Draw inferences from a text
Key Notes :
What is Inference?
- Inference means figuring out something that is not directly stated in the text.
- It’s like being a detective—using clues from the story and what you already know.
Use Text Clues
- Look for hints in the words, actions, or descriptions in the text.
- Pay attention to what characters say and do.
Use Background Knowledge
- Think about what you already know from your own life or from other stories.
- Combine it with what’s in the text to understand deeper meaning.
Look Beyond the Words
- Authors don’t always tell everything directly.
- Good readers read “between the lines.”
Ask and Answer Questions
- Ask yourself: “Why did the character do that?” or “What might happen next?”
- Try to answer using both the text and your own thinking.
Character Feelings and Motives
- Infer how a character feels based on their actions or words.
- Understand why they made certain choices.
Find the Author’s Message
- Sometimes, you need to infer the theme or lesson of the story.
- Think: “What does the author want me to learn?”
Use Text Evidence
- Always support your inference with proof from the story.
- Example: “I think the girl is scared because she’s hiding and not speaking.”
Learn with an example
➡️ Read the text.
Marcy shouted in frustration and slammed the fridge door shut.
‘What’s wrong?’ Daphne asked as she licked the pink icing from her fingers.
‘I can’t find the strawberry cupcake that I bought at the bake sale!’ Marcy exclaimed.
Daphne gulped. ‘It didn’t happen to have red sprinkles on it, did it?’
Based on the text, which sentence is more likely to be true?
- Daphne ate Marcy’s strawberry cupcake.
- Daphne got pink icing all over the fridge door.
Look at what the text tells you:
Marcy shouted in frustration and slammed the fridge door shut.
‘What’s wrong?’ Daphne asked as she licked the pink icing from her fingers.
‘I can’t find the strawberry cupcake that I bought at the bake sale!’ Marcy exclaimed.
Daphne gulped. ‘It didn’t happen to have red sprinkles on it, did it?’
Ask yourself questions about the text:
Why might Daphne gulp? Daphne might gulp because she is nervous about something.
Why might Daphne ask if Marcy’s cupcake had red sprinkles on it?
Daphne has probably seen a strawberry cupcake with red sprinkles on it.
Why might Daphne have icing on her fingers? Daphne has probably been eating cake.
Based on these clues, you can guess that Daphne ate Marcy’s strawberry cupcake.
➡️ Read the text.
Luke was different from most kids his age. Luke could listen to disco music from the ’70s all day. In his bedroom, he had a working pay phone from the ’50s. He even owned a three-piece suit from the ’20s.
Based on the text, which sentence is more likely to be true?
- Luke loves older things.
- Luke doesn’t have a mobile phone.
Look at what the text tells you:
Luke was different from most kids his age. Luke could listen to disco music from the ’70s all day. In his bedroom, he had a working pay phone from the ’50s. He even owned a three-piece suit from the ’20s.
Ask yourself questions about the text:
Why might Luke listen to disco music all day? Maybe he likes old music.
Why might Luke own a three-piece suit from the ’20s?
Maybe he likes old clothing styles.
Based on these clues, you can guess that Luke loves older things.
➡️ Read the text.
Beth’s feet throbbed. She’d hurried from the kitchen to the dining room so many times it felt as though she’d run ten kilometres. It didn’t help that she’d kept forgetting cream for the coffee and jam for the toast. To top it all off, her new uniform was stained.
Based on the text, which sentence is more likely to be true?
- Beth loves to run long races.
- Beth just started working in a restaurant.
Look at what the text tells you:
Beth’s feet throbbed. She’d hurried from the kitchen to the dining room so many times it felt as though she’d run ten kilometres. It didn’t help that she’d kept forgetting cream for the coffee and jam for the toast. To top it all off, her new uniform was stained.
Ask yourself questions about the text:
Why might Beth have to go from the kitchen to the dining room a lot?
Beth is probably bringing food from the kitchen to the dining room.
Why might Beth have a new uniform? Beth has probably just started a new job.
Based on these clues, you can guess that Beth just started working in a restaurant.
let’s practice!
Read the text.
Corbin looked at the match clock and frowned. How were there still two minutes left in the match? He drummed his fingers on the seats and looked around at the players on the football pitch. Yawning, Corbin looked up at the match clock again. Still two minutes left. Ugh. Why had he left his book in his car?