The English idiom "read between the lines" is often used when talking about making inferences. When we make an inference, we take the information we already know and apply it to what we read, see, or hear. You already make inferences all of the time.

For example, imagine you go over to a friend's house, and they point at the sofa and say, "Don't sit there, my sister came over with her baby again". What could you logically conclude? First, you know there must be a reason not to sit where your friend is pointing. Next, the reason not to sit there is related to the fact that the sister just visited with her baby. You don't know what exactly happened, but you can guess (make an inference) and don't need to ask any more questions to know that you do not want to sit there!


What is an Inference?

An inference is an idea that is suggested by the facts or details in a passage.

Most writing suggests more than it says. Conclusions may be missing from the things you read, so you have to draw your own. An author may not include information for several reasons:

  1. They may think you already know it.
  2. It may not seem important to them.
  3. They may want you to find the result.



How to Make an Inference

  1. Observe all the facts, information, and arguments given by the author.
  2. Consider what you already know from your own experience.
  3. When faced with multiple-choice answers, determine whether each is true or false based on the information in the passage
  4. Think about the facts of the passage and what may result from them.
  5. Think about causes and effects. Sometimes, the writer may only provide a list of effects, so you have to figure out the cause.
  6. Try using "If…then…"

Examples

The woman waited nervously in line. When the counter was empty, she carefully unloaded her items from her cart. Lines creased her forehead as if to show the calculations ringing up in her head. Finally, the cashier began ringing up the items as the woman clutched her purse.

Inference: The woman may not have enough money to cover the cost of her groceries.

The child stood on the sidewalk, clenching her ice cream cone. Beads of sweat collected on her little nose as she furiously licked at the ice cream dripping down her hand.

Inference: It must be a hot day because her ice cream is melting, and she is sweating.

Inference: If the girl is sweating, then it may be warm outside.

Check out this video, which discusses useful strategies that help you make inferences while reading.

Now that we know more about inferential reading, let's put this knowledge into practice.

Content adapted from:

McDaniel College Writing Center, https://writingcenter.mcdaniel.edu/resources/reading/inferences/
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Student Success Center OCtech, https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=__kPIp-3n08
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.