Lesson T1.3.2

T1.3.2 Making inferences and using evidence Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson T1.3.2, Making inferences and using evidence: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Reading, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What is an inference when reading?

    • A summary of the plot written by the publisher and printed on the back cover
    • A list of the page numbers where each character first appears in the book
    • A conclusion reached using clues in the text and what the reader already knows
    • A direct statement by the author that spells out exactly what a character feels

  2. Why must a reader use evidence when making an inference?

    • To show that the inference is reasonable and based on what the text actually says
    • To avoid the need to read the text carefully on a second occasion afterwards
    • To prove that the author intended every detail in the text to have a hidden meaning
    • To make the answer longer so that the marker will award more marks for length

  3. What is the purpose of a quotation when answering a question about a text?

    • To show that the writer has learned the whole text by heart for the examination
    • To copy out the whole chapter so the marker can see the full context of the answer
    • To replace the reader's own opinion with a famous quotation from the author's life
    • To support a point with exact words from the text that the reader can point to

  4. Which is the best definition of 'evidence' in a text?

    • Proof from outside the text, such as a newspaper article written after the book was published
    • The author's private notes that were printed at the back of the first edition of the book
    • Only the words spoken aloud by the main character in the opening chapter of the book
    • Words, phrases or details from the text that support a point the reader makes

  5. 'Mira checked the clock twice, bit her nails, and dropped her pen.' What can be inferred about Mira?

    • She is nervous or anxious about something that is about to happen
    • She is bored and has nothing to do until the end of the lesson
    • She is calm and relaxed, looking forward to a holiday that begins next week
    • She is cold and has been waiting outside in the rain for several hours already

  6. 'The room fell silent as the headteacher stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly.' What can you infer about the headteacher?

    • She is about to sing a happy song that the room has been waiting to hear
    • She is planning to leave the room and go home early for the rest of the day
    • She is about to say something serious or important to the room
    • She has just finished lunch and is ready to start the afternoon lessons with a smile

  7. Which piece of evidence would best support the inference that a character is lonely?

    • A quotation in which the character says they have no one to talk to at lunchtime
    • A description of the weather on the day that the character first arrived at the school
    • A list of the subjects that the character chooses to study in the autumn term
    • A note that the character's favourite colour is blue and that they enjoy painting

  8. Which statement is an inference rather than a fact stated in the text?

    • The old man's hands shake as he tries to hold the cup, so he is probably unwell
    • The old man has a grey cat that sleeps on the window ledge every afternoon
    • The old man is seventy-two years old, as stated in the first chapter of the novel
    • The old man lives in a house at the end of Church Street in the village

  9. A reader infers that a character is lying. Which evidence best supports this?

    • The character lives in a town that is famous for its large cathedral and museum
    • The character has brown hair and wears a blue coat on the first page of the story
    • The character is named after a famous explorer from the nineteenth century
    • The character's account changes between two scenes, and their tone becomes evasive

  10. A text says 'The hills were grey and the sky sagged with clouds.' What mood is suggested?

    • Gloomy and depressed, with a sense of heaviness hanging over the scene
    • Peaceful and playful, with a sense of happy children playing in the fields
    • Joyful and bright, with a sense of celebration spreading across the land
    • Exciting and busy, with a sense of rushing activity in the scene around them

  11. Why should a reader avoid making inferences that go beyond the evidence?

    • Because readers should use only the first sentence of each chapter as evidence
    • Because inferences are banned in examinations, so they will be cut from the answer
    • Because the author must explain every inference in a foreword before the reader can use it
    • Because an unsupported guess may be wrong and will not be credited in analysis

  12. A student writes 'The character is brave because she runs into the burning building.' What would improve this answer?

    • Removing the inference so that the answer becomes a list of the character's birthdays
    • Replacing the point with a summary of the entire book from the first chapter
    • Adding a sentence that describes the colour of the building's bricks in the town
    • Adding a short quotation that shows the character's action and her feelings at the time

  13. 'He kept his head bowed and avoided every question about the money.' Which inference is best supported?

    • He has just won a competition and is shy about the size of the prize money
    • He is trying to count the coins on the table in front of him very carefully
    • He is excited to share a big surprise about the money with his family
    • He is probably hiding something about the money from the others

  14. Which feature shows that an inference is valid?

    • It is the same as the first thing the reader thought of, with no change at all
    • It matches the reader's own life experience exactly, with no need for the text
    • It follows logically from clues in the text and can be defended with evidence
    • It is agreed on by most readers in a classroom discussion, which proves it is correct

  15. A text uses a symbol, such as a recurring image of a storm. What does a reader need to do to interpret it?

    • Assume the symbol means exactly the same thing in every book ever written
    • Consider the image in context and link it to ideas or themes that run through the text
    • Ignore the symbol, because only images on the cover of a book have any meaning
    • Look for the symbol's name in a special index at the back of the book

  16. What is a 'character trait'?

    • The number of times a character is mentioned across all the chapters of the book
    • The colour of a character's eyes or hair as described by the narrator in the text
    • A quality or characteristic of a person, such as being generous or impatient
    • The name of the character's school, which is listed on the first page of the book

  17. 'Jake turned the page of the letter three times and then folded it into a tiny square.' What can be inferred?

    • The letter was printed in a very large font, so Jake needed three turns to read it
    • Jake is an expert paper-folder who enjoys making origami animals in his spare time
    • The letter is a joke that Jake is about to show to his best friend at school
    • The letter has upset or worried Jake, and he is trying to cope with what it says

  18. Which evidence best supports an inference that a setting is dangerous?

    • Descriptions of a sunny beach with children building sandcastles and ice cream sellers
    • A description of a colourful garden with roses, bees and a picnic table on the lawn
    • Descriptions of crumbling bridges, loud warnings and locked gates around the area
    • A list of the opening times of a library in the town centre on Saturday mornings

  19. Why might two readers draw different valid inferences from the same passage?

    • One of the readers must have misread the passage, so only the other reader's view is correct
    • Readers bring different experiences and attention to detail, so they may weigh the evidence differently
    • The passage must contain two different meanings, one for each reader, placed there by the author
    • The text is printed in two different languages, so readers see two different sets of words

  20. A reader's inference is challenged. What is the best response?

    • Repeat the inference more loudly, because the teacher will accept any answer given confidently
    • Change the inference to match the view of the majority of the class, without giving reasons
    • Point back to the specific words in the text that support the inference and explain the link
    • Say that the author never intended any meaning, so the question has no answer at all

All KS3 English quizzes