ELA: Making Inferences: Standard Practice

Medium Level Guide Grade-level practice aligned to typical classroom expectations and unit assessments. What Is an Inference? An inference is a conclusion you reach based on evidence in the text plus what you already know. Authors often imply ideas rather than state them directly. Good readers ask what the author suggests and what proof supports that idea. Finding Text Evidence Look for clues in dialogue, actions, descriptions, and word choice. If a character's hands shake and they avoid eye contact, you might infer they are nervous. Always point to specific words or lines that led to your conclusion. Inferences in Nonfiction Nonfiction writers imply cause-and-effect relationships and opinions through facts and examples. A passage describing cracked soil and wilted crops suggests a drought even if the word drought never appears. Connect details to build a logical picture. Checking Your Thinking Ask whether another reader could reach the same conclusion from the same evidence. If the text does not support your idea, revise the inference. Strong answers cite evidence and explain the reasoning in one or two sentences.