Characteristics of Character + Making Inferences

An inference is

• Background Knowledge

• Text Clues

• Educated Guess

• An Answer

You can make an effective inference by

• Looking at text clues and considering your background knowledge.

• Making a quick guess based on the first thing you see.

• Using your background knowledge to guess.

• Looking up the answer.

Make an inference: Jack sat at his desk in math, sighed and looked longingly out the window at the bright, sunny day.

• Jack loves math.

• Jack is tired and wants to sleep.

• Jack is bored and would rather be outside.

• Jack prefers PE to math.

Make an inference: Jill sat up in bed startled. Her heart raced and she looked around disoriented. Her alarm clock glowed 2:00 am. Relieved, she rolled over and closed her eyes.

• Jill has a test in the morning.

• Jill had a nightmare which woke her from her sleep.

• Jill didn't get much sleep.

• Jill is a perfectionist.

Make an inference: Daniel stared at his English homework and then looked at the video game. Back and forth he looked. Shrugging his shoulders, he said to himself: Who cares? I don't like the teacher anyway. Then he grabbed the controller and resumed his game.

• Daniel is really good at gaming.

• Daniel has a lot of homework.

• Daniel just got a new video game that he really wants to play.

• Daniel is avoiding his homework.

Identify the characteristic of character. Courtney ran down the street panting as the bus pulled away from the stop.

• Interactions with others.

• Dialogue.

• Appearance.

• Actions

Identify the characteristic of character. Annette beamed. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks glowed.

• Interactions with others.

• Actions.

• Body language.

• Dialogue.

Identify the characteristic of character. "Get out of there now!" Angie yelled to her little brother.

• Dialogue.

• Thoughts.

• Actions.

• Appearance.

Identify the characteristic of character. Tom's hair was a nest of tangles that could have hidden small animals.

• Appearance.

• Interactions with others.

• Thoughts.

• Actions.

An author gives us clues about a character through what?

• Descriptions of action.

• Descriptions of body language.

• Descriptions of appearance.

• All of the above.