SSAT Upper Level Verbal
A comprehensive guide to mastering the verbal section of the SSAT Upper Level, focusing on vocabulary, analogies, and reading comprehension skills.
Advanced Topics
Critical Reading and Inference
Reading Between the Lines
The SSAT verbal section rewards students who can read carefully and make logical guesses (inferences) about what the author means but doesn't say directly.
Skills for Critical Reading
- Identifying Main Ideas: Find what the author is really saying.
- Recognizing Author’s Tone: Is the passage happy, sad, angry, or neutral?
- Making Inferences: Use clues to figure out information that isn’t stated.
Inference in Real Life
Inferences help you understand stories, news, and even people’s moods.
Examples
When a character shivers and pulls on a jacket, you can infer it’s cold.
If the author uses words like 'dismal' and 'gloomy,' you can infer a sad mood.
In a Nutshell
Critical reading means understanding what’s stated and what’s implied.