Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions

Making Inferences and
Drawing Conclusions

A text does not contain a
meaning

Readers construct meaning by what they
take the words to mean and how they
process sentences to find meaning.
Readers draw on their knowledge of the
language and of conventions of social
communication.
They infer unstated meanings based on
social conventions, shared knowledge,
shared experience, or shared values. They
make sense of remarks by recognizing
implications and drawing conclusions.

Readers read ideas more than
words, and infer, rather than find,
meaning

Inferences
are
evidence-based
guesses. They are the conclusions a
reader draws about the unsaid based on
what is actually said. Inferences drawn
while reading are much like inferences
drawn in everyday life. If your best friend
comes in from a blind date and looks
utterly miserable, you would probably
infer the date was not a success.

Reading Tips:
• 1. Make sure your inferences rely mainly on the
author’s words rather than your own feelings
or experience. Your goal is to read the author’s
mind, not invent your own message.
• 2. Check to see if your inference is contradicted
by any statements in the paragraph. If it is, it
is not an appropriate or useful inference.

• 3. If the passage is a tough one, check to see if
you can actually identify the statements that
led you to your conclusion. This kind of close
reading is a good comprehension check. It will
also help you remember the material.

Consider the following statement:

“The Senator admitted owning the gun
that killed his wife.”
What does it mean?
a.
b.
c.
d.

What about this?
A man and his son are driving in a
car. The car crashes into a tree,
killing the father and seriously

injuring his son. At the hospital, the
boy needs to have surgery. Upon
looking at the boy, the doctor says
(telling
the
truth),
"I
cannot
operate on him. He is my son.“
How can this be? Decide on your

Implications For Reading
All reading is an active, reflective, problem-solving
process. We do not simply read words; we read
ideas, thoughts that spring from the relationships of
various
assertions.
The
notion
of

inference
equations is particularly powerful in this regard.
Readers can use the notion of inference equations to
test whether or not the ingredients for a given
inferences are indeed present.
To show lying, for instance, a text must show that
someone made a statement that they knew was
incorrect and that they made that assertion with the
specific purpose of deception. If they did not know it
was wrong at the time, it’s an error, not a lie. If they
did not make the statement for the specific purpose
of deception, we have a misstatement, not lying.

Interpreting what you
read
Because writers don't always say things
directly, sometimes it is difficult to figure out
what a writer really means or what he or she is
really trying to say. You need to learn to "read
between the lines" - to take the information the

writer gives you and figure things out for yourself.
You will also need to learn to distinguish
between fact and opinion. As you read an
author's views, you should ask yourself if the
author is presenting you with an established fact
or with a personal opinion.

facts
• can be verified in reference books,
official records, and so forth.
• are expressed in concrete
language or specific numbers.
• once verified, are generally agreed
upon by people.

opinions
• are often expressed as comparisons
(more, strongest, less, most, least
efficient or but)
• are often expressed by adjectives

(brilliant, vindictive, fair,
trustworthy):
• often involve evaluations:
• are often introduced by verbs and
adverbs that suggest some
doubt in the writer's mind. (seems,