Main Ideas and Key Details

What is an inference?

• A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

• The most important or central thought/idea of a story

• An important piece of information that supports the main idea

• The author's message about a topic.

Making inferences is something that we do in everyday situations.

• True

• False

An inference is an educated guess.

• True

• False

An inference is when an author tells you the answer to a question.

• True

• False

You can make inferences to guess how the author feels about a subject.

• True

• False

Inferences are always opinions.

• True

• False

Inferences are always facts.

• True

• False

When you make an inference, you go beyond the author’s words to understand what is not said in the text.

• True

• False

What is a Main Topic of a text?

• The broad, general theme or message

• The most important or central thought of a paragraph or larger section of text, which tells the reader what the text is about

• Important pieces of information that support the main idea of a text.

• A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

A main topic is usually described in only 1-3 words.

• True

• False