Chapter Seven: Inferences When you “re “read ad between the lines lines,” ,” you pick up ideas that are implied implied:: not directly stated in what you are reading. These implied ideas are often important important for a full understanding of what an author means. Discovering the ideas that are not stated directly direct ly in writing is called making inferences, or drawing conclusions.
What inferences can you make about this cartoon !ind the two inferences that are most logically based on the information it A. The couple is not likely likely to have a good dining dining suggests. e"perience at the restauran restaurant. t.
B. The couple will never eat at the restaurant. restaurant. C. The restaurant restaurant was recently recently closed for health violations. violations. D. Whoever is running the restaurant is not doing a good
)nswers ) and D are logical inferences. i nferences. 3ere's why:
A. The couple is not likely likely to have a good dining e"perience at the restaurant. The “help “help wanted” sign indicates that the restaurant is seriously understa$ed. %t would be logical, then, to infer that tha t the restaurant cannot provide patrons with a good dining e"perience. & e"perience. &ou ou should have chosen this item.
B. The couple will never eat at the restaurant. The man's comment that “this isn't the best best time” suggests that he may be willing to try the restaurant once o nce it has solved its sta(ng sta (ng problems. problems. )lso, e"perience suggests that it is common for restaurants to change ownership and*or management. & management. &ou ou should not have chosen this item.
C. The restaurant was recently closed for health violations. +othing in the cartoon suggests that the restaurant was recently closed for health violations. erhaps if it continues to operate without su(cient sta$, it may be be closed, but we have no way of knowing that. & that. &ou ou should not have chosen this item.
1heck &our 4nderstanding % 5ead the following passage and /nd the two inferences that are most /rmly based on the information informatio n given. ) sociology professor wrote on the board, “) woman without her man is nothing” and, with a smile, ask asked ed students to punctuate the sentence correctly. The men all wrote, “) woman, without her man, is nothing.” 3owever, the women wrote, “) woman: Without her, man is nothing.”
A. The professor professor was de/nitely a man. B. The professor professor did not believe students students could punctuate the words correctly. C. The professor professor knew there was more than one one way to punctuate the words correctly. correctly. D. The professor professor is not a good good teacher. teacher.
) sociology professor wrote on the board, “) woman without her man is nothing” and, with a smile, ask asked ed students to punctuate the sentence correctly. The men all wrote, “) woman, without her man, is nothing.” 3owever, the women wrote, “) woman: Without her, man is nothing.”
The two logical inferences inferences are are 7 C. The professor professor knew there was more than one one way to punctuate the words correctly. 8ince the professor chose the particular sentence and smiled while writing the words, we can conclude that the professor was aware of more than one punctuation possibility.
E. 6ender di$erences caused students to read and punctuate the professor's words di$erently di $erently.. 9ale and female students had very di$erent responses to the sentence. 6ender was the only apparent di$erence di$erence among the students, so we can conclude that it caused the di$erent responses.
1heck &our 4nderstanding %% Read te !o""owing passage and !ind te three three in!erences in!erences tat can most "ogica""y #e drawn !rom it. A !amo$s psyco"ogy psyco"ogy e%periment e%periment cond$cted cond$cted #y Dr. Dr. Jon B. &atson &atson demonstrates tat peop"e' "i(e anima"s' can #e conditioned)trained to respond in a partic$"ar way to certain stim$"ations. &atson ga*e an e"e*en+mont+o"d #a#y named A"#ert a so!t' !$rry wite rat. Eac time A"#ert tried to stro(e te rat' Dr. &atson it a meta" #ar wit a ammer. Be!ore "ong' A"#ert was a!raid not on"y o! wite rats #$t a"so o! wite ra##its' wite dogs' and wite !$r coats. He e*en screamed at te sigt o! a ,anta -"a$s mas(.
A. Dr. &atson did not "i(e sma"" ci"dren. B. Be!ore te e%periment' A"#ert A"#ert was not a!raid o! wite rats. C. A"#ert ad #een !ami"iar !ami"iar wit rats #e!ore #e!ore te e%periment. D. I! e ad seen a #"ac( !$r coat' A"#ert A"#ert wo$"d a*e screamed. E. A"#ert connected te "o$d noise o! te ammer stri(ing te meta" #ar wit te wite rat. F. A"#ert was a!raid o! $ne%pected "o$d noises. noises.
