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Comprehension · Guide 2 of 6

Inference questions

Writers often show rather than tell. Inference means using clues in the text, plus what you already know, to work out what isn't said.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ Comprehension
  • Worked examples

What is it?

An inference question asks you to read between the lines. The writer doesn't say 'Maya was worried', but gives clues such as 'Her stomach tightened'. You put the clue together with what you know about people to work out how she feels.

A simple way to remember it: clue + what I know = inference.

The passage used in these guides

Passage

The Harbour

1The storm had been building all afternoon. By the time Maya reached the harbour, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise, and the fishing boats were tugging at their ropes like restless dogs.

2She pulled her coat tighter and scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat. It wasn't there.

3Her stomach tightened. Grandad always came back before four o'clock; he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime. Maya checked her watch: ten past five.

4Behind her, the lighthouse blinked awake, sweeping its long white arm across the waves.

How to spot it

  • Question words such as 'How does … feel?', 'Why do you think…?', 'What does this suggest…?', 'What impression…?'.
  • Words like 'suggest', 'imply', 'show' or 'how can you tell'.
  • Often worth 2 or 3 marks, asking for evidence.

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Read the question and decide what you're being asked to work out (a feeling, a reason, a character trait).
  2. Step 2: Find the part of the text the question is about.
  3. Step 3: Look for clues: actions, body language, what people say, the weather and the setting.
  4. Step 4: Ask: what would make a real person do or feel that? That's your inference.
  5. Step 5: Pick a short quotation that proves it.
  6. Step 6: Write your answer: the inference, the quotation and a few words linking them.

Worked examples

Example 1: a feeling

Question: How does Maya feel when she can't see the boat?
  1. Step 1: Clue: 'Her stomach tightened.' What I know: your stomach feels tight when you're nervous or scared.
  2. Step 2: Another clue: she checks her watch, and it's over an hour after Grandad usually gets back.

Answer: Worried (anxious), because 'her stomach tightened' and Grandad is over an hour late.

Example 2: the time of day

Question: What time of day is it at the end of the passage? How can you tell?
  1. Step 1: Clue: 'the lighthouse blinked awake'. What I know: lighthouses switch on as it gets dark.
  2. Step 2: Clue: it's ten past five, and the sky is dark with the storm.

Answer: Early evening, as it's getting dark: the lighthouse has just come on.

Example 3: a character

Question: What impression do you get of Grandad?
  1. Step 1: Clue: he 'always came back before four o'clock'.
  2. Step 2: Clue: 'he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime': he knows the sea gets dangerous later.

Answer: He is careful and sensible about the sea, which is why it's so worrying that he is late.

Common traps

  • Retelling the story

    Saying what happens isn't inference. Say what the clue tells you about feelings, reasons or character.

  • No evidence

    An inference without a quotation is a guess. Always back it up from the text.

  • Going too far

    Your inference must be supported by the text. 'Grandad has been eaten by a shark' goes beyond the clues.

Top tips

  • Use precise feeling words: anxious, relieved, furious, ashamed, not just 'sad' or 'happy'.
  • Phrases such as 'This suggests…' and 'This shows…' help you link evidence to your idea.

Practice questions

Read the passage

The Harbour

1The storm had been building all afternoon. By the time Maya reached the harbour, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise, and the fishing boats were tugging at their ropes like restless dogs.

2She pulled her coat tighter and scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat. It wasn't there.

3Her stomach tightened. Grandad always came back before four o'clock; he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime. Maya checked her watch: ten past five.

4Behind her, the lighthouse blinked awake, sweeping its long white arm across the waves.

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