Mrs. DeGraw7th Grade EnglishTeam 7C Go Green! IntroductionHave a look at this extract,"The men walked down the streets to the mine with their heads bent close to their chests. In groups of five or six they scurried on. It was impossible to recognize individuals from the small gaps between their caps, pulled down over their eyes, and the tightly bound scarves tied tightly over the bottom half of their faces". ow answer this !uestion"#hat was the weather like as the men walked to the mine$ %ou should have been able to work out that it was very cold and windy. %ou probably arrived at this answer because you associated hats pulled down and scarves with winter or cold weather at least. %ou know from personal experience people keep their heads down when walking against the wind and the author gave you another clue with the word "scurried" which suggests the men were hurrying to reach their destination.To tackle this !uestion you have used the skill of inferring . This is sometimes called 'reading between the lines' . #riters expect you to use this skill to get the most out of any piece of reading.&o, to really understand a piece of reading you need to be like &herlock Holmes and be a first class detective' Inference Inference can be used in several ways to help you respond fully to a piece of reading.(%ou can infer a general fact or a precise piece of information. (%ou can infer emotions and feelings of characters in passage. (%ou can infer information about the author ) his*her opinions, feelings, point of view. To infer successfully you can"(#ork out the answer from clues or references in the text. (#ork out the answer from the connotations of words used in text. (+atch something in the text to your own understanding, experience or knowledge to come up with the correct answer. Inferring means to take what you know and make a guess. Read the following situations and pick which answer you could infer.If your best friend is not in school one day you could infer that!"They are out sic# or on $acation."They are ne$er coming bac#."They mo$ed to a new state."They went to the wrong school by mista#e. If you see someone holding an umbrella what can you infer!"It might rain."They hurt themsel$es."They li$e in California."Today is %unday. If your electricity goes out you can infer that!"& tree fell on the 'ower lines."(ou will ne$er ha$e lights again."(our water will be off too."%omething ha''ened to the 'ower. If a sign in front of a house reads )*or +ent, you can infer that!"The house is no good to li$e in."The house comes with furniture inside."The house is brand new."The house needs new occu'ants. If you forget to study for a test you can infer that!"The teacher will let you ta#e it tomorrow."(ou might not do well."(ou will be better off than if you had studied."The teacher will send you to the 'rinci'al-s office. If your teacher is out of school today you can infer that!"(ou won-t ha$e any homewor#."The substitute teacher will be mean."The rules don-t a''ly for today."The teacher is either sic# or out of town. If you see a fire engine on your street you can infer that!"& cat is in a tree."& neighbor accidentally burned himself in the #itchen."The 'olice will show u' too."%omeone had a ty'e of emergency. If you see someone with a cast on his leg you can infer that!".e will ha$e a cast on his arm too.".e bro#e his leg.".e felloff of a horse.".e will ha$e to wear the cast for si/ months. If you get fired from your 0ob you can infer that!"(ou might get a raise."(ou did something wrong."(ou will ne$er get another 0ob again."(ou were the best wor#er. If you forget to return your library boo# you can infer that!"(ou will ha$e to 'ay a fine."They will ta#e away your library card."The library must be closed."It was a rainy day. ExamplesHave a look at the following extract and !uestions and spot how the clues help you come up with the answer.",ain lashed against the windows as -ane stamped up and down the room stopping only to check the time on the mantle clock every five minutes. Her book, bought with such enthusiasm the day before, was flung carelessly in the corner beside the abandoned picnic basket. -ane stamped her feet and began to repeat her earlier tedious complaints against nature. .mily merely smiled to herself and carried on reading the newspaper without as much as a nod of the head./ Question 1(question to infer information)What plans did Jane have for the day?Happening Hintthe abandoned picnic basketThe Answer0 picnic Question 2(question to infer emotion)How would you describe Jane's mood ?Happening Hintunable to sit still, watching the clock, fed)up with reading, complainingThe Answer0ngry, frustrated, bad)tempered and disappointed Question 3(question to infer author's opinion or point of view)What expression does the author use to suggest her disapproval of the main character?Happening HintThe word tedious has negative connotations and suggests disapproval of -ane1s tiresome behavior.The Answer"tedious complaints" 0ll passages used in the exam will be chosen because you can look beyond the surface facts and work out some deeper meanings. 2e ready to do this when answering !uestions. 2e a good ,eading 3etective'ow try a test bite'' Types of Question - InferenceThis exercise will help you practice the skill of inferring and check that you know how to look for clues in a reading passage.Here is an extract that will e followed y fi!e statements" "4nly those of an imposing stature were chosen to play football by the natural team leaders who emerged every playtime. +y chore was to sit behind the goal at the river end of the field and retrieve any balls stupid enough to avoid the grasp of Tam 5night or "&pite" as he was referred to in whispers by most of the lower school. 4n occasion this meant removing my boots and socks ) if I happened to be wearing any that day. This particular day the water was higher than usual and as I tried to reach the ball I slipped off the slimy rock on which I perched and plunged into the murky wetness. #hile this was bad enough, I stood up 6ust in time to see my left boot float down the river and disappear under the bridge. The roars of laughter and finger pointing were nothing compared to what I would have to endure when I went home bootless./ Directions!Decide whether each statement is true or false.1. The narrator was 2uite small as a child.3. The narrator en0oyed hel'ing out at 'laytime.4. Tam 5night was a 'o'ular boy.6. The narrator came from a wealthy family.7. The narrator had a ha''y childhood. The correct answers are:1. True..e was left out because he did not ha$e the necessary stature and therefore he must ha$e been small.2. False. If he regarded it as a chore it was not $ery en0oyable.3. False. The nasty connotations of Tam8s nic#name and the way the younger boys reacted to him both suggest he was un'o'ular. 9erha's you also noticed the way the football was described as stu'id for not letting itself be caught!4. False. The clues suggested money was short : did not always ha$e soc#s and was $ery worried about going home bootless.5. False. The clues ma#e you feel sym'athetic towards the boy and what he had to go through.