Making inferences (definition, strategies, exercises)

Introduction on "making inferences" to ESL, 9th grade students.

2. This is sometimes called “reading
between the lines”. When you make an
inference, you use all of the information that
you have available at a time to guess what is
“behind” the literal information of a text… In
other words, you go beyond what is stated
explicitly in the text to infer the intended
message by paying attention to certain
“clues”

3. You infer why things happen, why
characters behave the way they do, and how
characters are feeling. You enter the world
created by the author, and you create images
and inferences based on what the author tells
you and your own knowledge and beliefs about
that world.
In order to infer meaning, readers must
combine the information that the author has
written with their own experiences—both
reading experiences and life experiences.

4. If the teacher writes
information on the board
during a lesson…
You infer that it is
important information that
you may need later (so you
will write it in your
copybook).
If your mum tells you to
carry an umbrella…
You infer that it will possibly
rain.
If you see your boss
arguing with an
employer…
You infer it is not the right
moment to ask for a raise.
NOTE: You may not always be correct in your inferences,
but they are assumptions that you make based on the
given clues.

5. You already know how to make everyday
inferences!
Let’s look at a few scenarios and infer about what is
going on.

6. You go home and see your father shouting and a bit violent…
1. Would you ask him for permission to go to a party?
2. Would you ask him for money?

7. You go home and see your father shouting and a bit violent…
1. Would you ask him for permission to go to a party?
2. Would you ask him for money?1. Woul .dyasl dkyh im
yady fdWr as puhy es
1. Wo n tol yady
lsdhomr ulduyd.aldlskd
Wu sldhahk.ldlad1yid
maWdha.kodaWd
fkWhuyyua. n
If your father acts in
that way, he must be
angry. For that
reason, it is not the
right moment to ask
for money or
permission.

8. You are watching a movie and you see a bloody knife…
1. What may have happened?

9. You are watching a movie and you see a bloody knife…
1. What may have happened?1. Wou hss d egoo?W
2mi.s iy ih ohhiegs
yady yahka.kdr1yd
iuppke n
If you see a bloody
knife it is possible
that someone was
killed.

10. Look at the picture…
1.Where are they?
2.Who are they?
3.Why the man wants someone to
invent a faster clock?

11. n tol yas ohysl yady hdWh
dysmyhr yas igsh o.
?okupsmyhr yas ?ldfsl dm? yas
eoo2hr fs kdm im.sl yady lskod
1Wkdu.d1.dammunk dysmyh ..iks!n 1.- For the poster that says
“Patents”, the piles of
documents, the drawer and the
books, we can infer that they
are in an office (Patents Office)."n #h iy ih dm o..iksr yasW dls
ammunkdraWikWy n
2.- As it is an office, they are
office workers.$n #h as fihash hopsoms foug?
im%smy d .dhysl kgok2r skdhu sld
tkd1.gua?ydd1.edekyfkW1lkdlad ad
sahk n
3.- As he “wishes someone would
invent a faster clock”, he might
be anxious and desperate to go
home.

12. As you looked at the previous
pictures, you were able to infer things
about the scenarios that they presented.
When you read a text, think of it as a
WORD PICTURE.

13. When reading, there are several types of word
pictures the author will “paint” for you.
• The setting.
• A Character’s Personality or Emotions.
• What a Character’s Motives Might Be.
• What the Writer’s Motives behind writing the piece
might be…

14. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
1.What kind of appointment is Geoffrey getting ready for?
a)He is going job hunting.
b)He is going to a board meeting for his job.
c)He is going to a job interview.

15. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
1.What kind of appointment is Geoffrey getting ready for?
a)He is going job hunting.
b)He is going to a board meeting for his job.
c)He is going to a job interview.1. Would uWlyWyass ydlksWWd.hdWd. Whiimlkdf kdWWrpmeWlkd unl otWolggW
ymgn Wd.lyWiumeg f?W2 WhkWhyyaf Wd.hdW. WlyWkmdWsmlksWpmeW.akdlksW
e hay Wd.hdWm yWkmdWu alu WhkWhiimlkdf kd?
The writer is suggesting that the appointment (job interview) will
solve this problem. We can assume that he is not going job hunting
because that does not require an appointment.

16. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
2. Who is Martha?
a)His mother.
b)His wife.
c)His daughter.

17. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
2. Who is Martha?
a)His mother.
b)His wife.
c)His daughter.1. Wy kd k WlkWu Wyass ydyWd.hdWhud.hWlyWd. Wfmd. uWmW.lyW
.lgu kWhkWkmdW.lyWfmd. uWmuW.lyW.lg?
The sentence in red suggests that Martha is the mother of his
children and not his mother or his child.

18. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
3. Which of these personality traits best fits Geoffrey?
a)Responsible
b)Optimistic
c)Selfish

19. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
3. Which of these personality traits best fits Geoffrey?
a)Responsible
b)Optimistic
c)Selfish1. W ouldyWoy Wadsk ohoihmou.losWod WflmWskr poo1. d ohd omlo
Wenn WtslmWot.hto. osWolftsisWtsaoldoW rgsW.osmot. ot ?tp
These words describe a man who is responsible. There are no
suggestions that he is optimistic or selfish in the text.

20. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
4. What is Geoffrey’s motive for waking up early ?
a)To be an example for his children.
b)To be on time for his appointment.
c)He does not want Martha to go back to work.

21. Geoffrey awoke early that morning, for fear of being late for his
appointment. He showered, brushed his hair, and put on his best
suit. He stuck extra ink pens and pencils into his brief case. He
did not want to leave anything to chance. He knew that if he did
not get a job soon, Martha would have to leave the children and go
back to work.
4. What is Geoffrey’s motive for waking up early ?
a)To be an example for his children.
b)To be on time for his appointment.
c)He does not want Martha to go back to work.1.len.o2 lggd oyl Womltouhmtotlok orht ogldo.sWosmt ds uot.htosWo
mlto.sWoertsiht oilts poosWoertsiht oilts ouleryok ou.htosWo
aheWsmno.siotlouhmtotlok olmotsi osmot. ogsdWtofrha p
Though Geoffrey does not want to be late for his interview, that is
not his ultimate motive. His ultimate motive would be what is
causing him to want to be on time in the first place.