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Making An Inference: When Reading For Information - Nonfiction

This document discusses making inferences when reading nonfiction texts. It defines inference as an educated guess about the text based on evidence and background knowledge, rather than being directly stated. It provides examples of how inferences allow readers to define unknown words, learn about characters, picture settings, determine author or character feelings and bias, draw conclusions and predictions, and use prior knowledge to better understand readings. The document outlines inference strategies like using story clues, relating the text to one's own experiences, and connecting to prior knowledge from other texts.

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Gudang Ragam
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86 views15 pages

Making An Inference: When Reading For Information - Nonfiction

This document discusses making inferences when reading nonfiction texts. It defines inference as an educated guess about the text based on evidence and background knowledge, rather than being directly stated. It provides examples of how inferences allow readers to define unknown words, learn about characters, picture settings, determine author or character feelings and bias, draw conclusions and predictions, and use prior knowledge to better understand readings. The document outlines inference strategies like using story clues, relating the text to one's own experiences, and connecting to prior knowledge from other texts.

Uploaded by

Gudang Ragam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MAKING AN INFERENCE

WHEN READING FOR


INFORMATION - NONFICTION
INFERENCE

a decision reached on
the basis of evidence in
the reading and your own
background knowledge.
Definitions
• An inference IS an educated
guess about the text.
• An inference IS “reading
between the lines.”
• An inference is NOT
directly stated in
the text you’re
reading.
Definitions

Drawing a conclusion: is the


outcome of making an inference.
Definitions

Prediction: is an outcome about


the future that you have inferred.
Definitions

The author/character implies, but


you the reader infer when you
make an educated guess. Reader infers
Author implies
How do you know that you are being
asked to make an inference?
One of these verbs will be used:
*suggest (Which answer does the text suggest is …)
*imply (Which answer does the author imply is …)
*infer (What can you infer from the text as the reason….)
*reasonably infer (What can you reasonably infer is…)
*suggested that (The author suggested that who…)
*with which would the author agree
(With which answer would the author agree as to…)
*which sentence would the author most
likely use…(Which sentence would the author most likely use to
explain…)
What Inferring Can do for You

*Define unknown words using context


clues
*Learn about a character
*Picture the setting
*Determine the author’s/character’s
feelings and bias
*Draw conclusions and make predictions
based on facts
*Use your prior knowledge to better
understand the reading
Let’s Go through These One at a Time.

Define
* unknown words using
Inference Context Clues
The resilient survivors were soon cracking jokes.
Can you guess what “resilient” means from the sentence?
A skilled reader uses context clues to “infer” the meaning
of the word. He knows that the prefix “re” means again.
He knows the meaning of “survivors.” He “infers” from
the fact that they are soon cracking jokes, that the
survivor is doing fine now. “Resilient” must have to do
with overcoming something.
Let’s Go through These One at a Time.

Learn about a character.

“My mother had to try to keep track of us.


She finally took us and tied us all together so
that we would stay together. And that’s the
way we came off the boat.”
--A Swiss Immigrant
A skilled reader can infer from these words of the
character about his belief that his mother wanted to
keep them safe.
Let’s Go through These One at
a Time.
Picture the setting

The French town was in shattered ruins:


buildings were jagged shards now and rubble
was scattered everywhere.

The skilled reader can infer from the details a picture of


this devastation in his mind.
Let’s Go through These One at a Time.

Determine the author’s feelings and


bias
“The credit card has risen as a new symbol of
“status” that lets people rent a plane or boat or car
…without having to pay a penny.” --TIME magazine

A skilled reader infers that TIME magazine was biased


about the use of the new credit card. Wanting status,
people would think they had to get a credit card and
purchase as their neighbors did because of the
magazine’s article. Credit cards have faults too—
interest. Quotation marks can mean sarcasm.
Let’s Go through These One at a Time.

Draw conclusions and make


predictions based on facts
President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed
in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22nd
1963.
A skilled reader can infer (conclude) that
someone needs to take control of the United
States government immediately.
Let’s Go through These One at a Time.

Use prior knowledge to better


understand the reading

John Glenn was the first American to


successfully orbit Earth three times. He got
a hero’s welcome comparable to the one
Charles Lindbergh received 35 years before.
The skilled reader knows that Charles Lindbergh
was the first to fly trans-atlantically. He knows
how honored he was.
Inference Strategies
So far, we’ve looked at how inferences are presented
to us and you’ve made a lot of connections. Let’s look
at HOW you’re making these connections.

There are 3 ways we make inferences (most of the


time we don’t even know we’re inferring):
1.Story Clues (connecting different parts/clues
within the same story or text)
2.Text-to-Self (relating what you’re reading with
your own experiences.
3.Text-to-Text (prior knowledge you have of texts
you have already read)

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