what is an inference in reading

Inference is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning. When making an inference while reading, you are making a guess about what you don’t know based on the information available, essentially reading between the lines. You can use your prior knowledge and textual information to draw conclusions, make critical judgments, and form interpretations of the text. Inferences can occur in the form of conclusions, predictions, or new ideas. Understanding inference can enrich your reading by helping you read between the lines for the author’s intent and can also enrich your writing by helping you paint vivid pictures without stating the facts directly. Making inferences is a crucial part of developing learners’ reading comprehension and helps learners to think critically about a text. By making inferences, we are tapping into what we already know from the world around us or from earlier in the text, and we then combine this previous knowledge with what we are reading to have a deeper understanding of the text.