Which sentence uses the term 'infer' correctly?

Which sentence uses the term 'infer' correctly?

• A. From the muddy footprints, we can describe that the person left the room.
• B. From the muddy footprints, we can infer that the person left the room.
• C. From the muddy footprints, we can predict that the person left the room.
• D. From the muddy footprints, we can analyze that the person left the room.

Answer: (B)

Inference is drawing a conclusion from evidence. The muddy footprints provide clues about what happened, so concluding that the person left the room is a logical deduction based on those clues. That’s what makes using infer correct here. Describing would just restate observable details (the footprints exist); predicting would guess about what might happen next rather than what already happened; analyzing would break down the footprints to examine details, not necessarily declare the exact action taken. So the sentence using infer appropriately expresses a conclusion drawn from evidence.

Inference is drawing a conclusion from evidence. The muddy footprints provide clues about what happened, so concluding that the person left the room is a logical deduction based on those clues. That’s what makes using infer correct here. Describing would just restate observable details (the footprints exist); predicting would guess about what might happen next rather than what already happened; analyzing would break down the footprints to examine details, not necessarily declare the exact action taken. So the sentence using infer appropriately expresses a conclusion drawn from evidence.