Which statement best describes explicit meaning in a text?

• A. Explicit meaning is stated directly
• B. Implicit meaning is hidden in tone
• C. Implicit meaning is always unclear
• D. Explicit meaning is always biased

Answer: (A)

Explicit meaning is the information that is stated directly in the text—the facts, details, and statements the author writes plainly for the reader to see. This is what you can point to in the exact words without making inferences. For instance, if a passage says, "The project was completed on Friday," that is explicit because the author has stated the completion day outright. Understanding explicit meaning helps you identify the concrete parts of the text that are clearly presented, which is what the prompt is asking you to describe. Implicit meaning, by contrast, is not directly said; it relies on clues such as tone, context, or reader inference. It can exist without being clearly stated, and it’s not the focus when the prompt asks for explicit meaning. Statements that claim explicit meaning is always biased aren’t correct—bias is about the perspective of the narrator or author, not about whether the meaning is stated directly.