{"id":316,"date":"2020-03-16T17:43:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T17:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-introtocollegereadingandwriting\/?post_type=chapter&p=316"},"modified":"2020-06-20T15:37:02","modified_gmt":"2020-06-20T15:37:02","slug":"authors-purpose-tone","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-introtocollegereadingandwriting\/chapter\/authors-purpose-tone\/","title":{"raw":"Inference","rendered":"Inference"},"content":{"raw":"\"\"\r\n\r\nInference is what you, as a reader, conclude based on reading a text.\u00a0 Those conclusions are not stated directly in the text; they are thoughts that you develop based on evidence in the text.\u00a0 Text evidence consists of content, point of view, language, and tone\u2014the elements that an author uses to create meaning in a text.\u00a0 These elements can be manipulated to imply meaning instead of stating it directly.\u00a0 The meaning that's implied and that you create based on your conclusions is what constitutes inference.\u00a0 Making inferences is a comprehension strategy used by proficient readers to \u201cread between the lines,\u201d make connections, and draw conclusions about the text\u2019s meaning and purpose.\r\n\r\nYou already make inferences all of the time.\u00a0 For example, imagine you go over to a friend\u2019s house and they point at the sofa and say, \u201cDon\u2019t sit there, Cindy came over with her baby again.\u201d\u00a0 What could you logically conclude?\u00a0 First, you know there must be a reason not to sit where your friend is pointing.\u00a0 Next, the reason not to sit there is related to the fact that Cindy just visited with her baby.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know what exactly happened, but you can make an inference and don\u2019t need to ask any more questions to know that you do not want to sit there.\r\n
\r\n

mini try it #1<\/h3>\r\nImagine you witness the following situations at different times. What can you infer about each situation?\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. You see a woman pushing a baby stroller down the street.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. You are at a corner and see two parked cars at an intersection, and the driver in back starts honking his horn.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. You are walking down the street, and suddenly a dog comes running out of an opened door with its tail between its legs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"1\"] Inferences\u00a0 [\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"1\"]\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. For the first situation, you probably inferred that there was a baby in the stroller.<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. For the second situation, you might have inferred that the first car should have started moving because a traffic light turned green, or because it was waiting too long at a corner to make a turn.<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. For the third situation, you could reasonably guess that the dog was kicked out of a place where it should not have been,or that it had done something wrong and was being expelled.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nYou do not know with 100% certainty that these inferences are true. \u00a0If you checked 100 strollers, 99 times you might find a baby, but maybe one time you might find something else, such as a pet or bags of groceries.\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

      \"\"<\/h3>\r\nTo make inferences from reading, consider the elements of the text, including content, point of view, language, and tone.\u00a0 Or, you may want to take two or more details from the reading and see if you can draw a conclusion.\u00a0 Remember, making an inference is not just making a wild guess.\u00a0 You need to make a judgment that can be supported, just as you could reasonably infer there is a baby in a stroller, but not reasonably infer that there are groceries, even though both would technically be a \u201cguess\".\r\n\r\n \r\n
      \r\n

