Question 16·Easy·Inferences
In 2019, the Clara County Library System eliminated late fees for overdue items. Library officials explained that although the fees generated approximately $200,000 per year, they discouraged some patrons from borrowing materials. Six months after the policy change, the number of active library cardholders rose by 12%.
Which inference about the library’s late-fee policy is best supported by this information?
For SAT inference questions, treat them as “Which statement is most strongly supported by what’s actually said?” First, underline or note the key facts and any before/after changes. Then, quickly test each answer: eliminate choices that introduce new topics (like volunteers here), change quantities (turning “some” into “most”), or rely on information that isn’t stated (like costs). The correct answer will usually restate or logically combine details from the passage without adding extra assumptions.
Hints
Locate the cause and effect
Look for what changed in the library’s policy and what happened afterward. How might these two things be related?
Focus on the phrase about discouraging patrons
Reread the part that says the late fees “discouraged some patrons from borrowing materials.” What does that suggest about how late fees affected people’s behavior?
Use the 12% increase in active cardholders
Think about why the number of active library cardholders might rise by 12% after late fees were removed. What reasonable conclusion can you draw about people’s willingness to use the library?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what an inference question wants
An inference is something that is not stated word-for-word in the passage but is strongly supported by the information given. The correct answer must be something we can reasonably conclude from the passage, without adding new, unsupported facts.
Identify the key facts in the passage
Pull out the important details:
- In 2019, the library eliminated late fees for overdue items.
- Library officials said the fees brought in about $200,000 per year.
- However, the fees “discouraged some patrons from borrowing materials.” ("Patrons" means library users.)
- Six months after the change, the number of active library cardholders (people actually using their cards) rose by 12%.
So we know there was a policy change (no more fees), and afterward, more people were actively using library cards.
Decide what kind of idea is supported
Combine the key facts logically:
- Before, the fees discouraged some people from borrowing.
- After the fees were removed, more people were actively using their library cards.
A supported inference will connect the removal of fees with the change in people’s behavior (their willingness to use the library), without inventing extra details like costs, volunteers, or exact percentages of users affected.
Test each answer choice against the passage
Now check each option:
- A) Collecting late fees cost the library more money than it earned. The passage only says the fees generated about $200,000 per year. It never mentions the cost of collecting them, so we cannot compare cost and earnings. Not supported.
- C) Most cardholders had never incurred an overdue fee before the policy change. The passage only says the fees discouraged some patrons. It does not say what most cardholders did. This choice goes beyond the text.
- D) Library officials expected the number of volunteers to decrease once fees were removed. The passage does not mention volunteers at all, or officials’ expectations about them. Completely unsupported.
- B) Eliminating late fees made some residents more willing to use library services. This matches the idea that the fees had discouraged some patrons and that active cardholders increased after fees were removed. It directly connects the policy change to greater willingness to use the library, which is exactly what the evidence supports.
Therefore, the best-supported inference is B) Eliminating late fees made some residents more willing to use library services.