WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Grammar Minute: "Imply vs. Infer"

Episode Date: October 8, 2024

Who ate the last cookie--and what am I implying? Find out on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language 60 seconds out of time. I'm Lauren Smith, and if you're listening to this podcast, you probably already know what I'm about to tell you. Imply and infer do not mean the same thing. Let's say we're having a conversation about who ate the last cookie. I'm not going to come right out and say you did it, but I might strongly imply that you did. From my passive aggressive statements, you would infer that I think you did it. Later, when we discover crumbs on the floor leading to the dog bed, we can both infer from the evidence that neither of us took that last cookie. When I make a statement, I imply. When you receive the statement, you infer.

These terms are not interchangeable and don't mean the same thing, although they are naturally very closely related. That's your Grammar Minute. Visit Thegrammarminit.com for more tips and tricks.