      mini try it #2<\/h3>\r\nRead this paragraph.\r\n
      Hybrid cars are good for the environment, but they may not perform as well as cars that run only on gasoline. The Toyota Prius gets great gas mileage and has low emissions making it a good \u201cgreen\u201d option. However, many people think that it is unattractive. The Prius also cannot accelerate as quickly as other models, and cannot hold as many passengers as larger gas-fueled SUVs and vans. Compared to similar gas-fueled options, hybrid cars also cost more money up front. A new hybrid car costs almost $3,500 more than the same car configured to run just on gasoline.<\/div>\r\nBased on the paragraph, which of the following is the most accurate, logical inference?\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. hybrid cars are more dangerous than other options<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Toyota is making a lot of money from the Prius<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. cars that use gasoline are going to destroy the environment<\/li>\r\n \t
      4. hybrid cars may not be the best choice for everyone<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"2\"] Logical Inference Thought Process\u00a0 [\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"2\"]\r\n\r\nThere's nothing about car safety in the paragraph at all, so you can eliminate the first choice immediately.\r\n\r\nThe second choice is implied: if the car cost $3,500 more than other cars, then Toyota would be making a lot of money by selling the car.\u00a0 But is it the most reasonable conclusion?\r\n\r\nYou may think that the third choice is true.\u00a0 After all, people want to make hybrid cars because they believe that emissions are contributing to environmental damage, but this is not mentioned in the paragraph.\u00a0 Even if you think it is true, the answer has to be supported by the text to be the correct answer to the problem.\r\n\r\nThe fourth choice can be inferred from the text.\u00a0 If a person had a large family, was short on money, or needed a car that could accelerate quickly, then a hybrid might not be the best choice for them.\r\n\r\nSo there are two possible choices, 2 and 4.\u00a0 When you compare the, though, you may conclude that choice 2 is not as accurate an implication because you don\u2019t know how much it costs Toyota to make the cars, and you don\u2019t know how many they sell, so you can\u2019t reasonably infer that they are making a lot of money.\u00a0 Choice 4 therefore is the most accurate and logical inference.\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe ability to make accurate, logical inferences based on evidence is a key critical thinking and reading skill.\u00a0 Inferences that are incorrect account for a number of logical errors or fallacies, which are often the result of inferences not appropriately based on evidence.\r\n\r\nView the following video to review the concept of inference, which is applied to reading fiction, reading non-fiction, and reading real-life situations.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ioZW58bOBFE\r\n
        <\/div>\r\n
        \r\n

        try it<\/h3>\r\nBased on the article \"Forget Shorter Showers<\/a>\" by Derrick Jensen, which of the statements below is the most accurate, logical inference?\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. If things remain as they are now, people will continue to exist in a no-win environmental situation.<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. All people who live simply are unrealistic about the outcomes of doing so.<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. Big manufacturers and conglomerates play on humans' inherent guilt.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"3\"] Logical Inference Thought Process\u00a0 [\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"3\"]\r\n\r\nStatement 1 is the most accurate, logical inference.\u00a0 Jensen details the two poles of our current situation\u2014people who live simply and people who do not.\u00a0 He argues that people who do not live simply fall in line with the industrial economy and therefore contribute to the depletion of our planet's resources.\u00a0 He also outlines four problems with people who live simply as a political action.\u00a0 So, it's accurate and logical to infer that if things remain as they are now, people will continue to exist in a no-win environmental situation.\r\n\r\nStatement 2 could be inferred from the article, but the word \"all\" is not supported in the text.\u00a0 Jensen states that the group of people who live simply as a political action (not \"all\" people who live simply, such as those who choose a simple lifestyle) are unrealistic in thinking that their political statement will have an effect on resource use.\r\n\r\nStatement 3 could be inferred, although it's not entirely accurate or logical to assume that big manufacturers and conglomerates consciously play on human's guilt.\u00a0 Jensen does not specifically assign the origin of the guilt.\u00a0 Also, it may not be accurate to assume that all human guilt is \"inherent,\" an essential characteristic of the human condition.\r\n\r\n[\/hidden-answer]\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

          \"\"<\/p>\n

          Inference is what you, as a reader, conclude based on reading a text.\u00a0 Those conclusions are not stated directly in the text; they are thoughts that you develop based on evidence in the text.\u00a0 Text evidence consists of content, point of view, language, and tone\u2014the elements that an author uses to create meaning in a text.\u00a0 These elements can be manipulated to imply meaning instead of stating it directly.\u00a0 The meaning that’s implied and that you create based on your conclusions is what constitutes inference.\u00a0 Making inferences is a comprehension strategy used by proficient readers to \u201cread between the lines,\u201d make connections, and draw conclusions about the text\u2019s meaning and purpose.<\/p>\n

          You already make inferences all of the time.\u00a0 For example, imagine you go over to a friend\u2019s house and they point at the sofa and say, \u201cDon\u2019t sit there, Cindy came over with her baby again.\u201d\u00a0 What could you logically conclude?\u00a0 First, you know there must be a reason not to sit where your friend is pointing.\u00a0 Next, the reason not to sit there is related to the fact that Cindy just visited with her baby.\u00a0 You don\u2019t know what exactly happened, but you can make an inference and don\u2019t need to ask any more questions to know that you do not want to sit there.<\/p>\n

