Inference

Before the 1800's people didn't have right or left shoes.  They had shoes of just one shape that they used for both feet.  When people first saw right and left shoes, they laughed.  They called them "crooked shoes."  "What a silly idea," they said.  You can tell that shoes before 1800:

• were pretty
• didn't look alike
• didn't fit very well

Tim looked out the window. The house looked so lonely. Tim's father put the last suitcase in the trunk and started up the car. Thor, his dog, put his head on Tim's lap, like he understood how  Tim was feeling. "It's okay Thor," he said, "Dad says we will like California." What is happening?

• Tim is sad because his dog doesn't have a house to live in.
• Tim is taking a trip to visit peolpe he doesn't know.
• Tim is taking Thor to live with his grandmother.
• Tim is moving to California with his family.

Joseph and Caitlin were choosing the players for their teams. It was Caitlin's turn to choose, and only Jason was left. Caitlin said, "Jason."

We can infer that…

• Jason was the best player.
• Caitlin wanted Jason on her team.
• Jason was not a very good player.
• Caitlin had a hard time choosing a team member.

You see snowflakes coming down outside and you can smell hot cocoa cooking on the stove. You see red and green decorations all around the house. What time of year can you infer that it is?

• Thanksgiving

• Valentine's Day

• Christmas

• 4th of July

When making an inference, the most important thing is...

• What you know about the topic

• The topic of the text

• The characters in the text

• Being able to prove your inference using evidence from the text.

Ben is auditioning for a part in the school play. He's been fine all day, but right before the audition he says he feels sick. You might infer that Ben __________.

• a. is nervous about the audition

• b. is happy about the play

• c. never gets sick

• d. is allergic to peanuts

Mike had fun hiking in the woods and doing crafts.  He also really enjoyed the campfire sing-a-long and had made a lot of new friends. Still, he was glad that tomorrow he would be going home.
Where is Mike?

• at camp
• at a slumber party
• on a picnic
• in California 

Mr. Martin looked at his watch.  Then, he took a bus list out of his bag and looked at it for a moment.  A few minutes later, he looked at his watch again and sighed.
Why does Mr. Martin keep looking at his watch?

• the bus is late
• his watch is broken
• his watch is cool
• his car is out of gas

Tiffany held her breath as her teacher returned the math test the class had taken last week.  Tiffany had not studied very hard or long for the test, and she was worried about her grade.  Her teacher handed Tiffany her test.  Tiffany groaned and put her head down on her desk.
It is likely that:

• Tiffany earned a bad grade on the test
• Tiffany received a good grade on the test
• Tiffany is tired
• Tiffany is angry at her teacher

Maggie was getting ready to walk to school. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack. As she was leaving, her mother said, “I love you. Be careful."
You can infer that...

• Maggie is in kindergarten or first grade.
• Maggie lives close to school.
• Maggie is never late for school.
• Maggie is excited about going to school .