Implicit and Explicit meanings

Look at the following situations.

Q. Sam and his cousin walked to the store. Sam bought a bag of chips while his cousin bought a bottle
of water. If I asked the question, "What did Sam buy?" Would that question be implicit or explicit?

Q. Tyler overslept and missed his bus. He looked at his alarm clock and it read 8:45 A.M. He was more
than 30 minutes late for school. He casually walked to the kitchen and poured himself some cereal.
What can be inferred about Tyler?

He is nervous about being tardy.

He is in a huge rush to make it to school.
He could care less that he's late.
He is hungry.

Q. When something is implied (not clearly stated) in a piece of writing, it is often referred to as what
sort of information?

Implicit Explicit

Q. Amanda needed to finish her science project by the 5th of March. She had everything she needed
except her typed report. She knew that her typed report was worth 50% of her grade. She was going
to fail. What explicit information can you pull from this story?

Amanda is lazy.
Amanda ran out of time.
Amanda already has a high enough grade in science.
Amanda didn't do the typed report.

Q. Since it was getting late, the band decided to go home and get some rest. The lead singer decided
he wanted to stay a little longer and practice some of the new songs. What can be a piece of implicit
information in this story?

The band needed rest.

The lead singer has great dedication.
It was getting late.
The band has some new songs.

Q. Every winter, North Dakota gets an average of twelve feet of snow. Road and school closures are
sure to follow. Many people state that the snow causes many dollars of damage to their property.
What is a piece of explicit information taken from the paragraph?

Snow is devastating.
The people of North Dakota should move.
South Dakota is a lot nicer state to live in.
Schools and roads will be closed in winter time.
Q. Why would an author put implicit information into one of their stories?

To make the reader think deeper about the story.

To upset the reader with a lack of information.
Because the author couldn't squeeze it into the story properly.
To show their writing superiority over the rest of us.

Q. Jada looked at her alarm clock. It was 8:45 A.M. She quickly got dressed and grabbed a granola bar
from the cupboard. She jumped on her bike and away she went. She was late for school but she
wasn't going to be super late! What implicit information can you get out of this story?

Jada is a messy eater.

Jada could care less about school.
Jade has a bike.
Jade cares about school.

Q. Tim looked out the window. The house looked so lonely. Tim's father put the last suitcase in the
trunk and started up the car. Thor, his dog, put his head on Tim's lap, like he understood how Tim was
feeling. "It's okay Thor," he said, "Dad says we will like California." What is happening?

Tim is sad because his dog doesn't have a house to live in.
Tim is taking a trip to visit people he doesn't know.
Tim is taking Thor to live with his grandmother.
Tim is moving to California with his family.

Q. "My family went to the circus. We saw the funny clowns, watched the lion act, and ate a lot of
treats and popcorn. "

What is this story about?

eating treats and popcorn
clowns
going to the circus
lions

Q. Read the following passage and answer the question.

Maggie was getting ready to walk to school. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack. As she
was leaving, her mother said, “I love you. Be careful.”

Which of the following is explicitly stated in the paragraph?

Maggie lives close to the school.

Maggie put on her coat and grabbed her backpack.
Maggie is in Kindergarten or 1st grade.
Maggie is never late to school.
Q. Identify the implicit information in the article below.

Maggie was getting ready to walk to school. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack. As she
was leaving, her mother said, “I love you. Be careful.”

Maggie was late to school.

Maggie was in Kindergarten or 1st grade.
Maggie lives close to the school.
Maggie is excited about going to school.

Q. Read the passage below. Identify the explicit information.

Hudson hurried out of the house so he wasn't late for work. He wore overalls and carried a toolbox
with wrenches in it. He hopped in his truck and drove off. The sign on his truck said, “Pipe Masters.”

Hudson hurried out of the house so he wasn't late for work.

Hudson is an auto mechanic.
Hudson enjoys his job.
Hudson works as a plumber.

Q. Identify the implicit information in the following paragraph.

Hudson hurried out of the house so he wasn't late for work. He wore overalls and carried a toolbox
with wrenches in it. He hopped in his truck and drove off. The sign on his truck said, “Pipe Masters.”

Hudson is an auto mechanic.

Hudson is a truck salesman.
Hudson enjoys his job.
Hudson is a plumber.

Q. Amber wants to buy a new smart phone but she doesn't have the money. Which question from the
list below would be considered explicit?

Why does she need a new phone?

Why can't Amber buy the smart phone?
How is Amber going to raise the money?
Where does she plan to buy the phone?

Q. Wendy was walking home from school when she found a sick bird lying on the ground under a tree.
She stopped and gave the bird a look. She looked up and noticed a nest in the branch above her. She
looked forward and continued walking home. What implicit information can you obtain from this
story?

Wendy loves animals.

Wendy is running late for an appointment.
Wendy is a selfish person.
Wendy needs to get home before dark.

Q. Mr. Cantu walked into the classroom and slammed the door behind him. He threw his clipboard to
the ground and knocked a pile of papers to the ground. What color is Mr. Cantu's shirt? Is this an
example of an implicit question?

Yes No

Q. If Ms. Smith wanted to get into a good nursing school then she needs to study hard and talk to
people who are already nurses so that she can know what to expect from nursing school.

What information below is explicit?

Why she chose to go into nursing.
Who she will talk to about nursing school.
Where the nursing school is.
What kind of school does Ms. Smith want to attend.