Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Tara looked at her empty piggy bank and sighed. She picked up a "Help Wanted" sign from the store window. What can you infer?
A) Tara is looking for a friend.
B) Tara wants to earn money.
C) Tara is bored after school.
D) Tara enjoys collecting signs.
An empty piggy bank plus picking up a Help Wanted flyer are strong inference clues that Tara needs and is seeking to earn money.
2. The park ranger closed the hiking trail and warned visitors about a recent wildfire. What conclusion can you draw?
A) The trail is being repainted.
B) The wildfire made the trail unsafe.
C) The ranger prefers the other trail.
D) Visitors do not like hiking anymore.
Closing a trail specifically combined with a wildfire warning is a direct inference clue that fire made the trail dangerous.
3. "I can't believe I studied the wrong chapter," Derek muttered as he stared at the test. What can you infer about Derek?
A) He is well prepared for the test.
B) He does not care about his grades.
C) He is upset because he studied the wrong material.
D) He finished the test early.
Derek's words directly state the problem — studying the wrong chapter explains his muttering and staring at the test.
4. Mrs. Patel placed extra blankets and bottles of water in the car trunk before the long drive. What can you conclude?
A) She is returning items to a store.
B) She is preparing for an emergency during the trip.
C) She is donating supplies to a shelter.
D) She forgot where she put her luggage.
Extra blankets and water are emergency preparedness items — storing them in the trunk before a trip suggests safety planning.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When you infer, you read between the lines to find meaning the author hints at.
"Reading between the lines" is the classic metaphor for inferencing — finding meaning beyond what is explicitly stated.
2. A character who always helps others can be described as kind.
Consistently helping others is a behavioral clue for inferring a character's trait of kindness.
3. Text evidence is a specific detail from the passage that supports your inference.
Evidence supports inferences by providing a factual basis from the text for the reader's conclusion.
4. Drawing a conclusion requires you to think about all the evidence before deciding.
Sound conclusions consider all available evidence rather than just one detail from the text.
5. If an author describes a setting as dark, cold, and silent, the mood is probably gloomy.
Dark, cold, and silent are setting details that create a gloomy, eerie, or ominous mood.