Question
A reading passage on lake monitoring says, "The surface water measured 14 degrees Celsius on March 3, and the cold snap that followed likely slowed the algae bloom." A question asks which statement is directly stated rather than inferred. How do you decide which part is which?
Tap card to flipAnswer
The measurement (14 degrees on March 3) is stated outright, so a question about what the passage says can be answered by pointing to those words. The slowed algae bloom is an inference signaled by the hedge "likely," so it is the author's reasoned guess, not a reported fact. On ACCUPLACER, check whether an answer choice could be underlined in the text word for word. If a choice needs the reader to connect two ideas or soften a claim, it is an inference, and a stated-detail question will not accept it.
Tap card to flip back