HFCC Learning Lab Comprehension B5.3 Drawing Inferences MAKING INFERENCES (BEGINNING LEVEL) You have been drawing inferences all your life. You began to make many kinds of inferences when you were a baby. You have been getting better at the skill all the time. Yet, many students panic when they are asked to draw inferences on a reading test. They don't know how to go about the task. This handout will show you how to draw inferences from what you read. What Are Inferences? When did you first learn to draw inferences? You learned long ago-even before you can remember. Your first inferences were probably about food. When you saw an adult coming toward you with a jar of baby food, you knew it was time to eat. No words had to be spoken. You knew you were hungry. You recognized the jar and the label and thought, "Dinner!" You had learned how to draw the right inference. Today, you use this skill on many occasions. If you see smoke, you may infer that there is a fire. If you hear an ambulance siren wailing on the highway, you may infer that there has been an accident. If you see a black cloud approaching from the west, you may infer that there will be a storm. You don't think about the process each time. You don't say, "Wow! I'm drawing an inference!" But that's what you're doing. An INFERENCE is a conclusion reached WITHOUT A DIRECT STATEMENT OR EXPLANATlON. If your friend says, "The Red Sox lost 11-2 last night," she has made a direct statement. But suppose that, rather than making a direct statement, she says, "Those poor Red Sox. Weak pitching. Three errors. Will they ever start winning again?" You may INFER that the Red Sox lost last night, even though she hasn't said it. Inferences need to be checked for accuracy. For example, the wailing ambulance siren on the highway may not mean an accident. The ambulance might be answering a false alarm. Or perhaps someone who is ill is being rushed to a hospital. All you can do is try to draw correct, accurate inferences and then check them later if you can. Strong and Weak Inferences Inferences can be either strong or weak. Let's look at both kinds. 1. Statement: When the game was over, the home fans loudly cheered the players. The home team won. 2. Statement: Joe didn't arrive at our house on time. Joe dislikes our family. B5.3 1
One of these inferences is more likely to be accurate than the other. The first is a STRONG INFERENCE. Since the home fans are happy, their team probably won. You cannot be completely sure until you check further. However, the inference seems to be a sound one. The second is a WEAK INFERENCE. There may be many reasons for Joe's lateness. He may have been caught in traffic. He may have gotten the time wrong. He may have stopped to buy a present for the family. He may be forgetful. All of these are possibilities. Joe may like the family very much, but he may still be late in arriving. EXERCISE I Directions: Distinguishing Between Strong and Weak inferences Classify each of the following inferences by writing A for strong or B for weak on the line at the right. 1. Statement: The potatoes taste burnt. They were cooked too long or at too high at heat. 1. 2. Statement: Beth isn't going out for girls' basketball. She's afraid of not making the team. 2. 3. Statement: All the lights in our neighborhood went out at once. There's a general outage or loss of electrical power. 3. 4. Statement: The newspaper wasn=t delivered to our doorstep this morning. The workers at the newspaper are on strike. 4. 5. Statement: He failed the spelling test. He didn=t study the words to be tested. 5. 6. Statement: He failed the spelling test. He had bad luck because of walking under a ladder. 6. 7. Statement It=s 3:00 A.M., and the factory seems closed. The factory doesn=t operate 24 hours a day. 7. B5.3 2
8. Statement: This is the fifth time I=ve gotten poison ivy after picking blueberries in the woods. There must be poison ivy in the woods. 8. 9. Statement: I can=t find my science textbook. It was stolen on the bus. 9. 10. Statement: Marie isn=t coming to the dance. She has no friends at school. 10. Choosing the Strongest Inference You have now worked with strong and weak inferences. Sometimes on a test, you will be asked to pick out the STRONGEST of a number of inferences. You can use clues from your reading to make this choice. The following type of slot-completion passage is called a cloze exercise. In the blank space, write the letter of the phrase that makes the best sense in the paragraph's context. There were no cars in the parking lot. The restaurant shades were drawn. An automobile with two couples drove into the parking area, paused a moment, and then. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) put on the lights. honked the horn. dropped off three passengers. drove off. blocked the restaurant door. Answer The people in the car probably intended to eat at the restaurant. When they got to the parking lot, they found no cars there. Then they saw that the shades were drawn. They inferred that the restaurant was closed. You can probably infer that they left. The best answer is (d) drove off. Inferring a Single Word Some tests ask you to choose a single word to fill a blank. Study the example. In the blank space, write the letter of the word that makes the best sense in the passage s context. When Brenda returned from the long hike, her steps were slow, and her shoulders drooped. It was clear that she was from her experience. a) happy b) weary c) bright d) bitter e) bored B5.3 3
Answer There are three main clues here: the long hike, Brenda s slow steps, and her drooping shoulders. What do these clues, taken together, tell you? Let s look at the five possibilities. It s true that under certain circumstances, any one of the answers could fit. But you are asked to infer the best answer. The answers (a) happy and (c) bright seem completely out of place. The words are too cheerful to fit Brenda s appearance. On the other hand, (d) bitter and (e) bored, while less cheerful, don t fit either. Both suggest what Brenda s feelings were, but there is nothing in the two sentences about feelings or emotions. You don t know what Brenda s feelings were-and you can t read into the sentences more than is suggested. From what is written, you can only infer that Brenda was tired. Therefore, the best answer is (b) weary. Exercise II. Drawing Inferences Directions: In the blank space, write the letter of the correct answer for each numbered item. 1. A trademark is a name, a sign, or a picture that appears on a product to make it easy for a customer to the product. a) Overlook b) sell c) remember d) carry e) eat 2. Spring rains and melting snow had made the country roads difficult to drive on; there was everywhere. a) Grass b) advertising c) ice d) sleet e) mud 3. When Marilyn got on the scale, shook her head, and said, Oh, no! I could tell that she was. a) Delighted b) afraid c) unkind d) thoughtful e) disappointed 4. Since Julie has been given a surprise party every year for the past three years, we think she one this year. a) Expects b) forgets c) dislike d) enjoys e) prepares 5. Traffic is so heavy on Route 52 that the county has decided to the road. a) Widen b) close c) pave d) renumber e) narrow B5.3 4
Answers Exercise I 1. A Strong These are good reasons for potatoes tasting burnt. 2. B Weak Beth may have other reasons: lack of time, family responsibilities, desire for another activity. 3. A Strong Since all the lights have gone out, there is probably a general outage. 4. B Weak There are many possible reasons for not getting the paper: the delivery person didn=t get up in time; the delivery person quit; the papers didn=t reach the delivery person. 5. A Strong Failing to study is a common cause for failing a test. 6. B Weak There is no connection between failing a test and walking under a l ladder. 7. A Strong If the factory is closed at 3:00 A.M., it seems clear that it does not operate around the clock. 8. A Strong Getting poison ivy five times in a row strongly suggests that there is poison ivy in the woods. 9. B Weak There are many other possible explanations: the person was careless, left the book at home or at school, or loaned it to someone else. 10. B Weak Maria may not be coming because she is ill, has something else planned, doesn=t like dancing, or has other reasons. B5.3 5