Writers often do not explain everything to the reader. For example, in the stories, the writer can not say Reader of time or place. Often readers have to guess these things. This is called making inferences or "Reading between lines". Readers often need to find small clues that lead them to infer: understand - things that the author does not explicitly state. They need to use information in the text to guess. Other things about the text.
For example, you can read: "The waves rushed around your legs and he could feel the coarse sand between your toes." Then, you would infer that this person was on the beach.
In this workshop, we will start in a simple way making inferences based on conversations. We will do it then continue with the exercises in which you will make inferences based on sentences and then briefly read passages.
Read the following conversations and answer the questions.
PART 1) A: ¡Look at the long line! Do you think we’ll get in? B: I think so. Some of these people already have tickets. A: How much are the tickets? B: Only nine dollars for the first show. I’ll pay. A: Thanks. I’ll buy the popcorn.
1. Where are these people?
2. What are they talking about?
3. Who are these people?
PART 2) A: When did this happen? B: Yesterday. I was playing soccer and I fell down. A: Can you move it at all? B: Only a little. A: Can you walk on it? B: No. It hurts too much. A: I think we’ll have to take an X-ray. B: Will I be able to play in the game tomorrow? A: I’m afraid not.
4. Where are these people?
5. Who are they?
6. What are the people talking about?
EXERCISES
Read each sentence; Then point out the answer which is a logical inference based on that phrase.
7. Blood cholesterol used to be thought of as a problem only for adults.
8. In all cultures, gestures are used as a form of communication, but the same gestures may have very different meanings in different cultures.
9. Although sheepherding is an older and more beloved occupation, shepherds never caught the attention of American filmmakers the way cowboys did.