Which sentence is an inference rather than an observation?

Which sentence is an inference rather than an observation?

• A. The thermometer shows 22 degrees Celsius.
• B. The plant is growing because it wants to reach sunlight.
• C. The plant has wilted leaves.
• D. The sound indicates the animal is present.

Answer: (B)

Observations are things you can detect directly with your senses or with instruments: what you can measure, see, or hear. Inferences are your conclusions about why something happened or what it means, going beyond what is directly observed. The sentence about the plant growing because it wants to reach sunlight is an inference because it assigns a motive to the plant. Plants don’t have conscious desires you can observe; growth can be explained by responses to light (phototropism) rather than an intentional “want.” So this statement goes beyond what’s directly observable and explains the cause in a way that isn’t experimentally verifiable from the observation alone. The other statements describe things you can directly observe: the thermometer showing a specific temperature, the plant having wilted leaves, and a sound being heard. The idea that a sound “indicates” an animal presents a conclusion drawn from a cue, but the clearest example of inferring motive here is the plant sentence, which is why it’s the best choice.

Observations are things you can detect directly with your senses or with instruments: what you can measure, see, or hear. Inferences are your conclusions about why something happened or what it means, going beyond what is directly observed.

The sentence about the plant growing because it wants to reach sunlight is an inference because it assigns a motive to the plant. Plants don’t have conscious desires you can observe; growth can be explained by responses to light (phototropism) rather than an intentional “want.” So this statement goes beyond what’s directly observable and explains the cause in a way that isn’t experimentally verifiable from the observation alone.

The other statements describe things you can directly observe: the thermometer showing a specific temperature, the plant having wilted leaves, and a sound being heard. The idea that a sound “indicates” an animal presents a conclusion drawn from a cue, but the clearest example of inferring motive here is the plant sentence, which is why it’s the best choice.