Making Inferences

Making inferences is a crucial skill in Language Arts that involves drawing conclusions based on the information provided and your prior knowledge. This skill helps you understand the deeper meaning of texts and situations.

Key Concepts

1. Evidence: This is the information given in the text that you use to make an inference. It can be explicit (stated directly) or implicit (implied).

2. Prior Knowledge: This is the background information you already know that helps you connect the dots and make a logical conclusion.

3. Conclusion: This is the inference you draw based on the evidence and your prior knowledge.

Explanation

When making inferences, you are essentially piecing together clues to understand something that is not explicitly stated. For example, if a character in a story looks sad, you might infer that something bad has happened, even if the story doesn't directly say so. This is because you know from your prior knowledge that sadness often follows negative events.

Examples

1. Text Example: "The room was dark, and the only sound was the ticking of the clock."

Inference: The person in the room might be feeling lonely or anxious because a dark, quiet room can create a sense of isolation.

2. Real-Life Example: If you see a friend who usually loves ice cream eating a salad, you might infer that they are trying to eat healthier, even if they haven't told you directly.

Practice

Try making inferences with this sentence: "The teacher looked at the student's blank paper and sighed."

What might the teacher be thinking? What could the student be feeling? Use the evidence provided and your prior knowledge to draw conclusions.