English
What is inference in reading?
Quick answer
Inference means working out something the writer has not said directly, using clues in the text plus what you already know. It is often called reading between the lines.
In one sentence
Inference is using clues in a text, plus your own knowledge, to work out things the writer suggests but does not state.
Explained
Read this: Amira stared at the empty plate. Crumbs were scattered across the table, and the dog was licking its lips. The writer never says the dog ate the cake. But you know. That is inference.
Writers often show rather than tell. Instead of writing Jay was nervous, they write Jay's hands shook as he waited for his name to be called. The reader puts the clues together: shaking hands + waiting = nervous.
Inference is like being a detective:
- Find the clues in the words: actions, speech, descriptions, the setting.
- Add what you know from life: people who shake when waiting are often nervous.
- Make a conclusion: Jay is nervous.
- Check it against the rest of the text. Does anything later disagree?
Common inference questions ask about feelings (How does she feel?), reasons (Why did he leave early?), predictions (What might happen next?) and settings (Where and when is this happening?).
In school answers, back up every inference with evidence: I think Jay is nervous because the text says "his hands shook". Using a short quotation and explaining it is the habit that earns marks at every level, from primary comprehension to secondary exams.
Inference also explains figurative language. Working out what a metaphor means is a kind of inference.
magnifying glass
book
umbrella
Examples
| The text says | You can infer |
|---|---|
| She yawned and rubbed her eyes. | She is tired. |
| The streets were empty and the shops were shuttered. | It is very early, very late, or a holiday. |
| He hid the letter under his pillow. | He wants to keep it secret. |
| The grass sparkled with frost. | It is cold, probably morning. |
Common mistakes
- Guessing without evidence. Every inference needs a clue you can point to.
- Retelling instead of inferring. She yawned is what the text says; she is tired is the inference.
- Ignoring clues that do not fit. Check that your idea matches the whole passage.
Quick quiz
Inference
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Tom slammed the door and threw his bag on the floor. How does Tom feel?
Practise it
Try it
Reading comprehension practice
For grown-ups
Related topics
Summarising
Summarising means retelling the most important ideas of a text briefly, in your own words, leaving out small details and examples.
Fact and opinion
A fact is something that can be checked and proved true or false. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, and other people may disagree.
Personification
Personification gives human qualities or actions to things that are not human, like The wind howled or The sun smiled down on us.
Metaphors
A metaphor describes something by saying it is something else, without using like or as, such as The classroom was a zoo or Time is a thief.
Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun, telling you what kind, which one or how many, like a huge elephant, a sour lemon or three red balloons.
Adverbs
An adverb gives more information about a verb, adjective or another adverb, telling how, when, where or how often, like slowly, tomorrow, outside or always.