Making Inferences About Informational Text · 4 min read
Making Inferences About Informational Text
Understanding Inference
An inference is a logical conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements in the text. Skilled readers combine textual evidence with prior knowledge to arrive at conclusions the author implies but does not directly state.
Inference requires two components: textual evidence (what the text actually says) and background knowledge (what the reader already knows). The intersection of these two elements produces valid inferences.
Types of Inferences in Informational Text
Causal Inferences
Causal inferences involve determining cause-and-effect relationships that are implied rather than stated. When a text describes a sequence of events or conditions followed by outcomes, readers must infer the causal connections.
Predictive Inferences
Predictive inferences involve anticipating what will happen next based on patterns, trends, or logical progressions established in the text. These inferences require identifying trajectories and extending them beyond the text's explicit content.
Comparative Inferences
These inferences involve drawing conclusions about similarities or differences between subjects when the comparison is implied rather than explicit. Readers must recognize parallel structures or contrasting elements to make these inferences.
Evaluative Inferences
Evaluative inferences involve determining an author's attitude, bias, or judgment about a subject based on word choice, emphasis, and selection of details rather than explicit statements of opinion.
Strategies for Making Valid Inferences
Identify Explicit Information First
Before making inferences, identify what the text directly states. This provides the foundation for drawing conclusions. Distinguish between facts presented in the text and conclusions you draw from those facts.
Recognize Implicit Information
Look for information suggested through word choice, tone, selection of details, organizational patterns, and what is notably absent from the text. Authors often communicate as much through implication as through direct statement.
Apply the "It Says, I Say, And So" Strategy
This three-step process helps formalize inference-making:
Verify Inferences Against the Text
Valid inferences must be supportable by textual evidence. After drawing an inference, return to the text to ensure that evidence exists to support the conclusion. Inferences that contradict or lack textual support are invalid.
Consider Multiple Possible Inferences
For any given passage, multiple inferences may be possible. Evaluate which inference is most strongly supported by the evidence and most logically consistent with the text as a whole.
Common Inference Question Stems
The exam uses specific question formats to assess inference skills:
"The passage suggests that..."
"Based on the passage, it can be inferred that..."
"The author implies that..."
"Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?"
"The reader can reasonably conclude that..."
Distinguishing Valid from Invalid Inferences
Valid Inferences
A valid inference is directly supported by textual evidence, logically consistent with the information presented, and does not contradict other information in the text. Valid inferences fill gaps in explicit information without overreaching.
Invalid Inferences
Invalid inferences include: overgeneralizations that extend beyond what the evidence supports, conclusions based on reader assumptions rather than textual evidence, and inferences that contradict explicit textual information.
Inference and Author's Purpose
Informational texts are written for specific purposes: to inform, to persuade, to explain, or to analyze. Understanding the author's purpose helps readers make accurate inferences about the significance of particular details and the intended message.
Informative Purpose
When the purpose is purely informative, inferences should focus on understanding relationships between facts, determining significance of information, and grasping the broader implications of the data presented.
Persuasive Purpose
When the purpose is persuasive, inferences should consider the author's position, the intended effect on the reader, and the strategies employed to influence reader opinion.
Making Inferences from Data and Statistics
Informational texts frequently include numerical data, charts, and statistics. Making inferences from quantitative information requires identifying patterns, recognizing significant changes, and drawing conclusions about relationships between variables.
When analyzing data, consider what the numbers indicate about trends, what comparisons reveal about relative significance, and what the data implies about underlying causes or future developments.
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