Inference Questions

Inference

Inference can be used in several ways to help you respond fully to a piece of reading.

• You can infer a general fact or a precise piece of information.
• You can infer emotions and feelings of characters in passage.
• You can infer information about the author - his/her opinions, feelings, point of view.

To infer successfully you can-

• Work out answer from clues or references in the text.
• Work out answer from the connotations of words used in text.
• Match something in the text to your own understanding or experience or knowledge to come up with the correct answer.

• Examples

  Have a look at the following extract and questions and spot how the clues help you come up with the answer.

  "Rain lashed against the windows as Jane stamped up and down the room stopping only to check the time on the mantle clock every five minutes. Her book, bought with such enthusiasm the day before, was flung carelessly in the corner beside the abandoned picnic basket.

  Jane stamped her feet and began to repeat her earlier tedious complaints against nature. Emily merely smiled to herself and carried on reading the newspaper without as much as a nod of the head".

  
  

  Question

  (question to infer information)

  What plans had Janehad for the day?

  Hint -

  the abandoned picnic basket

  Answer

  A picnic

  Question

  (question to infer emotion)

  How would you describe Jane's mood?

  Hint -

  Unable to sit still, watching the clock, fed-up with reading, complaining

  Answer

  Angry, frustrated, bad-tempered and disappointed

  Question

  (question to infer author's opinion or point of view)

  What expression does the author use to suggest her disapproval of the main character?

  Hint -

  The word tedious has negative connotations and suggests disapproval of Jane's tiresome behaviour.

  Answer

  "tedious complaints"