Inference Examples: Short Stories and Questions for 4th Grade ELA

📚 Inference: A Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 What is Inference? Inference is when you use clues from the story along with your own knowledge to figure out something that the author doesn't directly say. It's like being a reading detective!
• 💡 Key Words: Look for words that hint at feelings, actions, or unspoken details. These clues help you make inferences.
• 📝 Use Your Knowledge: Connect the clues in the story to things you already know. This helps you understand the story on a deeper level.
• 🤔 Ask Yourself 'Why?': When something happens in the story, ask yourself why it happened. This can help you infer the characters' motivations or the meaning behind events.
• ✍️ Look for Context Clues: Use the words around a difficult word or phrase to help you understand its meaning.

Practice Quiz

1. A little girl named Lily saw her mom put on her coat and grab her keys. Lily ran to the door and put on her own shoes and coat.
   What can you infer that Lily is going to do?
   1. Go to bed.
   2. Go to school.
   3. Go outside with her mom.
   4. Eat dinner.
2. Tom heard a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by his mom shouting, "Oh no!" He rushed to the kitchen and saw a broken vase on the floor.
   What can you infer happened?
   1. Tom's mom won the lottery.
   2. Tom's mom broke a vase.
   3. Tom's mom made a cake.
   4. Tom's mom found a new pet.
3. Sarah felt butterflies in her stomach as she walked onto the stage. She saw hundreds of faces looking at her.
   What can you infer that Sarah is about to do?
   1. Go to sleep.
   2. Give a presentation or performance.
   3. Play video games.
   4. Eat a snack.
4. The dog wagged its tail and barked excitedly when Emily grabbed its leash.
   What can you infer that Emily and the dog are going to do?
   1. Take a nap.
   2. Go for a walk.
   3. Read a book.
   4. Bake cookies.
5. Michael frowned and slammed his book shut. He sighed loudly and stared out the window.
   What can you infer about Michael?
   1. He is happy.
   2. He is bored or frustrated.
   3. He is hungry.
   4. He is excited.
6. The sky turned dark, and the wind began to howl. People started running inside their homes.
   What can you infer is about to happen?
   1. A party.
   2. A storm.
   3. A parade.
   4. A concert.
7. After practice, sweaty and exhausted, Jason immediately grabbed his water bottle and drank the entire thing in one go.
   What can you infer about Jason?
   1. He is tired and thirsty.
   2. He wants to go back to practice.
   3. He is not athletic.
   4. He is going to eat pizza.