Making an Inference
What does this mean?
Read
something
Draw a
conclusion
Add what you
know to the
reading
EXAMPLE: Making an Inference
What does this mean?
A character
has tears
in his eyes.
We know
people with
tears are
often sad.
We infer
the
character
might be
sad.
EXAMPLE: Making an Inference
What does this mean?
What you see:
“You just get home
from school and you see a
big truck in your neighbor’s
driveway. The front door of
the house is propped open
and someone is carrying a
table to the truck.”
“What are the neighbors
doing? How do you know
that?”
What do you
know about trucks at
houses and people
carrying things like a
table into the truck?
Draw your
conclusion based on
what you see and
what you know from
prior experience.
EXAMPLE: Making an Inference
What does this mean?
We see the
truck and
people putting
furniture on it.
We
know…
We infer…
We conclude…
Make inferences
In what place are the men in the
cartoon?
Make inferences
What do
you see?
In what place
are the men in
the cartoon?
Draw
conclusion
Background
knowledge
Make inferences
What is the man on the left
looking for?
Make inferences
What is the man
on the left
looking for?
Make inferences
What motive or reason do the men
have for playing instruments?
Make inferences
What motive or
reason do the
men have for
playing
instruments?
Make inferences
Jake Tries to Catch a Fish
Jake stood on the
riverbank. He cast his
fishing pole into the deep
water. He had been trying
to catch a fish for many
hours. Alex and Zach
laughed as they watched
Jake throw the line into the
water one more time.
What do
you read?
Draw
conclusion
Background
knowledge
What kind of person is Jake?
Make inferences
Jake Tries to Catch a Fish
Jake stood on the
What do
you read?
riverbank. He cast his
fishing pole into the deep
Draw
water. He had been trying
conclusion
to catch a fish for many
Background
hours. Alex and Zach
knowledge
laughed as they watched
Jake throw the line into the
water one more time.
How do you think Alex and Zach feel
about Jake’s efforts to catch a fish?
Make inferences
“It’s hard to live in a
studio apartment in San
Jose with a man who’s
learning to play the violin.”
That’s what she told the
police when she handed
them the empty revolver.
What do
you read?
Draw
conclusion
Background
knowledge
Draw a conclusion about what happened in the story.
Make inferences
“It’s hard to live in a studio apartment in San
Jose with a man who’s learning to play the
violin.” That’s what she told the police when
she handed them the empty revolver.
What do you know about living in an studio
apartment?
What do you know about San Jose?
What do you know about learning to play the
violin?
What do you know about the police?
What do you know about people talking to the
police?
What do you know about empty guns?
What do you know about women and guns?
Draw conclusion
Draw a conclusion about what happened in the story.
Make inferences
Kassandra threw
her coat over the chair,
flew past her astonished
parents to her own room,
slammed the door, and
threw herself face down
on the bed.
How does Kassandra
feel?
a. very tired
b. frightened
c. angry at her parents
d. bitterly disappointed
Background
knowledge
Draw a conclusion about how Kassandra feels.
Make inferences
Questions that ask you to infer:
What is the main idea…
Predict…
Draw a conclusion…
(Vocabulary word) most nearly means…
Why did (character) do…
What might be an appropriate title for this passage?
How do you think (character) feels?
Make inferences
1. Read the question carefully and
reword it so that it is easy to
understand. Students should
consider:
a. Are you being asked to make a
prediction?
b. Make a judgment?
c. Make a summary statement related
to the entire passage.
You are
NOT
making a
guess.
Make inferences
2. Scan the first and last
sentence of each paragraph to
identify the paragraph in which
the answer is most likely to be
found.
Make inferences
3. Skim the paragraph for hints
related to the question and circle
these hints. Often, at least three
hints will be present in the
passage.
Make inferences
4. Consider whether the language is positive
or negative. That is, is the subject being
treated favorably or in a negative light? Often,
certain answer choices can be eliminated
because they show a tone or perspective
(feeling) that directly contradicts (is opposite)
the one presented in the passage.
Make inferences
5. Select the best answer using
all available specific information
as well as an overall impression
of the passage.
Read more at Suite101: Teach How to Make Inferences on Reading Tests: Answer Multiple Choice Questions by Reading
in Between the Lines http://www.suite101.com/content/teach-how-to-make-inferences-on-reading-testsa154187#ixzz1EVIZR6oN