Identifying Inferences
Good writers paint pictures for their readers so they can clearly imagine things for themselves. They do not state everything directly though, instead leaving out information that is generally common knowledge and suggesting or hinting at some of their ideas through related details. When you work out the missing information you are identifying the inferences, which you can do by:
· paying attention to all of the details
· looking for connections between pieces of information
· using your own knowledge and experience.
Identifying inferences is sometimes called “reading between the lines.” While inferences are not directly stated in a text, they can be found in a text through the hints and related details, hence the phrase reading between the lines.
For example: She started to shiver as she stood waiting for the bus. Looking up again at the sky she shook her head, annoyed with herself for having ignored the weather report on the radio that morning. She already needed to change her jacket and felt sure she would soon need to change out of her skirt, but she didn’t have any spare clothes. If only her bus shelter had some cover, she would have been alright. Reading between the lines we can infer: She is shivering because she is wet and she is wet because it is raining.
· paying attention to all of the details
· looking for connections between pieces of information
· using your own knowledge and experience.
Identifying inferences is sometimes called “reading between the lines.” While inferences are not directly stated in a text, they can be found in a text through the hints and related details, hence the phrase reading between the lines.
For example: She started to shiver as she stood waiting for the bus. Looking up again at the sky she shook her head, annoyed with herself for having ignored the weather report on the radio that morning. She already needed to change her jacket and felt sure she would soon need to change out of her skirt, but she didn’t have any spare clothes. If only her bus shelter had some cover, she would have been alright. Reading between the lines we can infer: She is shivering because she is wet and she is wet because it is raining.