Inference — what the text hints
English · Key Stage 2 · The School
Two kinds of understanding
Retrieval is finding what the text SAYS: "Tom slammed the door." Inference is working out what it MEANS: Tom is probably angry — the text never says "angry", but slamming doors is a clue. Good readers do both at once.
The clue + knowledge formula
An inference = a clue from the text + something you already know. Clue: "Her lunchbox came home full." Knowledge: children who feel fine usually eat their lunch. Inference: something was wrong at school today. Always name your clue — "I think… because the text says…".
Strong and weak inferences
A strong inference has clear evidence. A weak one is a guess. "The story is set in winter because there is frost on the window and the pond is frozen" is strong. "The story is set in France because I like France" is not an inference at all.
"Mum put down the letter and stared out of the window. She did not finish her tea." SAYS: she put down a letter and looked out of the window. HINTS: something in the letter upset her — clues are the unfinished tea and the staring. MADE UP: "the letter was from the hospital" — nothing in the text points there. Sort every answer into those three boxes and only the first two are allowed.