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Inferencing:

All good readers are able to draw conclusions about a text, even when the text does not state something
explicitly (clearly and completely).

Infer: to conclude based on evidence.

Example: The man carried the cake and its lit candles into the dining room.

Inference: It is someones birthday.

Evidence: the candles on the cake indicate it could be a birthday cake.

Practice Exercises:

1. The group of women walked out of the dark room. A few of them were carrying tissues. As they
exited into the bright sunlight, two of them had to put on their sunglasses.
What can you infer about where the women are?
Evidence:

2. She drove into her driveway and saw that the front yard was much cleaner than when she had left this
morning. Straight lines crisscrossed back and forth through it.
What had happened while she was at work?
Evidence:

3. Katherine held the wash cloth tightly, pressing it into her hand. She told the children not to walk
barefoot through the kitchen.
What had just happened?
Evidence:

4. The crowd was hushed. They turned their heads in unison, first one way, and then the opposite way.
Where was this crowd? _
Evidence:

5. Dad was very patient, but honestly, how many times could he listen to the halting notes of that song?
Dad walked up to the bench to talk to his young daughter.
What was the daughter doing?
Evidence:

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6. The boy was crying loudly while an employee made an announcement over the stores public address
system.
What can you infer about the situation?
Evidence:

7. The man came into the house and went straight to the kitchen sink, where he got a large glass of water
for himself. His t-shirt had large dark stains on it. He took off his earbuds after he finished the drink of
water.
What had the man been doing?
Evidence:

8. Linda picked up the sandwich and ran after the boy whose backpack was unzipped.
What had just happened?
Evidence:

9. The woman in the car parked in the store parking lot kept looking at her watch and then at the
entrance of the store.
What is the woman doing?
Evidence: _

10. Mom was looking everywhere in the bottom of her purse, in the pocket of her sweater, on the
kitchen countertop. She realized she could not go anywhere until she found them.
What is mom looking for?
Evidence:

11. The man came home from work. He walked into his kitchen and noticed the clock on his microwave
was blinking 12:00.
What had happened while the man was at work?
Evidence:

12. The teachers words hung in the air of the quiet classroom. Matt slunk further down in the seat of his
desk, trying hard not to meet his teachers eyes.
What is happening in this situation?
Evidence:

13. Jason was walking across the backyard. When he walked under the big elm tree, a blue jay suddenly
started squawking and zooming down and around, close to Jasons head.
Why is the blue jay behaving this way?

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Evidence:

14. The little boy wearing a purple cape hurried into his bedroom and dumped a huge bag of candy out
onto his bed.
What has the boy been doing?
Evidence:

15. The dog ran to the front door, wagging his tail. He sat down and gazed up expectantly.
What is the dog doing? _
Evidence:

16. The teenager behind the wheel looked nervously over at the passenger seat and the woman sitting
there with a clipboard.
What can you infer about this situation?
Evidence:

17. The cat, her tail swishing back and forth, was crouching in front of the refrigerator. She was staring
intently at the space underneath it.
What can you infer about this situation?
Evidence:

18. The anxious man dropped down on one knee, looked up and opened the small box.
What can you infer about this situation?
Evidence:

19. The family heard the sounds of fizzing, popping, and the ooohs and aaaahs of the happy crowd.
The heat of the summer night hovered around them.
What can you infer about this situation?
Evidence:

20. The group of children waited at the curb for the crossing guard to motion them forward.
Where are the children going?
Evidence:

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Now you try! Write a paragraph describing something, but do not actually name what you are describing.

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Answer Key

1. The women are leaving a movie theater. The movie was probably a sad movie.
2. Her yard had been mowed.
3. Katherine had broken something made out of glass and cut her hand. There are pieces of broken glass
on the floor.
4. The crowd is at a tennis match.
5. The daughter was practicing the piano.
6. The boy is lost in a store, and the employee is making an announcement to try to find his parents.
7. The man has been jogging.
8. The boys sandwich fell out of his unzipped backpack, and Linda was returning it to him.
9. The woman was waiting for the store to open.
10. Mom is looking for her keys.
11. The power went out while the man was at work.
12. The teacher has just asked a difficult question, and Matt is trying to avoid being called on for the
answer.
13. Matt is walking too close to the blue jays nest, which is in the elm tree.
14. The boy has been out to trick or treat.
15. The dogs owner is home and is about to come into the house.
16. The teenager is taking his or her drivers license exam.
17. The cat has chased a mouse under the refrigerator.
18. The man is proposing marriage.
19. The family is at a fireworks display (for the 4th of July or Memorial Day).
20. The children are going to school.

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