An inference answer has three parts: the claim, the quoted clue, and the link that explains why the clue proves the claim. Leaving out the quote or the link is the usual reason for lost marks.
This lesson belongs to modern-text comprehension. For choosing between several candidate quotes, see selecting evidence that supports an inference.
What does a full answer look like?
Use the frame: “从‘……’可以看出……，因为……”.
- Claim: what the character feels or is like.
- Quote: the shortest phrase that carries the clue.
- Link: a short reason, in your own words.
Worked example
“下课铃响了，大家都冲出课室。只有小俊还坐在座位上，盯着那张写着‘58’的试卷，把笔盖咬得变了形。”
Question: 小俊当时的心情怎样？请从文章中找出依据。
Two details carry the clue: “盯着那张写着‘58’的试卷” and “把笔盖咬得变了形”. The first shows his attention stuck on a low mark, and the second shows a nervous habit. Together they point to worry or disappointment.
Model answer: “小俊很沮丧又不安。从‘盯着写着58的试卷’可以看出他很在意成绩，而‘把笔盖咬得变了形’表现出他心里紧张。”
The mistake that costs marks
The slip has two forms.
| Version | What is missing |
|---|---|
| “小俊很难过。” | No quote, so it is an assertion. |
| “他盯着试卷，把笔盖咬得变了形。” | Quote without a claim or link. |
| “小俊被爸爸骂了，所以很难过。” | Adds an event the passage never mentions. |
| “从‘把笔盖咬得变了形’可以看出他紧张，因为这是不安时的动作。” | Claim, quote and link. |
Check each extra detail in your answer: if you cannot put your finger on it in the passage, remove it.
Check yourself
“雨停了，阿婆却仍然撑着伞站在站牌下，不时伸长脖子望向路口。”
What is阿婆 likely doing, and what evidence shows it?
Answer
She is waiting for someone, and she is anxious or eager for them to arrive. The evidence is “不时伸长脖子望向路口”, which shows she keeps watching the road. The detail “雨停了，却仍然撑着伞” shows she is absorbed in waiting and has not noticed the weather change.
A model answer: “阿婆在焦急地等人。从‘不时伸长脖子望向路口’可以看出她在盼望某人出现，因为她一直在看路口。”
The passage does not say whom she waits for, so do not name a person.
What to study next
Word meanings often carry the clue, so continue with explaining a word or phrase in context. Rewrite any thin answer with the claim evidence and explanation revision desk.
To build this frame with a teacher, see online one-to-one Chinese tuition.