Answering Inference Questions
An inference is a guess based on the information in the passage. The key part of this definition are the words "based on information in the passage". The inference has to be based on information in the passage, so if there is nothing in the passage to support their guess/inference, then they shouldn't make that guess/inference. They have to be able to go back into the passage and find that support.
The exception to this is when the author makes assumptions/implies something based on things that are common knowledge known by everyone and agreed upon by everyone (like "ice is cold" kind of things). This kind of support will not be in the passage.
In choosing material to begin to practice making inferences, using literature [short stories] can be a good format to start with. Story contexts often contain implied information, and they tend to be an easier and more enjoyable format for students to learn how to make inferences with (provided they understand what's going on in the story). After they've got a handle on this, you can move on to making inferences from academic passages, graphs and tables.
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