Inferences: the answer you knew before you read the passage
A choice you know to be true about the world will feel supported even when the passage never said it.
Why it happens
Truth and support feel like the same signal. When a choice matches something you already believe, the belief supplies the confidence the text was supposed to supply, and you stop looking for the sentence that backs it.
See the trap
The passage states only this: the city doubled its bus routes in 2015, and ridership on those routes rose by 40% over the following two years.
"Car ownership in the city subsequently fell." — plausible, widely true, and never stated.
"More people used the expanded routes after they opened." — narrower than you want it to be, and forced by the two facts given.
How to actually fix it
- 1For each choice, point to the specific words that force it.
- 2If your justification starts with "well, generally...", eliminate the choice.
- 3Prefer the choice that says less — inference answers on the SAT are cautious, not bold.
Practice this trap · 15 real questions
Each of these is a question from the free bank that turns on the mistake above — the trap is the reason its wrong answer looks right. Easiest first.
Showing 8 of 15. Keep going in Information and Ideas →
FAQ
Why is the most cautious answer usually right?
Because a logically necessary conclusion cannot go beyond its premises. Strong words like "only", "never", or "proves" require evidence a short passage rarely supplies.
How do I stop repeating this mistake?
Reading the explanation isn't enough — your brain needs to beat the trap on a fresh question. Practice the skill in the kaoshen.co question bank: miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back to you three days later and again after fourteen.
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