United States
Hong KongExplicit meaning against implied meaning
The rule separates them into two skills. Explicit meaning is stated in the text and the answer will be a paraphrase of a line. Implied meaning is not stated and the answer has to follow from lines you can point at. Reading the stem tells you which standard applies.
Same passage, two questions, two different standards of proof. Confusing them is the most avoidable way to lose marks on this subtest.
The stem tells you which one
| Stem language | What is being asked | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| According to the passage | Explicit | A line says it |
| The passage states that | Explicit | A line says it |
| The author suggests | Implied | Lines make it likely |
| It can be inferred that | Implied | Lines make it likely |
| The passage implies | Implied | Lines make it likely |
| Most likely | Implied | Lines make it likely |
On an explicit item, an answer you cannot underline is wrong however sensible it sounds. On an implied item, an answer you can underline is often wrong for the opposite reason: if the passage said it outright, the question would not have used the word suggests.
Explicit items and the paraphrase trap
A correct explicit answer almost never repeats the text word for word. It paraphrases. So an option built from the passage's exact vocabulary is not automatically right, and a well-built distractor uses the passage's words to say something the passage did not.
Watch the quantifiers. If the passage says "many districts" and an option says "most districts", that option has changed the claim while keeping the wording. All, never, only and always are worth a second look every time they appear.
Implied items and the distance problem
An inference has to be close to the text. The test is not whether an option could be true, it is whether the passage makes it likely.
- Too close: the option restates a line. That is explicit, not implied.
- Right distance: one step beyond what is stated, and you can name the lines that get you there.
- Too far: the option needs facts from outside the passage, or a second inference on top of the first.
Two-step inferences are almost always wrong on a test like this. If you find yourself saying "and therefore" twice, you have gone past the answer.
A passage says: The library extended its hours in January. By April, weekday afternoon visits had risen by a fifth, though weekend visits were unchanged. Which can be inferred?
- The library extended its weekday hours rather than its weekend hours.
- Weekday afternoon visits rose by a fifth.
- The library will extend its hours again next year.
- Weekend visitors prefer other libraries.
A rule that holds on both types
Extreme language in an option is usually wrong. Passages hedge; distractors do not. An option containing always, never, all or cannot is making a claim that a short passage rarely licenses, and it is worth suspicion even before you check it.
The exception is when the passage itself is emphatic. If the text says "no district in the sample met the target", an option saying "none met the target" is accurate. Suspicion is not a rule, and treating it as one will cost you the occasional question.
Why the rule separates these
Skills 2, 3 and 4 of Competency 1 are explicit meaning, inference, and discriminating among inferences, conclusions and assumptions. Three skills for what most study guides call one thing. Reading the competency statement rather than a summary of it is the single cheapest preparation advantage available on this test, because the state's own wording is public and specific.
Common questions
How do I know if a question wants explicit or implied meaning?
Read the stem. "According to the passage" and "the passage states" want something a line says. "Suggests", "implies", "it can be inferred" and "most likely" want something the lines make likely without stating it.
Can the answer to an explicit question use different words?
Almost always, yes. A correct explicit answer paraphrases the text rather than quoting it. That is why an option built from the passage’s exact vocabulary is not automatically right, and why quantifiers such as many against most are worth checking.
How far can an inference go?
One step beyond what is stated, with lines you can point at. If you need two "and therefore" moves, or a fact from outside the passage, you have gone past the answer. Predictions about the future are almost always too far.
Are options with the word always wrong?
Usually, but not as a rule. Passages hedge and distractors do not, so absolute language deserves suspicion. Where the passage itself is emphatic, an absolute option can be accurate, and treating suspicion as a rule will cost you those items.