Making Inferences
Let’s start by talking about what an inference is.
inference
Inference is the process of drawing a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning rather than direct statements. Sometimes we need to infer the main idea of a passage, or figure out an implied thesis by carefully “reading between the lines.”
Inferring the main idea may be necessary when a passage does not state it explicitly, begins with a question without a direct answer, presents comparisons or contrasts, or uses satire. Satire, a form of humorous writing that relies on exaggeration, requires readers to recognize the specific details being scrutinized by the writer. This means that the reader will need to read analytically and pay close attention to specific parts of the text.
Some thesis statements are explicit—stated directly in the text itself. Others are implicit—implied by the content but not written in one distinct sentence.
You can view the transcript for “explicit v implicit” here (download).
When you are left to make inferences, you can check whether your inference is logical or not by asking these questions:
- Is it based on words and sentences in the text?
- Is it based more on the author’s words than on your point of view?
- Does it manage to avoid contradicting other statements made in the text?
- Does it align with the author’s attitude or tone about the topic?
- Could it function as the thesis or topic sentence?
a perspective that is directly stated in a single locatable sentence
a perspective that is implied without being stated directly in a single sentence