Sometimes we have to “read between the lines.” Authors don’t always tell us everything. We need to use textual evidence and prior knowledge to understand the text better. 

Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. They also keep sheep from wandering off. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness. Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:

Macey's mom noticed that she was squinting as she read her book, which was only a few inches away from her face. She scheduled a doctor's appointment for the next week, and when the doctor said Macey needed glasses, she tried on every single pair in the office. After spending an hour looking at glasses, mom suggested that perhaps she should sleep on it and come back and decide in the morning. Macey agreed, but she kept talking about the pros and cons of each pair all night long. 
What can you infer about Macey?

As the teacher lectured the class about how important it was to pay attention, Brian found himself staring out the window again. Suddenly, a little boy came up to the window and peeked in. The boy blew a bubble with his gum and it exploded all over his face and the window. Brian began laughing so hard he fell out of his seat. The rest of the class silently stared at him as the teacher walked to his desk.
What can you infer about how the teacher will react?

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch.  Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat.  He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning.  On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed.  He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.  
What type of relationship do Paul and Alice have?

In real life, people who can back up an opinion about a text with Textual Evidence are taken more seriously than people who can only give a reason of “just because".

What is an inference?

To make an inference, we use evidence from the text, and our prior knowledge. 

When reading literature, it is important to cite text evidence to support your analysis of the most important details and events of a story. In addition to citing text evidence to answer comprehension questions, you can also use text evidence to make inferences.

_{Inferring uses these skills?}
• making an assumption based on subtle verbal and nonverbal clues
• judging or concluding that something is true
• analyzing facts and coming to a logical outcome based on
the evidence
• drawing conclusions (reading between the lines)
• realizing “Oh, now I get it!”

Joshua went into the backyard to play on the swing set. His new puppy, Rascal,ran beside him. As Joshua was running toward the play area, he twisted his ankle.The accident caused him a lot of pain. Joshua’s dad was always doing yard work and making sure that the grass was perfectly cut and the ground was even.Certainly, he would have noticed that hole and filled it up. Neither Joshua nor his father could figure out how that hole appeared.Who or what do you think caused the hole?

I sat on the bench while Mother and Punch went into the room. I was a little worried about Punch, but I knew that he would get good care. As I waited I watched a tiny puppy wander toward the lady with a cat in a crate. The lady at the desk talked to a man with who was buying medicine. wife. "Honey, I did it again." Mr. Rosencrantz heard Mrs. Thomas yelling at Mr. Thomas in a distorted high-pitched squeal. "Yes, dear. I'm so sorry. I'll see you soon," Mr. Thomas returned the phone, sighed deeply, and ran his fingers through his hair. Where am I?

The room was dark and quiet. We heard Carl and his mother come in the front door talking. I heard two girls in the corner giggle nervously. Another girl told them to be quiet. I hid behind the table where the cake and presents were set out. The tension in the room grew as we waited for them to open the door. Where am I?

The line stretched forever. People put their bags on the floor and inched them forward. My father and I removed our shoes. There was an announcement about a gate change and a delay on an arrival from Chicago. Where am I?

I arrived early for my appointment. The place was busy and smelled of chemicals. I found a place to sit and wait. The lady next to me had a towel around her head. I heard a blow dryer in the distance. It was loud over the music that was playing. Where am I?

As I entered the door, I thought this was a great way to end the day. The chalkboard menu had a list of specialties, like sundaes and banana splits. I looked at all the flavors. Chocolate is my favorite, but peppermint sounded good, too. Where am I?

Cameron threw the rope into the field. It landed near the creek. Doris did not wait for the rope to land. She darted out into the field and picked the rope up off the ground with her teeth. If she had been a little bit faster, she might have beaten the rope to its landing spot. She brought the rope back to Cameron, released it, and then started barking. Cameron patted Doris on the head and praised her. Then he wound up and threw the rope as hard as he could. The wind must have caught the rope too, because it just kept moving. It landed in the middle of the creek...what happens next?

