Inference from Evidence
📋 What it is
An inference is a smart conclusion you reach by combining text clues with what you already know.
🗣️ Coach says
Good readers read BETWEEN the lines. When a text doesn’t say something directly, you infer it from clues plus common sense: “She zipped her coat and shivered” → it’s cold. Always point to the clue.
🧠 Memory hook
Text clue + what you know = inference. Always be able to point to the clue.
😂 Giggle
Why did the reader get lost in the novel?
Because the plot kept twisting!
😲 Whoa!
Detectives, doctors, and readers all “infer” the same way — Sherlock Holmes’s famous deductions are really inferences from tiny clues.
✅ Quick check: The text says “Max’s stomach growled as he stared at the clock.” What can you infer?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Max is hungry and probably waiting for a meal/lunch — the growl + clock-watching are the clues.
Combining explicit clues with everyday knowledge yields an inference.
🪄 Trick question: Is “I think the character is nice because I like them” a valid inference?
Careful — think it through, then reveal.
No — a valid inference needs a TEXT clue, not just your feeling; point to what the text shows.
Inferences must be grounded in evidence from the text, not personal preference.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Read one sentence from a book and infer something NOT stated. Then say the exact clue that let you infer it.