Do you like mysteries? Most kids are pretty good at figuring them out. You are probably a pretty good detective, yourself!

If you are NOT a good detective, you might have trouble answering inference questions.

So, let’s sharpen your skills!

You will be surprised at how easy inferences can be. Inference means reading all the clues and making your best guess! That’s all! Look at this example of an inference question.

Tommy and John were hot and sweaty as they sat outside the principal’s office. Dirt smeared both of their faces, and they could hear their teacher’s voice as she gave Mr. Jones her account of what had happened. Tommy sneered at John, and John returned the angry glare. As Miss Brown left Mr. Jones’ office, the boys hung their heads so they wouldn’t have to look her in the eye.

From this paragraph you can infer that…

The boys were best friends.

The principal was a nice man.

The boys had disappointed their teacher.

Go back and look inthe passage

Go back tothe question

We can guess that they had been fighting, because dirt smeared both of their faces, and they were sitting outside the principal’s office. The biggest clue is in the last sentence: the boys hung their

heads so they wouldn’t have to look her in the eye. They had disappointed their teacher.

Next question,please!

Pete called Ted Tuesday afternoon and invited him to come to his house after dinner to watch a movie. It had been a long, boring  day, and Ted was excited to have something to do.  After dinner, he hopped on his bike and pedaled over to Pete's house. The house was dark, and when he rang the bell, there was no answer. Ted turned around, hopped back on his bike, and rode home.

Think about all the clues in the passage.

What can Ted infer?

Press the button to go on once you have made your inference.

Ted can infer that nobody is at home.

What clues in the paragraph helped you make this inference?

Click on the sentence that helped you make your inference.

Pete called Ted Tuesday afternoon and invited him to come to his house after dinner to watch a movie. It had been a long, boring  day, and Ted was excited to have something to do.  After dinner, he hopped on his bike and pedaled over to Pete's house. The house was dark, and when he rang the bell, there was no answer. Ted turned around, hopped back on his bike, and rode home.

Go back tothe question

The fact that the lights were off and nobody answered the doorbell tells us that nobody

was home.

Next question,please!

"Achoo!" Patti sneezed. She sneezed again, and then a third time.  She felt very warm and her head hurt.  She dragged herself out of bed and called her boss. She told her boss she wouldn't be going to work. 

Think about all the clues in the passage.

Make an inference about why Patti isn’t going to work.

Press the button to go on once you have made your inference.

Patti isn’t going to work because she

is sick!

Mary was very proud of her garden.  She'd planted the seeds early in the spring and tended to the plants every day since then. She pulled the weeds so they'd have lots of space.  She knew that the plants needed plenty of water, so she watered them every day too.

Last Saturday her friend Pam called early in the morning and invited Mary to spend the day at the mall.  They left early and spent the day there, even taking in a movie.  Pam then invited Mary to sleep over Saturday night too, and she happily accepted.  When Mary arrived home on Sunday afternoon, her beautiful plants were bent and drooping.

Make an inference about why the plants were drooping when Mary got home.

The plants wanted to go to the mall too.

The plants were in the sun.

Mary hadn’t watered the plants.

Go back and look inthe passage

Go back tothe question

Usually Mary waters the plants every day. She didn’t water the plants last

Saturday because she was at the mall. The plants were drooping because they

hadn’t been watered.

Next question,please!

Make a prediction about what Mary might do next time.

Bring the plants to the mall with her.

Ask someone to water her plants.

Stay home instead of going to the mall.

Go back and look inthe passage

Go back tothe question

It isn’t reasonable to bring the plants to the mall with her.

It isn’t reasonable for her to always stay home with the plants.

It would make the most sense for her to ask someone to water her plants for her

next time. MOREINFERENCES!

Click on the link below to get more practice with

making inferences.

What Can You Infer?