"You have a pimple on your forehead!" Eric snooted to Katie. Katie snapped back at him, "I do not!" Eric was delighted to see that he had gotten under her skin. He laughed, "Ha ha! You do too, and now that you're turning red, it's easier to see." Katie scowled then she charged at Eric. Eric knew better than to stand still when Katie charged, so he started running. Katie caught up to him in the living room. Mom had a beautiful antique vase on a large marble pedestal near the corner of the room. Eric took refuge behind it, knowing that as long as he could keep running around the vase faster than Katie, she would never catch him. Katie yelled at the top of her lungs, "Take it back!" As she circled around the pedestal, her foot bumped into the corner. The antique vase wobbled on the top of the pedestal. "Your pimple looks really red when you get mad!" Eric remarked snidely. He was really enjoying this. The vase continued wobbling but remained upright. Katie charged again. This time she bumped the pedestal with her elbow as she circled it...what happened next? 

"You have to water the tomatoes in the morning, not a midday or night," Veronica told her brother A.J. He nodded, but it didn't really look like he was paying attention. "They need to aspirate water all day, so please water them in the morning," she continued. "Yeah, yeah, water the plants," A.J. said with frustration. Veronica was travelling out of the country to Spain for two weeks. She was counting on her brother A.J. to water her plants. He had been irresponsible in the past, but she was giving him another chance. She had heard that gardening was therapeutic and A.J. needed therapy. She hugged and kissed him goodbye and then went to the airport. While she was gone, A.J. stopped by the garden once or twice at the start of the first week, and then he lost interest. Veronica wanted to call her brother to remind him to water the plants, but she was having so much fun in Spain that she forgot. When Veronica finally returned, the first thing she did was check out her garden. She walked up to the patch and...what happened next?

Ding! The timer rang. Cassandra pulled the oven door open and the fragrance of hot cherry pie filled the room. Steam was emanating from the surface of the pastry. Cassandra took a deep whiff and said, "Mm..." She then put the pie on the kitchen table to cool and went off to knit a hat for her grandson. Her dog Champ must have smelled the pie too. He wandered into the kitchen, put his forelegs on the table, licked his lips...what happens next?

Tex opened the can of peaches with his knife and cooked them over the fire. He shared them with his buddy Dusky and they told stories of stampedes and bandits until they tired of talking. Tex took off his boots and unrolled his blanket. He didn't mind sleeping under the stars. He put his hat over his face and fell asleep with his head on his pack. During the night a scorpion found itself next to Tex. The scorpion was very tired and, unlike Tex, the scorpion did not want to sleep under the stars. He liked small dark places, like Tex's boot. He crawled into the front of Tex's boot and fell asleep. When Tex awoke in the morning, he couldn't wait to get a jump on the day. He put on his hat, clicked on his belt and gun holsters...what happened next?

Which of the following shows why Sam refused to play in the tournament?

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?

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…

Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. They also keep sheep from wandering off. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness. Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:

Which sentence from the selection shows that the pet is a cat?

Which sentence from the selection suggests that Suzy likes to play basketball?

Which sentence supports that Jack is feeling sleepy?

There is a legal battle raging and the judges are concerned that time is running out. Lawyers are being asked to expedite the matter by getting their paperwork in early. 
What does “expedite” mean?

The election could actually end up being decided in the U.S. Congress. Al Gore’s vice presidential running mate, Joe Lieberman, and perhaps Mr. Gore himself, would be able to vote on the matter. Some would argue that they should recuse themselves, but they would probably exercise their right to vote.
What does “recuse” mean?

If you count all the votes in an area that heavily supports candidate A, and only some of the votes in an area that heavily supports candidate B, you’ll skew the results in favor of candidate A.
 What does “skew” mean?

We walked slowly down the trail with great trepidation. No one who had gone this way had ever been heard from again. Had they simply found a better place to settle on this dark planet? We doubted that. Which word is a synonym of “trepidation”?

