UNIT8MakinganInference.docVIP

UNIT 8 MAKING AN INFERENCE In our everyday life we make many inferences，For example．you wave good-morning to an old friend，but he does not respond。You might infer that he is angry，upset，lost in thought，or does not see you． Similarly，in reading，one must make an inference so that he can reach a decision based on evidence he thinks to be true because writers sometimes do not have their ideas clearly stated．They expect the readers to draw inferences in order to get a clearer understanding of the ideas implied．Suggested meaning sometimes is part of the total meaning of a passage。If，YOU miss the suggested meaning，you may miss the main point of what the writer is saying．A If someone says，“It seems warm in here，”he may be suggesting that the heat})e turned down or the window opened．If one woman asks another，“Where did you get that dress”she may be suggesting that the dress is especially attractive． You might get an inference through conversation——how someone said something or maybe what was left unsaid．Inferences may be drawn by analyzing characters and their actions，and by determining the mood of the speaker．They may be based on facts and must be assembled by the reader．A fact can usually be found in the passage，but an inference is more of a feeling drawn from reasoning. For example, the beginning paragraph of the story A Mothers Place gives us a picture of a lady who doesnt feel happy when rain that is more than welcome comes. You can infer that the lady is not in a good mood or she is having some problem. The second paragraph tells us the fact that the lady is not really old (Her hair wasnt completely gray, and she was only in her mid-fifties, middle-aged really.). From this we may infer that the problem with the lady is that she feels old though she is not really old. Here are some strategies for making inferences: Grasp the literal meaning first. Before you make any interpretation, try to grasp the stated facts and ideas. Only when you have an understanding