Which sentence shows the correct use of infer vs imply?

Which sentence shows the correct use of infer vs imply?

• A. From his tone, I infer that he was upset.
• B. From his tone, I inferred that he was upset.
• C. From his tone, I imply that he was upset.
• D. From his tone, I inferred that he is upset.

Answer: (B)

Infer means you draw a conclusion from evidence, while imply means someone hints at something, letting others figure it out. In this sentence, the speaker is describing their own conclusion about how the other person felt, based on the tone they heard. That means the action is the speaker inferring, not the speaker implying. The past tense fits because you’re recounting a completed act of concluding: “I inferred that he was upset.” The content “that he was upset” stays in the past to match the inferred conclusion about the tone at that moment. Using the present tense “I infer” would shift the timing, and using “imply” would place the action on the speaker as hinting rather than the listener’s conclusion.

Infer means you draw a conclusion from evidence, while imply means someone hints at something, letting others figure it out. In this sentence, the speaker is describing their own conclusion about how the other person felt, based on the tone they heard. That means the action is the speaker inferring, not the speaker implying. The past tense fits because you’re recounting a completed act of concluding: “I inferred that he was upset.” The content “that he was upset” stays in the past to match the inferred conclusion about the tone at that moment. Using the present tense “I infer” would shift the timing, and using “imply” would place the action on the speaker as hinting rather than the listener’s conclusion.