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?