To Infer Or Not To Infer, That's The Question!

Dear readers, This is the revised version of the posting that I made on 9 November 2011 on the subject of inference. I believe that here, in this posting, I am giving a better explanation and I hope readers will understand the topic better. As for the former posting I shall have deleted it by the time that this posting is published in this blog. The First 7 Questions of The Reading Paper The first seven questions of the Reading Paper (MUET 800/3) is a section which requires candidates to answer, in MCQs (multiple choice questions, i.e. objective test).  The text could be purely graphical texts or a composite or mixture of graphical and linear texts. The question arises where there are three answer choices:-  A. True, B. False and C. Not stated.  At times we can find the relevant information directly in the passage, therefore we can safely answer either TRUE or FALSE.  At times we are sure that the answer cannot found in the passage, so we choose the answer "Not stated". A Linear Text and a Non-Linear Text What you are reading now, under the topic “To Infer Or Not To Infer Is The Question” is a good example of a linear text.   A linear text is a piece of finished reading material that is made up of “lines” upon “lines” of sentences in an article.  What you are reading now is made up of rows upon rows of sentences from which you can get information.  They are made up of lines, thus we get the word “linear”. A graphical text is a text where we get stinuli such as charts, graphs, pictograms and tables in which certain information (such as the sales of certain things over a period of time) are conveyed.  The information portrayed is something that can be analysed and assumptions can be made. Inference Sometimes you are in a dilemma, choosing between "not stated" and "true/false".  The question arises as to what kind of answer we should give as there is no direct answer in the passage (which can be either purely graphics or a mixture of linear and graphical texts).  At times we can make inferences by referring to the text and come up with either a “true” or a “false” answer. Many students/candidates find this a problem because they find that "to read between the lines" will be difficult due to their own problems (such as not being able to understand certain words or the sentences in the passage). We infer when there is no clear cut answer that can be found in the linear and non-linear texts.  So, we make an intelligent guess for what is not explicitly stated in the texts.  We cannot use our “knowledge of the world” even though that “knowledge” is relevant as an answer.  We cannot use that fact as the answer if it is not found or mentioned anywhere in the text.  It may sound logical but it is still not the answer – that is because, it is not found anywhere in the graphical texts.  That makes it irrelevant information and does not help you arrive at a plausible answer. Choosing "C.  Not stated" option When we choose the "Not stated" option we are sure that the relevant information is absolutely not found in the text given.  We choose this “Not Stated” option after having considered that the applicable information is not given and we can neither ascertain or infer a true or false answer from the text given. An Example This is an example of answering by inference. The scenario in the graphical texts (or a composite of graphics and facts in tables): The residents of Diamond Garden keep on buying the new ice cream product.  They are very satisfied, so they recommend it to their neighbours and are not bothered by the higher price. The following example answer is the one for No. 6: 6. The residents give a positive response to the new ice cream product: A.  True B.  False C.  Not stated The answer is "A. True" after we have done an inference of the statements made. The inference is accepted as True because the inference is made through the statements found in the passage. Here, no background or knowledge of the world is used. I hope that will give you a better grasp of this matter. Happy reading and best of luck for your coming Reading 800/3 this week!

All The Best To MUET Candidates!

Wishing You All The Best! I would like to wish YOU ALL the best in the MUET Mid Year Tests for 2011 that starts tomorrow, 04 April 2011. I hope all of you have got rid of your nervousness, qualms and the butterflies in your stomachs! I hope you will not sleep too late tonight as tomorrow some of you will be taking the MUET Speaking 800/2 test. Please be early as the test starts early. You will have to be at the MUET quarantine room by 07:30 am as you will have your attendance noted. Then you will be assigned to your Speaking groups of fours. Do not forget to have your IC and exam slips that you have obtained from the MPM - either the official exam slip posted to you or downloaded through the net and printed.  Please treat this Test as though it is a very important interview for you. Show your best impression and well rested the night before. Have your breakfast before you enter the Quarantine room. If you are the "cold engine" type try to engage in a conversation with somebody in the room where you can "warm up your engine" - that is you get yourself as a person ready mentally and emotionally for the test in the next room which is the Speaking Test room proper. With a "warmed up engine", I hope you will be more creative and will be able to come up with ideas that you can talk about in the test. In task A make full use of the two minutes speaking time. Fill up the two minutes with your speech. It is not time to keep quite. In task B please get involved in the discussion and try to help your fellow candidates that seems to be hesitant or "lost". There are marks for participation, there are marks for your content and there are marks for the way you convey your spoken words. Of course none for being quite.  All the best to you!