Read the sentence from "A School Story."

Question

Well, the top paper on the desk was written in red ink—which no one used—and it wasn't in anyone's hand who was in the class.

Based on the sentence, a reader can infer that unknown or supernatural forces are at work.

How well does the sentence support the inference?

A School Story

Responses

It supports the inference well because it shows something has happened that can't be reasonably explained.
It supports the inference well because it shows something has happened that can't be reasonably explained.

It does not support the inference well because it doesn't fully describe what was written in red ink.
It does not support the inference well because it doesn't fully describe what was written in red ink.

It supports the inference well because it shows that everyone in class had contributed a marked paper.
It supports the inference well because it shows that everyone in class had contributed a marked paper.

It does not support the inference well because it could also suggest the narrator is playing a trick on the class.

Answer 1

The most accurate response to the question is:

It supports the inference well because it shows something has happened that can't be reasonably explained.

The sentence suggests that the top paper was written in red ink, which is unusual since no one in the class used red ink, and it wasn't in anyone's handwriting. This creates an element of mystery and indicates the presence of unknown forces, whether supernatural or otherwise, at work. The lack of a reasonable explanation lends support to the idea of something unusual occurring.