) famous psychology e"periment conducted by Dr. Dr. ohn ;. Watson demonstrates that people, like animals, can be conditioned0trained to respond in a particular way to certain stimulations. Watson gave an eleven
e tree "ogica" in!erences are B. Be!ore te e%periment' A"#ert was not a!raid o! wite rats. is is a "ogica" in!erence. Beca$se A"#ert tried to pet te rat' it is !air t o ass$me tat e wasn0t !rigtened o! te anima". E. A"#ert connected te "o$d noise E. A"#ert noise o! te ammer stri(ing te meta" #ar wit te wite rat. is is a "ogica" in!erence. Beca$se te noise appears to a*e canged A"#ert0s attit$de toward toward te rat' we can ass$me e associated associated te noise wit te rat. F. A"#ert was a!raid o! $ne%pected $ne%pected "o$d noises. is is a "ogica" in!erence. ,ince te noise is wat made A"#ert A"#ert a!raid o! te rat' we a*e to in!er tat e was a!raid o! te noise. In addition' e%perience te""s $s tat #a#ies are "i(e"y to #e !rigtened o! $ne%pected "o$d noises.
6uidelines for 9aking %nferences in 5eading =eep these guidelines in mind as you work on the e"ercises in this chapter: 1 ever lose sight of the availa!le information. )s much as possible, base your inferences on the facts. !or instance, in the paragraph about Watson's e"periment, we are told, “)lbert tried to stroke the rat.” >n the basis of that fact, we can readily conclude that the baby had no fear of rats. " #se $our !ackground information information and e%perience to help $ou in making inferences. >ur understanding and e"perience with babies, for e"ample, help us reali?e that )lbert was frightened of une"pected loud noises.
%nferences in 6raphs and Tables 1ter 2pict$res3 tat re4$ire in!erences are graphs and graphs and tables tables'' wic com#ine words wit *is$a" representations. A$tors o! te%t#oo(s' te%t#oo(s' pro!essiona" pro!essiona" and newspaper newspaper artic"es' and oter materia"s o!ten organi5e "arge amo$nts o! materia" into graps and ta#"es. 6ery o!ten' te graps and ta#"es are $sed to sow comparisons and canges tat ta(e p"ace o*er time.
5eading a 6raph 1hanges in 4.8. Work !orce, @ABBC B@B
-an yo$ !ind te three three in!erences in!erences tat are most "ogica""y #ased on te grap to te "e!t7 1. e wor( !orce o! 89 was *ery 1. e di!!erent !rom te wor( !orce o! today. 2. Be!ore 89' !armers made $p te 2. Be!ore sma""est percentage o! wor(ers. 3. In 89;' te percentages o! !arm 3. In wor(ers and wite+co""ar wor(ers were a#o$t e4$a". 4. In genera"' as te n$m#er o! !arming 4. In and #"$e+co""ar wor(ers as decreased' te n$m#er o! wite+co""ar wor(ers wor(ers as increased. 5. In 89;' #"$e+co""ar wor(ers made $p 5. In a#o$t <= percent o! te U.,. wor( !orce. 6. In 6. In te !$t$re' most U.,. U .,. wor(ers are "i(e"y to #e wite+co""ar wor(ers. wor(ers.
The three three logical inferences inferences are are 7 8. e e wor wor(! (!or orce ce o! 89 89 wa was s *er *ery y di! di!!!er eren entt !rom te wor(!orce o! today. ;. In genera"' as te n$m#er o! !arming and #"$e+co""ar wor(ers as decreased' te n$m#er o! wite+co""ar wor(ers as increased. >. In te !$t$re' most U.,. wor(ers are "i(e"y to #e wite+co""ar wor(ers.
Chapter Review %n this chapter, you learned the following:
9any important ideas in reading are not stated directly but must be inferred. To make inferences about implied ideas, use the information provided as well as your own e"perience and logic.
%nferences are also a key part of reading literature literatur e and such visual materials as cartoons, tables, and graphs. The ne"t ne"t chapter01hapter E0will help help make you aware of an author's purpose and tone.
