The meaning of “inference”
“inference” means a conlusion or judgament. It is “hidden” idea. This means that if you infer that something has happened, you do not see, feel, smell, or taste the actual event. A reader can make a conclusion from the information given in a passage. Many times an author will infer or imply a message without directly stating it. The reader need to “read between the lines” and interpret the message.
Making inference is the ability to draw conclusions by making connections between what is stated in the text and the reader’s own knowledge. In other words, when you make an inference you use your own kuowledge along with the information that is given or suggested in the text. For example, mary has to wear one of her three dresses tonight. She has a blue dress, a red dress, and an orange dress. The orange and red dresses are at the cleaners. Therefore, you can conclude she will wear the blue dress. When you read a story, you can conclude things about characters and events from the information given in the story.