Inferring TextYou Inference

Learning Goal You will understand what an inference is and how to use text evidence and background knowledge to make plausible inferences.

So, just what is an inference? We make inferences—or infer—all the time. It involves taking what we see (or read) and putting what we know with it to make a logical guess.

Let’s look at some examples…

Inferring…it’s just what we do… Your friend is not at school today… It Says…(in this case what you see) I Know…And so… Your friend is absent today. She was complaining with a sore throat yesterday. She stayed home sick.

Inferring…it’s just what we do… Let’s suppose your best friend comes storming into class late, slam her books on her desk, while muttering to herself, “Nathan is absolutely impossible!” It Says…(in this case what you see) I Know…And So… Your friend is late and acting angry. Nathan is her boyfriend. She hates being late. They have been arguing a lot lately. She must have had a fight with Nathan, and that is why she is late.

Inferring…It’s Just What We Do… Suppose you come home from school to find your mother holding the cell phone bill with one serious frown on her face… It Says…(In this case, what you see) I Know…And So… Your mother is looking at the cell phone bill and is frowning.

We also infer when we read… Inferring when we read involves reading between the lines to understand what is not directly stated in the text:

What makes an inference a GOOD one? It’s a guess…but not just ANY guess The reader’s guess should be  Logical  Relevant  Supported by evidence Think like a hypothesis in science NOTE: With our chart, the information you are placing in the first column is your textual evidence.

Watch (and listen to) me! Kyle ran into his house and slammed the door behind him. He paused with his back to the wall and tried to catch his breath. The puppy in his coat struggled to get out. Kyle looked out the window worriedly, but he saw that nobody was coming. Then he let the puppy out of his jacket. The puppy yelped while Kyle took the collar off of him. He threw the collar in an old soup can in the trash, carefully flipping over the can. The dog looked around nervously.

Watch (and listen to) me! Kyle ran into his house and slammed the door behind him. He paused with his back to the wall and tried to catch his breath. The puppy in his coat struggled to get out. Kyle looked out the window worriedly, but he saw that nobody was coming. Then he let the puppy out of his jacket. The puppy yelped while Kyle took the collar off of him. He threw the collar in an old soup can in the trash, carefully flipping over the can. The dog looked around nervously.

What can I infer? It Says…I Know…And So… …back to the wall… catch his breath… looked out the window worriedly…nobody was coming Somebody who is afraid of being caught doing something would be behaving this way— running and looking over his shoulder. Kyle has done something wrong The puppy in his coat…puppy yelped…took collar off…threw the collar in a can in the trash When someone is trying to hide something they will CAREFULLY cover their tracks. If a puppy is familiar with its surroundings, it will have no reason to look around nervously. Kyle has stolen the puppy.

Let’s do one together… Anastasia sat by the fountain in the park with her head in her palms. She was weeping mournfully and wearing all black. In between gasps and sobs, Anastasia cried out a name: “Oh... John…” And then her cell phone beeped. Her hand ran into her purse and her heart fluttered. The text message was from John. She opened up the message and read the few bare words, “I need to get my jacket back from you.” Anastasia threw her head into her arms and continued sobbing.

What can we infer? It Says…I Know…And So…

Now you try it! Read the passages provided. As you read, complete the three column chart. When you are finished, turn to your elbow partner and compare your inferences.

Your ticket out the door! On the index card provided, make a three column chart: Then read the passage on the following slide and complete the chart on your card. You will turn it in on your way out---your ticket out of class!

Your ticket out the door! Cassie rolled over in her bed as she felt the sunlight hit her face. The beams were warming the back of her neck when she slowly realized that it was a Thursday, and she felt a little too good for a Thursday. Struggling to open her eyes, she looked up at the clock. “9:48,” she shouted, “Holy cow!” Cassie jumped out of bed, threw on the first outfit that she grabbed, brushed her teeth in two swipes, threw her books into her bag and ran out the door.

Academic Journals Write in your academic journals:  Definition of an inference  Why they are important—how inferring is important to your reading