same words, wrong person".
- ❌ Wrong: Guessing a feeling the text does not support.
- ✓ Right: Only choose what the clues will justify.
Exam Tips
- Read the whole short text (or all the people's accounts) before you look at the options.
- For matching, work out what each statement means first, then hunt for the person - do not read one person at a time.
- Answer the items you are sure of first, then come back to the ones you are unsure of.
- If two options seem possible, keep the one the text actually supports and drop the one that only sounds right.
- Check you have written a letter or a short phrase for every item - a blank scores nothing.
Practice task
Read the passage, then answer the two questions. (The answers are below.)
Lena arrived at the noticeboard twenty minutes early, then walked to the far end of the corridor, where she could still see it but no one could see her. She checked her phone, though no one had messaged. When the teacher finally pinned up the list, Lena counted to ten before she moved.
1. How does Lena feel as she waits for her results?
- A. relaxed
- B. nervous
- C. bored
- D. confident
2. How early did Lena arrive at the noticeboard? (a few words)
Check yourself: 1 = B (nervous) - she arrives far too early, hides where no one can see her, checks a phone with no messages, and makes herself count to ten before looking. 2: twenty minutes early - a few-word retrieval answer, not a sentence.