Inference with Fiction

What is an inference? Writers of fiction often show their characters in action and allow them to speak for themselves. Readers then have the job of deciding what those actions and words mean and what they reveal about the characters, the events of the story and the message the author intends to send. In other words, readers must draw inferences about what they read. An inference in fiction is a reasonable conclusion or judgment about some element of a story based on the information given in the story and the reader's personal knowledge of how the world works.

• a reasonable conclusion or judgment about some element in a story based on information from the story

• a reasonable conclusion or judgment about some element in a story

• information contained in a story that leads a reader to the theme

• information in the story to help a reader ask questions and make connections

in fiction is a reasonable conclusion or judgment about some element of a story based on the information given in the story and the reader's personal knowledge of how the world works.

• A clue

• A question

• An inference

• An implication

How to Draw Inferences

1. You look for clues in the text, little pieces of information that seem to relate to the missing information or your question.

2. You think about what you already know from your own experience in the real world.

3. You put these two pieces of the puzzle together in a logical way to produce a reasonable conclusion that supplies the missing piece of information or the answer to your question.

Drawing an inference requires your background knowledge and information from the text?

• TRUE

• FALSE

"You've never had Hot Fries? They are the best!" Red powder covered Isaiah's fingers as he popped yet another chip into his mouth. "Come on, you have to try them" Todd made sure he had plenty of water nearby. Unlike Isaiah, Todd rarely ate spicy food, but decided to give them a try. He popped one chip into his mouth. "Whoa! It burns!" Todd began to guzzle his glass of water. He decided spicy food was not for him. Which sentence from the passage helped you infer that Todd did not enjoy the spicy food?

• He popped the chip into his mouth.

• Todd began to guzzle his glass of water.

• Todd decided to give the chips a try.

• Isaiah's fingers were covered in red powder.

Which option is most correct? ____ in fiction is a reasonable conclusion or judgment about some element of a story based on the information given in the story and the reader's personal knowledge of how the world works.

• A clue

• A question

• An inference

• An implication

In the passage below, what can you infer about the setting of the story?

When the men reached Oregon, they stepped out of their wagons and embraced. The journey was long and dangerous, but they made it. Soon, their families would follow their trail in their own wagons, leaving their homes in the East to meet them in this brand new land: the West.

• The story might take place on a different planet.

• The story might take place in the past.

• The story might take place in a desert.

• We can’t make any inferences about the setting from this passage.

To infer is to ..

• use clues in text and what you know

• neglect, misunderstand, divide

It can reasonably be inferred from the passage that the crew most likely did not play dominoes because:

• they were simply too tired.

• they did not get along well enough to play a game together.

• the Director would not have approved of game playing.

• the sea was too rough.

What can you "infer" by reading the passage below?

"I hate the idea of having all those people out there watching me...I just don't like it when I'm around so many people. I wish I just could hide somewhere," whispered Violet.

• Violet can be a mean girl.

• Violet can be somewhat relaxed

• Violet is probably somewhat shy.

• Violet is afraid of everything.

When you draw inferences you need to....... (choose all that apply)

• use details in the text

• background knowledge

• key details

• text evidence