Which sentence uses the word 'infer' correctly?

• A. From the data, we can infer that sales increased.
• B. From the data, we can predict that sales increased.
• C. From the data, we can describe that sales increased.
• D. From the data, we can analyze that sales increased.

Answer: (A)

Understanding how to use infer means drawing a conclusion from evidence. Saying “From the data, we can infer that sales increased” communicates that the data provide enough information to reach the conclusion that sales rose. Inference is about reasoning from what the data show to what they imply, not merely predicting what will happen or simply describing what occurred or how you examined it. Predicting would be about future results, describing would recount what happened, and analyzing would be about examining parts or relationships without asserting a derived conclusion. So this sentence best uses inference to state a conclusion drawn from the data.