Which concept means interpreting between the lines when reading?

• A. Subtext
• B. Text
• C. Context
• D. Literal

Answer: (A)

Reading between the lines is about uncovering what a writer hints at rather than what is stated outright. That hidden meaning is called subtext. Subtext comes from tone, implication, and the situations characters are in; it lets you infer motives, feelings, or themes that the surface words don’t spell out. For example, a character saying “I’m fine” after a loud sigh and a heavy silence carries subtext of upset or exhaustion. The other terms describe different layers: the text is the actual words themselves; context refers to the surrounding factors that shape meaning; literal means taking words at face value. So the best answer is subtext because it captures the idea of meaning not directly stated but inferred from clues in the writing.