Lesson on Making
Inferences, Drawing
Conclusions, Making
Predictions
Competency Goal 2.01
Making Inferences:
 Making inferences involves making
educated guesses (like making a
hypothesis in science)


Supported inferences: are based directly
on evidence from a passage.
Unsupported inferences: are conclusions
that are not logical—this happens when we
ignore facts from a passage, OR we
misunderstand/misinterpret them.
Drawing Conclusions
 Being able to draw a conclusion
depends upon your ability to make
inferences.

Conclusions are made ONLY when you
have pieced together the small guesses
that you made along the way (inferences).
Making Predictions:
 As you read a story, get into the habit of
guessing about what will happen next.

Making predictions, just like inferencing,
involves looking for clues that the writer
gives.
Read the following passage in which the topic is not stated,
but must be inferred by the reader. Identify clues that help
us draw an inference.
“Now that you’ve built up your arm and leg
strength, you are ready to go. Before you begin,
you need to remember that the sport requires
more than a board and water. First, you need a
great deal of balance. The waves are always
changing and moving. The rider’s feet must be
positioned and repositioned on the board to
avoid falling. Second, you need good vision. It
is important to observe how your wave is
changing and make adjustments.”
What was the topic of the
previous passage?
 Diving
 Skiing
 Surfing
 Swimming
Did you notice these Clues?
Now that you’ve built up your arm and leg
strength, you are ready to go. Before you begin,
you need to remember that the sport requires
more than a board and water. First, you need a
great deal of balance. The waves are always
changing and moving. The rider’s feet must be
positioned and repositioned on the board to
avoid falling. Second, you need good vision. It
is important to observe how your wave is
changing and make adjustments.”
What other inferences could we
make about surfing from that
passage?
 It’s easy?
 It’s difficult?
 It’s fun?
 It’s boring?
Drawing conclusions is a common type of
inferencing skill. When you draw a conclusion,
you form a judgement or opinion based on details
in the passage as well as your personal
knowledge and experience.
 What conclusion can you draw from the
following passage?

“Maria has studied all week for her algebra
test. She spent three hours every night
working on the review exercises in her
textbook. Last night, she could not sleep
very well because she was afraid she
would sleep through her alarm.”
What’s the most logical
conclusion?
A. Maria will pass her test.
B. Maria is nervous about her algebra test.
C. Maria gets nervous before big tests.
D. Maria enjoys taking tests.
Explanation:
A? not a conclusion but a prediction
B? logical conclusion—we know that she’s
nervous because of her actions.
C? not a conclusion, but a generalization—
we only know how she reacts to algebra
tests, not all tests
D? not a conclusion—passage says
nothing about Maria enjoying test.
Practice:
“Want Ad”
Cheerful person to work at Medical City Dallas Hospital.
Some experience selling helpful but not necessary.
You will help brighten our patients’ days. Uniform
provided. Apply at Flower Power, 7777 Forest Lane,
Dallas, TX.
The person who takes this job will probably work as a:
A. Nurse B. receptionist C. salesperson D.
Custodian
“Sleeping”
Some people think they don’t move at all while
they sleep. They believe they go to bed and
never change position. Not true. Studies show
that everybody makes at least eight to twelve
major posture shifts a night. Insomniacs may
double or triple that.
What is a valid conclusion?
A. Insomniacs shift positions less often than
regular sleepers.
B. Insomniacs shift positions more often than
regular sleepers.
C. Insomniacs shift positions as much as regular
sleepers.
D. Insomniacs do not shift positions at all.
Two dogs were kept in the fenced yard of the red brick house. They
were locked in because they liked to run away. They were friendly
dogs, but they barked a lot. When Susan walked by the house every
day on the way to school, she heard the dogs barking. Even though
the dogs were locked in, she always walked on the other side of the
street.
What detail would support the conclusion that Susan was afraid of dogs?
A. They were locked in because they liked to run away.
B. They were friendly dogs, but they barked a lot.
C. Two dogs were kept in the fenced yard of the red brick house.
D. Even though the dogs were locked in, she always walked on the
other side of the street.
Fran was a born worrier. She worried about
everything. When she went on a trip, she
worried that she might forget her ticket or that
the train might be late and she wouldn’t get to
her destination on time. When she drove, she
worried that traffic would be terrible. When
she went on vacation, she worried that she
would arrive at a hotel and somehow her
reservation would be mixed up and she
wouldn’t have a room.
Fran had a new job. What do you suppose she
thought about the day before she started?
A. Whether she would do well at her job
B. Whether to go food shopping
C. Whether to have dinner at a restaurant
D. Whether she should bring an umbrella