Inferencing

1. When you draw a conclusion you use two things: What you know in your head. and What you’ve read in the story. A conclusion is the decision you come to when you put these two together.

2. To INFER means to use strong, logical reasoning to come to a conclusion about something that is NOT ACTUALLY STATED. You won’t find the answer to an inference question stated in the words of the passage; however, look for clues!

I sleep in a crib. I drink from a bottle. I cannot walk or talk. Who am I? I know babies sleep in cribs. I know babies drink bottles. I know babies can’t do these things yet. Must be a baby!

3. AVOID - A. Contradicted information B. Illogical conclusions (false logic) Correct Example: 1. All mammals are warm- blooded. 2. A whale is warm blooded. Conclusion: Whales are mammals. Illogical Example: 1. Whales have blowholes. 2. A whale is a mammal. False logic: All mammals have blowholes. C. Answer choices that are irrelevant – have no evidence of support in the passage

4. Signal Words Conclude - conclusion Infer – inference Deduce Probably Most likely Seems

I am white. You need me every day. You drink me when you are thirsty. I can make a moustache. What am I? What did you know in your head? Lots of things are white! You need a lot of things. What is white and you drink? AND, It makes a moustache!

I grow on an ear. Cook me in hot oil. I will puff up and taste good. Some people microwave me. What am I? What did you know in your head? What grows on an ear? Ear wax? Earrings? Corn?? You wouldn’t cook or taste ear wax or earrings. I know corn will puff up and it is sometimes cooked in the microwave.

1. The man buttoned his coat and turned up the collar around his neck. He thrust his hands into his pockets as he paced back and forth briskly near the bus stop. Every so often he stamped his feet. What was the weather like?

Cold! Clues – buttoned coat, turned up collar, hands in pocket, stamped feet

2. Three bells sounded throughout the building. Students lined up and quietly exited the classrooms. The teachers turned off the lights and led the classes out of the building to a corner of the campus. When another bell rang, they re-entered the building. After returning to their classrooms, an administrator congratulated them on their speedy exit. What was happening?

Fire Drill Clues – three bells, exiting building, bells to re-enter

3. Brenda rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. The smell of coffee and bacon came wafting up from the kitchen. “Better get going, Brenda, or you’ll miss the bus!” called her father from the foot of the stairs. What time of day was it?

Morning Clues – rubbed eyes, sat up, coffee and bacon, school bus

4. A man in a uniform stood beside a parked car. Not far away was a sign reading, “No Parking Any Time.” The man wrote something in a small book. Then he tore out the paper and stuck it under a windshield wiper of the car. What he was doing?

Writing a ticket! Clues – uniform, parked car, “No Parking Any Time,” paper on windshield

5. Troy waited impatiently on the curb while streams of cars, trucks and buses rushed past. When the light changed, the crowd behind him practically carried him across the street. A man pushed past Troy and darted into an office building. Where was Troy?

The City! Clues – cars, buses, lights, people, office buildings

Read the evidence below and make an inference about each situation. 6. Your neighbors just drove away with their suitcases and skis. 7. The moving van came down the street, and he stopped in front of the vacant house. 8. Your dad is in the yard with a shovel, rake, and hose. 9. Dinner is not cooking, and your mom told you to clean up and put on good clothes. 10. It is raining, and this is field day at school.