          \n

          mini try it #1<\/h3>\n

          Imagine you witness the following situations at different times. What can you infer about each situation?<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. You see a woman pushing a baby stroller down the street.<\/li>\n
          2. You are at a corner and see two parked cars at an intersection, and the driver in back starts honking his horn.<\/li>\n
          3. You are walking down the street, and suddenly a dog comes running out of an opened door with its tail between its legs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            Inferences\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
            \n
              \n
            1. For the first situation, you probably inferred that there was a baby in the stroller.<\/li>\n
            2. For the second situation, you might have inferred that the first car should have started moving because a traffic light turned green, or because it was waiting too long at a corner to make a turn.<\/li>\n
            3. For the third situation, you could reasonably guess that the dog was kicked out of a place where it should not have been,or that it had done something wrong and was being expelled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              You do not know with 100% certainty that these inferences are true. \u00a0If you checked 100 strollers, 99 times you might find a baby, but maybe one time you might find something else, such as a pet or bags of groceries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

               <\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/h3>\n

              To make inferences from reading, consider the elements of the text, including content, point of view, language, and tone.\u00a0 Or, you may want to take two or more details from the reading and see if you can draw a conclusion.\u00a0 Remember, making an inference is not just making a wild guess.\u00a0 You need to make a judgment that can be supported, just as you could reasonably infer there is a baby in a stroller, but not reasonably infer that there are groceries, even though both would technically be a \u201cguess”.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

              \n

              mini try it #2<\/h3>\n

              Read this paragraph.<\/p>\n

              Hybrid cars are good for the environment, but they may not perform as well as cars that run only on gasoline. The Toyota Prius gets great gas mileage and has low emissions making it a good \u201cgreen\u201d option. However, many people think that it is unattractive. The Prius also cannot accelerate as quickly as other models, and cannot hold as many passengers as larger gas-fueled SUVs and vans. Compared to similar gas-fueled options, hybrid cars also cost more money up front. A new hybrid car costs almost $3,500 more than the same car configured to run just on gasoline.<\/div>\n

              Based on the paragraph, which of the following is the most accurate, logical inference?<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. hybrid cars are more dangerous than other options<\/li>\n
              2. Toyota is making a lot of money from the Prius<\/li>\n
              3. cars that use gasoline are going to destroy the environment<\/li>\n
              4. hybrid cars may not be the best choice for everyone<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                Logical Inference Thought Process\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
                \n

                There’s nothing about car safety in the paragraph at all, so you can eliminate the first choice immediately.<\/p>\n

                The second choice is implied: if the car cost $3,500 more than other cars, then Toyota would be making a lot of money by selling the car.\u00a0 But is it the most reasonable conclusion?<\/p>\n

                You may think that the third choice is true.\u00a0 After all, people want to make hybrid cars because they believe that emissions are contributing to environmental damage, but this is not mentioned in the paragraph.\u00a0 Even if you think it is true, the answer has to be supported by the text to be the correct answer to the problem.<\/p>\n

                The fourth choice can be inferred from the text.\u00a0 If a person had a large family, was short on money, or needed a car that could accelerate quickly, then a hybrid might not be the best choice for them.<\/p>\n

                So there are two possible choices, 2 and 4.\u00a0 When you compare the, though, you may conclude that choice 2 is not as accurate an implication because you don\u2019t know how much it costs Toyota to make the cars, and you don\u2019t know how many they sell, so you can\u2019t reasonably infer that they are making a lot of money.\u00a0 Choice 4 therefore is the most accurate and logical inference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

                The ability to make accurate, logical inferences based on evidence is a key critical thinking and reading skill.\u00a0 Inferences that are incorrect account for a number of logical errors or fallacies, which are often the result of inferences not appropriately based on evidence.<\/p>\n

                View the following video to review the concept of inference, which is applied to reading fiction, reading non-fiction, and reading real-life situations.<\/p>\n