Reading between the lines
The text never says it — but you know it
- "Dan checked his watch for the third time and sighed." Nobody wrote "Dan is impatient" — yet you know.
- Answers like this are worked out from clues. This is inference.
- The meaning is implied, not stated.
Explore
Stated or implied?
Stated facts are printed on the page; implied ideas are built from clues.
Practice
'Inference' means…
Inference = the implied meaning, not the stated one.
The writer's attitude
- The attitude is how the writer feels — excited, worried, unsure.
- You find it in the writer's word choice.
- Strong or emotional words show feelings.
Practice
You find the writer's attitude in…
Word choice reveals feelings.
Practice
Write one sentence that shows you feel excited — without using the word 'excited'.
Example: 'I can't wait — this is going to be amazing!'
Unfamiliar words
- You will meet words you do not know. Do not stop.
- Use the context — the words around it — to guess the meaning.
- In a multiple-choice question, read every option and pick the best fit.
Practice
Guess a new word from its ___ (the words around it).
Context = the surrounding words.
Read the clues
- "The bus stop sign had fallen over long ago, and weeds grew through the bench."
- Stated: the sign is down, weeds grow. Implied: buses rarely come; the stop is forgotten.
- Add Dan's sighs and his watch — you can infer he expects a long, annoying wait.
- Exam questions ask "How does Dan feel?" — the answer is never printed; the clues are.
Practice
Match the clue in the text to what you can infer.
Writers show feelings through actions — your job is to read the action and name the feeling.
Key idea
- Inference = working out what is implied.
- Find attitude in the writer's word choice.
- Guess new words from the context around them.