Readers need to find the meaning behind the words

Making Inferences
 What Are Inferences?
 Inferences are often referred to as what you “read
between the lines”.
 The meaning is really found “between your ears”.
 Inferences are what the author implies or
suggests.
 The author wants reader, to make jump to the
same conclusion the author has made.
 When the author implies something, the reader
has to infer.
When Do We Infer?

We infer all the time. You infer:

 Why things happen?
 Why characters behave the way they do?
 And how characters are feeling?

In order to infer meaning, readers must combine:

The information that the author has written
+
Their own experiences—both reading experiences
and life experiences.
Prediction VS Inference

Prediction:
Right or Wrong, our “guess” will be confirmed

Inference:
Logical and Justifiable, Able to ‘make a case’ –
not a guess
What Happens When You Read?
While you read, your inside voice:
 Makes guesses
 Finds connecting points
 Asks questions
 Makes predictions
 Personalizes the reading
 Uses background knowledge to interpret

Note: You may not always be correct in your inferences,

but they are assumptions that you make based on the
given clues.
Steps to Make Inference

 Figure out the main idea, key details and

organizational pattern.
 Notice details – Specially those that are
unusual or stand out.
 Look up unfamiliar words

 Add up the FACTS

 Consider the author’s purpose

Problems in making inference

PROBLEM # 1: Ignoring Information

 Guessing
 Jumping to Conclusions
 Ignoring Author’s Signals
PROBLEM # 2: Issues with Schema
(preconceived ideas)
 Lack of Schema
 Fragmented Schema
 Inaccurate Schema
 Biased

PROBLEM # 3: Identifying Task

 What Should the Reader Do?
 EXAMPLE
Half of the public education classrooms in Pakistan are now
hooked up to the internet. (Dawn News, 12th June, 2020)

Can we INFER the following?

a) Students now have access to current world news and
happenings.
b) Books are no longer considered the sole source of
information on a subject.
c) Teachers have become better teachers now that they
have Internet access.
d) Children are more computer literate than their parents
were when they were in school.
YOUR TURN

 Any Question?
 Please Solve the exercise
The questions in this section of the test will begin with
a statement of facts that must be regarded as true.
After each statement you will be presented with
possible inferences which might be drawn from facts
in the statement. Analyse each inference separately
and decide on its degree of truth.
For each inference you will be provided with 5 possible
answers: TRUE, PROBABLY TRUE, MORE
INFORMATION REQUIRED, PROBABLY FALSE,
and FALSE.