Commonly Confused Words: Imply/Infer

The recipient of information draws inferences; objects like studies or reports imply something: YOU infer, THEY imply. For I and II, the attorney’s lack of surprise and the discrepancy can only imply, so I is incorrect but II is correct. For III, the court is drawing an inference FROM the statute’s language, so infer is correct. Thus, (b) is correct.

The recipient of information draws inferences; objects like studies or reports imply something: YOU infer, THEY imply. For I and III, both the judge’s remarks and plaintiff’s reluctance to answer can only imply, so I is correct and III is incorrect. For II, the jury infers the obscuring of the truth FROM the contradicting testimonies, so II is correct. Thus, (a) is correct.

The recipient of information draws inferences; objects like studies or reports imply something: YOU infer, THEY imply. Although the listeners might infer something from the remarks, the speaker’s remarks themselves would imply something. Thus, (b) is correct.

The recipient of information draws inferences; objects like studies or reports imply something: YOU infer, THEY imply. The media outlets would have implied, not inferred, that something untoward happened. Thus, (b) is correct.