Inferential Questions — Revision Notes

⚡ 30-Second Revision

Revision checked 17 October 2026.

Premises first; conclusion second.
Never reverse an implication automatically.
Preserve population and denominator.
Sequence alone does not establish cause.
A counterexample must leave the premises true.

2-Minute Revision

An inference is warranted by the supplied evidence. Accepted → verified plus accepted K establishes verified K. Verified K alone does not establish acceptance. A sample does not automatically represent a whole population, and a higher total does not imply a higher per-person rate. To test necessity, construct a situation consistent with the passage in which the option fails. For author-position questions, retain both praise and criticism where both occur.

5-Minute Revision

Original drill: A report states that three inspected reservoirs had lower storage than last year and recommends checking the remaining reservoirs before drawing a regional conclusion. Supported inference: the authors regard the inspected evidence as insufficient for the regional conclusion.

Unsupported options include “all reservoirs declined”, “rainfall certainly fell” and “the report opposes water conservation”. The first expands the population, the second invents a cause and the third invents a position.

Write one sentence showing how each could be false while the report remains true. Repeat with a total-versus-rate example to practise denominator discipline.

Vyyuha Quick Recall

SCOPE: Scope, Conditions, Opinion-holder, Premises, Evidence strength. Use these five checks before endorsing an inference.