INFERENCES AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGES IN AMERICAN
LITERATURE
STUDY NOTES
Inference vs. Guess
Inference: A conclusion reached by applying logic and reason to the
evidence given. An inference is a logical guess based on textual clues and
evidence.
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
1. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
2. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But don't
ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions. Prior
knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the text.
3. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a single
conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that can be
drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before deciding
which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
4. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
5. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But don't
ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions. Prior
knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the text.
6. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a single
conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that can be
drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before deciding
which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
7. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
8. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But don't
ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions. Prior
knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the text.
9. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a single
conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that can be
drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before deciding
which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
10. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
11. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
12. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
13. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
14. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
15. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
16. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
17. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
18. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
19. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
20. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
21. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
22. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
23. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
24. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
25. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
26. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
27. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
28. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
29. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
30. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
31. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
32. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
33. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
34. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
35. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
36. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
37. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
38. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
39. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
40. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
41. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
42. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
43. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
44. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
45. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
46. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
47. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
48. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
49. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
50. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
51. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
52. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
53. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
54. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
55. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
56. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
57. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
58. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
59. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
60. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
61. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
62. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
63. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
64. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
65. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
66. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
67. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
68. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
69. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
70. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
71. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
72. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
73. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
74. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
75. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
76. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
77. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
78. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
79. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
80. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
81. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
82. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
83. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
84. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
85. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
86. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
87. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
88. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
89. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
90. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
91. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
92. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
93. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
94. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
95. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
96. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Guess: A blind assumption made without evidence or reasoning. A pure
guess is a stab in the dark.
The ability to make inferences is a crucial skill for deeply understanding
literary works. Literature rarely straightforwardly states things - authors
show ideas through literary techniques like:
Imagery - Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures
Tone - The attitude/emotion conveyed through the writing
Figurative Language - Non-literal language like metaphor and
symbolism
By using these devices, the author shows rather than tells the underlying
meaning and themes. The reader must then use logic and critical thinking to
infer the implicit meanings the author intended but did not state outright.
This makes reading an active interpretation process rather than passive
absorption. The reader co-creates meaning through inference, rather than
just receiving it from the text.
Examples of Inferences in Daily Life
We make inferences constantly in everyday life based on situational
evidence:
If a friend points at the couch and says "Don't sit there; Candy came
over with her baby again", you can infer there's likely a mess or stain
related to the baby's visit, even though your friend didn't explicitly
state it.
When a doctor examines symptoms like fever, body aches, and
fatigue, they infer you likely have the flu virus, even without directly
seeing the virus itself.
An auto mechanic can infer what's wrong with your car engine based
on symptoms like strange noises, warning lights, etc. even before
looking under the hood.
In each case, the inference goes beyond just the surface evidence to a
deeper, implicit meaning or conclusion.
Making Inferences from Reading Literature
To make inferences from a literary text:
97. Understand the stated information - Identify the important
vocabulary words, facts, plot details etc. given explicitly in the text.
This forms the evidence base.
98. Use prior knowledge and apply logic/common sense - But
don't ignore or contradict the textual evidence in favor of assumptions.
Prior knowledge helps make connections, but must be grounded in the
text.
99. Consider multiple possible alternatives, don't jump to a
single conclusion - There may be multiple reasonable inferences that
can be drawn. Like a detective, examine all the possibilities before
deciding which is most supported by the evidence.
Example:
If you read "After the sunny movie, you step outside to find the streets wet
and the sky cloudy", you could reasonably infer it rained while you were
inside (supported by the evidence).
But inferring "a water truck was hit by a falling piano, spilling everywhere" is
too much of an unrealistic stretch not grounded in the details provided.
Good inferences are reasonable and logically supported by the passage.
Practice suspending quick judgments until you've considered all the
evidence.
Strategies for Making Inferences
Using If-Then Statements
A useful strategy is rephrasing the text information into If-Then statements
to uncover implied cause-and-effect relationships and meaning. For example:
"In 19th century England, women could not receive the death penalty like
men could, because seeing a woman publicly hanged was considered too
shocking."
Can be restated as:
If a woman committed a capital crime in 1800s England, then she
would not be executed (since it was too shocking).
If a criminal was a man, then he could potentially receive the death
penalty.
The If-Then format clearly lays out the implied logic connecting pieces of
evidence, making the inference more apparent.
Other examples of possible if-then inferences:
If a star appears faint, then it is likely very far away.
If something is much larger than the sun, then it could be the star
Betelgeuse.
Practice Making Inferences
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to draw logical inferences from
texts. Useful exercises include:
Answer inferential questions after reading a passage, identifying
which inferences can be reasonably made based on the details.
Read inferential questions first to build schema and look for
relevant evidence as you read the passage.
Identify and rephrase passages into if-then statements, looking
for potential inferences connecting different details.
Evaluate inferences made by others - are they reasonable based
on the evidence, or are they going too far with assumptions?
Conclusion
Literary authors craft their works specifically requiring inferences - allowing
room for readers to co-create meaning and engage more deeply. The more
skilled you become at drawing evidence-based inferences, the richer your
analysis and experience of literature will be.
