WE MAKE INFERENCES EVERY DAY IN MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.

What is an inference? An inference is an educated guess. It is a conclusion that is supported by clues or evidence.

WHO AM I? I am a character in a novel. I have long brown hair. I live with my mother and my sister. My family pets are a goat and a cat. My father died in a mining accident. I hunt using a bow and arrow. My best friend’s name is Gale.

You make inferences about people and situations all the time.

Sometimes, your inference is based on your prior knowledge of something or your experience.

WHO AM I? I am a professional athlete. I play in the National Football League. In college I played for the University of Tennessee. I grew up and now live in the city of New Orleans. My father was also a professional football player. I used to play for the Indianapolis Colts. Now I play for the Denver Broncos. I am the quarterback for the team. My younger brother is the quarterback for the NY Giants.

As you read, you make inferences based on clues that the writer provides. Make sure that your inference is based on the author’s words, NOT your feeling.

As you read, you infer when you make predictions about what is going to happen next. Sometimes, you infer information about characters on the basis of their descriptions or their actions.

Example #1: Everyday after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said.

We use inferences to figure out the THEME of a story. What point is the author trying to put across?

Themes of Stories For example, the theme of the story “Amigo Brothers” is that “true friendship can survive difficult tests.” How do we know this from the story? As a reader, we have to infer this information.