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How Do You Write an Inference Answer?Bonus Chapter · Video 3 of 8

How Do You Write an Inference Answer?

How Do You Write an Inference Answer?

A five-mark question usually wants two inferences, in two paragraphs. Each paragraph has three parts: the inference, the (a quote from the source) and an of how the quote shows the inference. On the PEEL cards below, these are the Point, Evidence and Elaboration, with a Link back to the question. The worked example asks how news of 's sinking was reported, and the mark levels show why all three parts are needed for .

Two Rules

A marked test paper with red ticks and comments on a desk
A marked test. Illustration drawn for Our Study Tribe.
  • Rule 1: a 5-mark question usually wants two inferences, one paragraph each. Not squashed together.
  • Rule 2: every paragraph has three parts: inference, evidence (a quote), explanation.

Sentence Starters

  1. Inference: "Source A tells me that…"
  2. Evidence: "This can be seen in Source A, which states…"
  3. Explanation: "This suggests that…"

Worked Example: News of Force Z

A painting of Japanese planes attacking British warships at sea
A Japanese painting of the attack on Force Z, 1942. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • The source: based on an account by Thio Chan Bee, a teacher in Singapore at the time.
  • The question: what does the source tell you about how news of the war was reported?
  • Two inferences: the news played down bad news, and it gave people only hopeful messages. Each gets its own paragraph, below.

How Do You Write an Inference Answer?

Model Paragraph 1: Playing Down Bad News
  1. PointSource A tells me that the news played down bad news from the war.
  2. EvidenceThis can be seen in Source A, which states that the loss of Force Z "was made to seem much less serious than it was".
  3. ElaborationThis suggests that people in Singapore were not told how bad the loss really was. In fact, the sinking was a serious blow to British naval power, so the reports hid a real danger.
  4. LinkHence, Source A shows that the news played down the seriousness of British losses.
Model Paragraph 2: Only Hopeful Messages
  1. PointSource A also tells me that the news gave people only hopeful messages.
  2. EvidenceThis can be seen in Source A, which states "that good times would soon return", and that extra troops were coming, "or so we were told".
  3. ElaborationThis suggests that the reports aimed to keep people calm and confident. The words "or so we were told" hint that the writer later doubted what he heard, because the promised help did not save Singapore.
  4. LinkThus, Source A shows that the news reassured people rather than telling them the truth.

How It's Marked

  • Level 1 (1 mark): you just describe the source. "Source A says two British battleships were sunk."
  • Level 2 (2–3 marks): an inference, but no evidence. "The news hid how bad things were."
  • Level 3 (4–5 marks): inference, evidence and explanation.
  • At each level, one inference gets the lower mark; two get the higher one.

Three Quick Tips

  • Name the source: "Source A tells me", not "It tells me".
  • Own words: write the inference in your own words, not the source copied out.
  • Be specific: "The news played down the loss", not just "the news was wrong".

In One Sentence

  • For top marks, write two paragraphs, each with an inference, a quote as evidence and an explanation of how the quote shows the inference.

Think About It

  1. Why is "Source A says two battleships were sunk" only worth 1 mark, even though it is true?
  2. Pick one quote from the Force Z example. How would you explain what it shows, in your own words?
  3. Why do you think examiners want two separate paragraphs instead of one long one?