What does it mean to make an inference?

Making an inference refers to the process of drawing conclusions based on textual evidence and reasoning. When readers encounter information in a text, they often need to look beyond the literal words and consider what is implied or suggested. This involves combining clues from the text with their own knowledge and experiences to arrive at a deeper understanding of the material.

For example, if a character in a story is described as having a furrowed brow and crossed arms during a conversation, a reader might infer that the character is upset or defensive, even if these feelings are not explicitly stated. This ability to go beyond the text and understand implied meanings is a critical skill in reading comprehension and interpretation.

In contrast, summarizing the main events of a story simply recounts what has happened without the deeper analysis involved in drawing inferences. Interpreting the author's intent directly focuses on what the author meant, which can be an aspect of inference but does not encompass the broader skill of inferring from multiple pieces of evidence. Memorizing the text word for word does not involve any inference at all and instead focuses solely on recall.