Maya cradled a stack of library books and hurried inside, brushing snow from her coat and holding them close to keep them dry. She glanced at the return slot and smiled when she saw it was open.

She hurried to return books before a deadline.

She forgot where she left the books.

She was visiting a friend nearby.

She hurried to return books before a deadline.

Jamal sat quietly at his desk, staring at the blank paper, tapping his pencil on the table. When the teacher passed by, Jamal handed in a neat page full of writing.

He felt proud after finishing his work.

He wanted to go outside to play.

He felt proud after finishing his work.

Luis folded the colorful map and tucked it into his backpack. He zipped the bag, checked his hiking boots, and smiled at his friend waiting at the trailhead for their early morning walk.

He planned to go hiking with a friend.

He wanted to study maps at home.

He planned to go hiking with a friend.

He was hiding the map for later.

Noah’s baseball glove sat by the front door, wet and muddy. He left his cleats on the porch and carried a damp jersey to the laundry basket while humming after a game that ended late.

He had played a muddy game and came home messy.

He washed his hands after dinner.

He had played a muddy game and came home messy.

Priya wiped the flour from her hands and pulled a warm loaf of bread from the oven. The kitchen smelled sweet and golden, and she placed the bread on a cooling rack before calling her family to the table.

She baked bread and was making a meal for family.

She was planting seeds in the garden.

She was painting the kitchen walls.

She baked bread and was making a meal for family.

Zoe turned down the volume on her tablet when her grandmother entered the room. She folded the blanket neatly and smiled as her grandmother sat beside her to read quietly together, gently flipping pages.

She was being polite and respectful to her grandmother.

She was preparing to go outside.

She was hiding from her grandmother.

She was being polite and respectful to her grandmother.

Ethan found a torn kite stuck in a tree and fished it out carefully. He tied a new string, tested it in the wind, and watched it fly higher than before with a proud grin.

He enjoys fixing things and learning from mistakes.

He wanted to throw the kite away.

He was trying to get the kite down for someone else.

He enjoys fixing things and learning from mistakes.

He dislikes playing with kites.

Layla closed her umbrella and shook off droplets as she entered the classroom, setting it by her chair. She opened her wet notebook and took out a dry page to write on, glancing at the window where clouds moved away.

It had rained earlier and now the sky was clearing.

It was snowing heavily outside still.

Diego offered his spare lunch to a classmate who looked hungry and sat alone. The classmate’s face brightened, and they began talking together happily during recess, sharing stories about their mornings.

He is kind and helps others, which made the classmate happy.

He wanted to be popular by sharing food.

He lost his own lunch and needed theirs.

He is kind and helps others, which made the classmate happy.

He was making a bet with the classmate.

Fourth Grade ELA Study and Practice | Reading Strategies: Drawing Inferences

Go to the practice →

What does it mean to draw inferences?

Drawing inferences means figuring out something the author does not say directly. Readers use clues from the text plus what they already know to understand deeper meaning.

Examples:

Text: “Maria shivered and pulled her coat tighter.”
Inference: It must be cold outside.
Text: “The puppy’s tail wagged, and it jumped up and down.”
Inference: The puppy is excited or happy.

Note

Think of an inference as reading between the lines. You are putting together clues plus your own thinking.

How do you make an inference?

To make an inference, combine evidence from the text with your own knowledge and experiences.

Steps:

Read the text carefully.
Look for clues in the author’s words, actions, or descriptions.
Ask yourself, “What do I already know that connects to this clue?”
Put the clue and your knowledge together to form a reasonable guess.

Note

An inference is not a wild guess. It must be supported by evidence from the text.

Clues that help you draw inferences

Writers often give hints that help readers make inferences. These clues can come in many forms.

Common Clues:

Actions: What a character does can show feelings or motives.
Words: What a character says or how they say it can reveal thoughts.
Descriptions: Settings, expressions, and details can suggest mood or meaning.
Repetition: If something is repeated, it is probably important to understanding.

Note

Pay close attention to details. Small words and actions can hold big clues.

Practice using inferences in sentences

Applying inferences while reading sentences and passages makes your comprehension stronger and deeper.

Examples:

Text: “The lights were off, and the chairs were upside down on the tables.”
Inference: The store or restaurant is closed.
Text: “He stared at the clock, tapping his foot again and again.”
Inference: He is feeling impatient.
Text: “Tara’s voice trembled as she spoke.”
Inference: Tara is nervous or scared.

Note

Always ask yourself, “What does this detail suggest?” This question helps guide your inference-making.

Why inferences are important

Drawing inferences helps you go beyond the surface meaning of a text. It makes you an active reader and builds stronger comprehension skills.

Examples of Importance:

Understand characters’ feelings without being told directly.
Predict what may happen next in a story.
Discover themes and lessons hidden in the text.

Note

Strong readers always think beyond the words on the page. Inferences connect the text to meaning.

Go to the practice →

C.1 Read each passage and draw an inference

What does it mean to draw inferences?

How do you make an inference?

Clues that help you draw inferences

Practice using inferences in sentences

Why inferences are important