📖 ReadingGrade 4Lesson 11
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Make Inferences and Draw Conclusions

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Make inferences by combining text clues with prior knowledge
  • 2Draw logical conclusions supported by evidence from the text
  • 3Explain the difference between an inference and a direct statement
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Mini Lesson

An inference is an educated guess based on clues in the text plus what you already know. Authors do not always say everything directly — good readers "read between the lines." A conclusion is a final judgment or logical outcome drawn from the evidence in the text.

How to Make an Inference

  1. Find the clue in the text — a detail the author provides.
  2. Add what you already know from your own experience or knowledge.
  3. Combine them to reach a reasonable inference.
  4. Check your inference by asking: "Does the text support this?"

Inferences vs Direct Statements

  • A direct statement is information the text states clearly: "It was raining."
  • An inference uses a clue: "She grabbed her umbrella" — you infer it was raining.
  • An inference is not a guess — it must be supported by evidence.
  • A conclusion pulls together multiple inferences to reach a final understanding.
Inference formula diagramTwo input boxes (text clue and prior knowledge) combine with a plus sign to produce an inference.Inference FormulaText Clue"She grabbedher umbrella"+Prior KnowledgeUmbrellas areused in rainInference: It was rainingText clue + knowledge = logical guess
Drawing a conclusion from multiple inferencesThree inference boxes feed into a single conclusion box at the bottom.From Inference to ConclusionInference 1Inference 2Inference 3CONCLUSIONSupported by all evidence
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Use this formula: Text clue + What I know = My inference. Then ask: could I be wrong? If the text could mean something else, look for more evidence before concluding.

Vocabulary
Inference
A logical conclusion based on text clues and prior knowledgee.g. "She was shivering" — I infer she was cold.
Conclusion
A final judgment drawn from evidence gathered across the texte.g. After reading all the clues, I concluded the character was lying.
Text clue
A detail in the text that hints at something not directly saide.g. "His hands shook as he opened the envelope" — clue: he was nervous.
Prior knowledge
What you already know from experience or earlier readinge.g. Knowing that dark clouds often bring rain helped me infer the storm.
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