What is inferencing?

Context clues, critical thinking and questioning combine to help you make sense of the unknown.

Author
Taylor Hartley

Published
February 20, 2024

What is inferencing?

Context clues, critical thinking and questioning combine to help you make sense of the unknown.

Author
Taylor Hartley

Published
Feb 20, 2024

What is inferencing?

Context clues, critical thinking and questioning combine to help you make sense of the unknown.

Author
Taylor Hartley

Published
Feb 20, 2024

Key takeaways

Piece it all together – Inferencing is the skill of putting details together to figure out more complex topics.
It’s an essential skill – Since most things are seldom explicitly stated, inferencing is essential for success.
The little things matter – Inferencing is like solving a mystery, and every little detail can be a clue.

Table of contents

If you have ever wondered why your favourite TV character is acting suspiciously or why people are buying up all the bread in the store, you know firsthand how challenging making inferences can be.

The process of inferring is all about making deductions and coming to conclusions based on whatever available information you can gather. Inferencing is an incredibly important skill since so much of life is up to interpretation.

When attempting to make inferences, you should pay attention to details and start asking questions about what they may mean. You can draw from previous experiences with those details to make educated guesses, or use the knowledge you’ve learned from other sources.

When you start making connections between what specific details imply, you can get a fuller picture of what is going on.

Inferencing in reading comprehension

Most authors write by the law of “show, don’t tell”. Rather than simply telling readers what to think about character choices or what their behaviours mean, authors expect readers to take note of specific details and come to their own conclusions. This makes reading a more enriching experience, but it presents a challenge. Inferencing is essential for piecing these stories together.

Be aware that an inference you make may not be correct. For example, if a character’s face is red, you might conclude that they are angry. However, that character might just be red because it’s windy and cold outside, or maybe they just finished running a marathon.

Inferencing requires that you not only look at important details and what they may indicate, but also understand the context of the detail. Does your interpretation match up with other details?

Examples of inferences in a sentence

When learning to make inferences, you should start small. Pay attention to the context of the example and pair that with previous experiences and knowledge you have to come to conclusions. Notice details and ask questions about them.

Example 1: “I’m completely fine,” Rebecca muttered, crossing her arms.

You may infer here that Rebecca is lying about being “fine”. Muttering can imply a lack of confidence or certainty, and crossed arms can signal someone being closed off or defensive. Together, you can infer that Rebecca is not fine at all.

Example 2: Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, blotting out the last rays of the setting sun.

The imagery here is likely symbolic and could be foreshadowing that something bad is coming. You could infer this by asking yourself why the author would emphasise dark clouds and the setting sun.

What do people often associate with dark clouds or fading light? These images carry darker, more unpleasant emotions, so a story that emphasises these images may indicate something bad is coming.

Example 3: His eyes darted from person to person as a bead of sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.

In both real life and literature, body language is an important indicator of emotion and intention. In this example, the darting eyes and sweat indicate that this character feels nervous or afraid. We know this because these details often imply these emotions.

How to build inferencing skills

Inferencing is a lifelong skill, and the best way to develop it is to learn from experiences, expose yourself to lots of different things and ask plenty of questions. However, there are some more structured ways to help you develop these skills.

Class discussion. The more you know and have experienced, the easier inferencing can be. Group discussions grant you insight into new perspectives and reveal connections and questions you may never have thought to ask. These discussions can be mind-opening and pave the way for you to better analyse and infer on your own.
Make an anchor chart. Use lists or graphic organisers to help you keep track of what you do know. Often, inferencing demands that you pull info from many different sources, so taking notes of potentially important details can help you organise important information. You can also write out guiding questions as part of these charts. What do I already know about ___? Why did the author include ___? How does ___ connect to ___?
Watch short films. A visual story can help people begin to make inferences more easily since less effort is needed to imagine a scene. Short films often have more concise plotlines, fewer characters and simpler conflicts, limiting how complex your inferences must be.
Use pictures. Still images can be an even more approachable way to practice inferencing than short films. For example, you may look at a stock photo of a family and try to figure out how well the people get along with each other. You can look at body language, where people are standing in relation to one another, the location, etc. You can turn your inferences into a story in your head about the nameless family in the stock photo.

Inferencing is a skill you should strive to work on your entire life. With each new memory gained and fact learned, you gain another tool to help you make inferences down the line.

Explore inferencing with DoodleEnglish

DoodleEnglish is an app that’s filled with thousands of fun, interactive exercises covering grammar, punctuation, spelling and more!

Designed by teachers, it creates each child a unique work programme tailored to their needs, boosting their confidence and skills in English. Try it for free today!

Create a free account

FAQs about inferencing

What is inferencing in reading?

In reading, making inferences can involve anything from discerning character motivations to speculating what will happen next. In general, inferences help you understand anything that the author does not explicitly state.

What is an example of an inference?

An inference can be any conclusion you draw without being told directly. For example, if someone comes into the house dripping wet, you could infer that it’s raining outside. The more details you have, however, the more specific your inference can be. If that same person came inside soaking wet, but they were carrying a water gun, then you might come to a different conclusion.

How is inferencing used in daily life?

You can make inferences about every part of your daily life. From inferring how someone is feeling based on their tone of voice to looking at the sky to anticipate the weather, you can infer many things.

How can I improve my inferencing skills?

Inferencing comes from one’s ability to notice details, ask questions and make connections. You can improve these skills by discussing with others, practicing making inferences in stories and learning about what certain signs like body language may indicate.