Words to know
inference
A conclusion you reach by combining clues in the text with what you already know.
explicit evidence
Information the text states directly, in so many words.
implicit evidence
Information the text suggests or hints at, without saying it directly.
local inference
An inference about a small part of a text, such as one sentence, a character's feeling or a word's meaning.
global inference
An inference about the whole text, such as its theme, message or a character's overall change.
interpretation
Your explanation of what a text means, built from several inferences and supported by evidence.
subtext
The meaning under the surface of what characters say and do.
Remember from Grade 6
In Grade 6 you made local and global inferences and built interpretations. You learned that more than one interpretation can be reasonable if it's supported by evidence.
In Grade 7 you'll sort evidence into explicit (stated) and implicit (suggested), and you'll use your inferences to extend your understanding: to see what a text says about real life.
Hook: Reading between the lines
Your friend says, "Fine. Whatever. Go to the movie without me." and walks away without looking at you.
The words say it's fine. But you know it's not fine. How? Their actions (walking away, not looking at you) and tone (Whatever) are implicit evidence. Good readers notice what's under the surface: the subtext.
Second Chair (a story written for this website)
When Ms. Lavoie posted the list for the spring concert, Hana read it twice, then a third time, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. TRUMPET SOLO: Mateo R.
Mateo had moved to Cedar Bend in January. He still wore a jacket made for a much warmer place than Ontario, and he walked to school with his shoulders up near his ears.
At lunch, Hana's friends were outraged for her. "You've been first trumpet since Grade 5," said Jess. "He's been here three months."
Hana said nothing. She peeled her orange in one long spiral, the way her dad had taught her, and didn't eat it.
That afternoon, she heard the solo drifting out of the practice room. Mateo played the opening beautifully, then cracked on the high note. He tried again. Cracked again. Then silence, and a sound that might have been a sniff.
Hana stood outside the door for a long moment. Then she knocked.
"You're pressing too hard," she said, nodding at his trumpet. "Everybody does on that note. Try more air and less pressure."
He tried. The note rang out, clear as a bell.
On the night of the concert, when Mateo finished the solo and the gym burst into applause, he turned around in his chair and found Hana in the back row. She was clapping harder than anyone.
Can there be more than one interpretation?
Yes, if each is supported by evidence and doesn't ignore evidence. For example:
- Interpretation A: The story is about generosity winning over jealousy. (supported by her silence, her help and her clapping)
- Interpretation B: The story is about how hard it is to be new, and how one kind act can make someone belong. (supported by Mateo's jacket, his shoulders, his sniff, and him looking for Hana after the solo)
Both work. But Hana secretly hopes Mateo will fail does not work: her actions show the opposite.
Extending your understanding
Inferences help you see what a text says about real life. Ask:
- What does this story suggest about how people act when they're disappointed?
- What might it be like to move to a new country or a new climate in the middle of winter?
- Have I ever had to choose between my own disappointment and helping someone?
This is how a short story about a trumpet solo becomes a story about leadership, belonging and kindness.