Read the following text and make inferences based on what you read (tell what
you know by ‘reading between the lines’):
The old man sat on the bench, staring out at the sea. His
face was lined with age, and his hair was white as snow.
He had been coming to this spot for as long as he could
remember, and it was here that he came to think. He
thought about his life, his family, and his friends. He
thought about the good times and the bad times. He
thought about the things he had accomplished and the
things he wished he had done differently. But most of all,
he thought about the future. He wondered what it would
hold for him, and he hoped that he would be able to enjoy
it as much as he had enjoyed the past.
Students can make inferences about the old man's life by reading between the
lines. For example, they can infer that he is a kind and thoughtful person because
he enjoys coming to this spot to think about his life and the people he loves. They
can also infer that he is a wise person because he has learned a lot from his
experiences. Finally, they can infer that he is a hopeful person because he is
looking forward to the future.
Here are some questions that students can answer after reading the paragraph:
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What do you think the old man is thinking about?
What kind of person do you think he is?
What do you think his life has been like?
What do you think his hopes and dreams are for the future?
Students can use their inferences to answer these questions and to gain a
deeper understanding of the old man and his story.