Question

Generalizations, Conclusions, and Inferences (Part 1) Determine if each statement is a reasonable generalization that can be made from the information in the poem. Listed in the Item Bank are key terms and expressions, each of which is associated with one of the columns. Some terms may display additional information when you click on them. Drag and drop each item into the correct column. Order does not matter. The Truth About Diaries Marie Devers My brother bugs me all the time about my Diary. 1 He wants to know what sisters write in total secrecy.2 I tell him that my Diary is boring as a textbook, 3 but only so he doesn’t try to take a sneaky look. 4 The truth is that my Diary’s like a novel from the store 5 where I’m the leading lady whom the characters adore.6 It’s amazing, how this parchment documents each thing I do: 7 my nightmares, observations, and my love for peach shampoo 8 I explain all my misfortunes in a sister’s constitution, 9 where I outline all my problems and devise my own solutions. 10 What’s unexpected are my words on sibling rivalry11 in spite of how I act, my brother means the world to me. 12 That’s one fact that stays under lock and combination; 13 How embarrassed I would be, if he knew my admiration. 14

The sibling rivalry is due to the arrival of a newborn baby in the house.
The speaker is from a large family.
The speaker loves the brother.
The brother gets into trouble often.
The speaker believes others feel the same way as the speaker about their diaries.

Answer 1

Reasonable Generalization or Conclusion

The speaker believes others feel the same way as the speaker about their diaries.

The speaker loves the brother.

*NOT a Reasonable Generalization or Conclusion

The speaker is from a large family.

The brother gets into trouble often.

The sibling rivalry is due to the arrival of a newborn baby in the house.

Answer 2

Inference is a logical conclusion based on the information provided, while generalization takes that conclusion and applies it to other similar situations. Based on those definitions, we can determine if each of the statements is a rasonable generalization or not.

"The sibling rivalry is due to the arrival of a newborn baby in the house" is neither an inference nor a generalization. There is no indication in the text of a new baby.

"The speaker is from a large family" cannot be inferred either, as the narrator only mentions one sibling.

"The speaker loves the brother" is a fair inference based on the text. The narrator mentions that her brother means the world to her, so this statement is a logical conclusion.

"The brother gets into trouble often" is not a reasonable inference nor generalizatino. The only information provided is that he insists on reading his sister's diary.

"The speaker believes others feel the same way as the speaker about their diaries" is the only reasonable generalization. The narrator assumes that by telling her brother her diary is boring, he won't want to read it. That he is only interested in knowing her secrets. Therefore, she thinks others view diaries the same way she does.