The Secret to "Objectively" Drawing Inferences on SAT® Reading

Learn to tell the difference between "interpretation" and "inference" for higher SAT® scores.

Today’s practice corresponds not only to SAT® Inference Questions but to other question types across the SAT Reading & Writing section.

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Today’s SAT Reading & Writing Practice

Read the following passage and consider the two inferences that follow:

Sarah tended her grandmother's rose garden every morning that summer. She would arrive at dawn, when dew still sparkled on the delicate petals, and carefully trim away dead leaves and fading blooms. Sometimes she would pause in her work, close her eyes, and breathe in the sweet fragrance that reminded her of the many childhood afternoons spent watching her grandmother nurture these same flowers.

• Inference 1: The garden reminded Sarah of the inherent beauty and timeless simplicity of traditional family life.

• Inference 2: Sarah's grandmother was not wholly neglectful of horticultural endeavors in the domestic sphere.

Which of these inferences, if either, would be considered correct on the SAT or ACT?

(Answer Explanations Below)

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Answer Explanations