Infer and Imply

Tell the difference between what a writer implies and what a reader infers.

'Infer' and 'imply' are a pair that even adults confuse. A writer or speaker implies: they suggest something without stating it directly. A reader or listener infers: they figure out what was suggested, using clues plus their own knowledge. The meaning travels from implier to inferrer. Here is an example: 'Maya glanced at the clock for the fifth time and tapped her pencil. ' The writer implies that Maya is impatient or nervous. The reader infers it from the repeated glancing and tapping.

The noun forms follow the same pattern: an implication is the hidden suggestion; an inference is the conclusion you draw. In a test question, 'What can the reader infer? ' is asking you to do the figuring. 'What does the author imply? ' asks the same thing from the writer's side. Either way, you must point to the clues that led you there.

• 1Writers and speakers imply; readers and listeners infer.
• 2An inference combines text clues with what you already know.
• 3Implication and inference are the noun forms.