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Finding information and inference

Paper 1 begins with a 19th-century fiction extract. The first questions test whether you can find what is stated and work out what is suggested.

Explicit and implicit

Explicit information is stated directly in the text.
Implicit information is suggested. You infer it from clues.
"He slammed the door" is explicit. That he is angry is implicit.

Read the practice extract

This extract was written for GCSE-ready in a 19th-century style.

How to answer

Keep it short and precise. Use evidence from the lines given.
For inference, say what the clue suggests: "Counting the coins twice suggests she is worried about money."
Worked example

What can you infer about Mrs Harker's son?

  1. Find the clue: the "empty peg where her son's coat had once hung".
  2. "Once hung" tells us it is no longer there.
  3. So the son has probably left home or died.

Answer: He no longer lives with her.

Key idea

Explicit means stated; implicit means suggested. Find the exact words, then say what they suggest about character, setting or mood.

The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.

Check you have got it

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