How can you tell if people are happy, sad, mad, or experiencing some
other emotion? The short answer is that you can use inference. Based
on what people say and how they say it, you can infer how they are
feeling. (Or sometimes, they’ll just tell you!) Here’s the long answer.
• You can listen closely to a speaker’s tone of voice and, using your
prior knowledge of hearing many people use different tones of
voice under different circumstances, understand what that tone
implies (suggests without saying).
• You can listen to the actual words a person says, and, based on
your memories of experiences you have had (again, your prior
knowledge), you can understand what shade of meaning he or
she is using. If someone says “I’m glad to meet you,” the phrase
means something different than if he or she says, “I’m so delighted
to meet you!” The first sentence usually means the person is just
being polite. The second suggests that the person has been waiting
to meet you for some time or has a special reason for wanting
to meet you.
• You can imagine what the person is trying to accomplish with her
or his words. The person’s emotions probably have something to
do with her or his purpose for speaking.
Written language also has a tone—and it, too, can be happy, sad,
mad, or a thousand other emotions. The difference is, of course, that
you are reading words, not listening to and seeing a person. But the
basic idea is the same. The author chooses specific words to get you to
understand and even to feel the feelings he or she is trying to evoke in
you. One way authors do this is by imagining what associations you
will have to certain words. What memories, emotions, or experiences
will a word call up for readers?
Spotlight on Inference: Drawing on Memories and
How can you tell if people are happy, sad, mad, or experiencing someother emotion? The short answer is that you can use inference. Basedon what people say and how they say it, you can infer how they arefeeling. (Or sometimes, they’ll just tell you!) Here’s the long answer.• You can listen closely to a speaker’s tone of voice and, using yourprior knowledge of hearing many people use different tones ofvoice under different circumstances, understand what that toneimplies (suggests without saying).• You can listen to the actual words a person says, and, based onyour memories of experiences you have had (again, your priorknowledge), you can understand what shade of meaning he orshe is using. If someone says “I’m glad to meet you,” the phrasemeans something different than if he or she says, “I’m so delightedto meet you!” The first sentence usually means the person is justbeing polite. The second suggests that the person has been waitingto meet you for some time or has a special reason for wantingto meet you.• You can imagine what the person is trying to accomplish with heror his words. The person’s emotions probably have something todo with her or his purpose for speaking.Written language also has a tone—and it, too, can be happy, sad,mad, or a thousand other emotions. The difference is, of course, thatyou are reading words, not listening to and seeing a person. But thebasic idea is the same. The author chooses specific words to get you tounderstand and even to feel the feelings he or she is trying to evoke inyou. One way authors do this is by imagining what associations youwill have to certain words. What memories, emotions, or experienceswill a word call up for readers?Spotlight on Inference: Drawing on Memories and
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