Knowledge is distinguished according to how it is acquired. Necessary or immediate knowledge does not, in the relevant case, require constructing an explicit argument. Inferential knowledge is reached by considering premises and drawing a conclusion from them.
Directly experiencing pain or seeing light can exemplify immediate awareness. Working through several premises to resolve a difficult question exemplifies inferential inquiry.
The distinction matters because an inference presupposes some earlier knowledge. If all our evidence consisted of inferences alone, we would need to ask where the chain begins. The response examines both the presence of basic cognitions and the soundness of the reasoning that builds upon them.