Kathy was looking for a strong but light material to use for making her water jugs. Unfortunately, she chose noodelite. It proved to too porous to hold jelly. A porous material _____.

We have rather lofty expectations for you, son. You will attend college. You will become rich and famous. You will be elected president of the United States before you turn forty.
Which word is a synonym of “lofty”?

Which line supports the idea that Mark has changed the way he feels about a girl on the team?

Grandpa sees that his chocolate cake is all gone.  Brad has crumbs on his mouth. What do you think happened?

Gavin plays baseball and accidentally breaks a window.  How do you think he feels?

Which detail tells you that Mrs. McCoy is hungry?

When Mia's sister sang her favorite song very loudly, Mia covered her ears and walked away. Mia asked her sister repeatedly to sing quietly, but she wouldn't listen to Mia.
You can tell that --

Brandon spent his whole day collecting cans to cash in for coins to donate to the local food pantry. He liked to pick up trash off the street and bring his elderly neighbor the newspaper after he got out of school.
What conclusion can you draw about Brandon?

"You don't deserve to go to the movies," said father. "Your brother worked hard cleaning the closet, but you didn't help at all." 
"I know I should have helped," said Linda, "but I became so interested in my book that I forgot. I promise to help next time."

Ashnavi looked at her recipe.  She said, "I need one cup of flour, one cup of sugar, one stick of butter, a cup of milk, and a can of peaches.  This will be yummy for dessert tonight."  You can infer that Ashnavi is making...

Kay threw her bike down wherever she stopped. More than once she had left her bicycle in the driveway. Several times her dad had pointed out what could happen when she did this. One morning as her dad was leaving for work, Kay heard a crashing sound outside.
Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

The earth's surface is constantly changing.  All over the world everyday there are earthquakes, floods and volcanoes that quickly change our world. Some changes are too small to see.  Others cause tremendous damage and costs millions of dollars to clean up.

Scientists can measure the intensity of an earthquake. They use an instrument called the Richter scale. The Richter scale compares the strength of different earthquakes. Earthquakes  below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake and can cause tremendous damage.

In a piece of narrative text, what is the "theme"?

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant,“ and I advise you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work. When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without supper,” and he closed the door.
What is the theme?

What is the main difference between THEME and MAIN IDEA. 

Which of the following is an example of THEME?

She looked up at the basketball hoop. Slowly, she dribbled the ball,
dreading the moment when she would have to take the shot.
She remembered the last time she stood on the line. Just like
tonight, the games’ outcome depended upon her. Last time, she failed.
Her teammates watched anxiously. She took a deep breath; let go of
the ball; watched its arch. Swoosh!

Which statement implies that others are worried she won't make the shot?

She looked up at the basketball hoop. Slowly, she dribbled the ball,
dreading the moment when she would have to take the shot.
She remembered the last time she stood on the line. Just like
tonight, the games’ outcome depended upon her. Last time, she failed.
Her teammates watched anxiously. She took a deep breath; let go of
the ball; watched its arch. Swoosh!
After reading the paragraph, the reader may infer that--

The boy stood on the dimly lit street unsure of his next move, but certain that he could not go home. He was utterly alone for the first time in his life. He should have felt relieved, free. He did not. He felt empty and frightened, sensing his life would be forever changed by the next few hours. Would that be such a bad thing? Hadn’t his life changed forever that very morning? Still, he was scared. He paused on the slick, wet street in the weak glare of porch lights and then did what he always wanted to do; he turned his back and began walking east.
Which question is answered in the paragraph?

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said.
Which statement best answers why Paul doesn't wear his boots in the house?

For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.
 The Summary of this passage is:

Due to their incredible force and unpredictability, floods can cause tremendous damage. They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. Floods often leaves mud, sand and debris behind. It can take months to clean up after a flood. 
Based on what you have read, you can conclude that