Inference & Inferential Questions

Inference occurs when you know something, but nobody ever told you about it and you never read it anywhere. You used your brain and your experience to figure it out.

Printable guide

small image of document
Click to download the printable guide

Video

When you use your knowledge and experience to figure something out, you're using inference.

Inferential questions are questions that require you to infer to get the answer. The other kind of question is a literal question, which doesn't require you to infer.

Here are some examples of inferential thinking:

Now let's say that you were incapable of inference; in other words, you had to see something with your own eyes or be told something specifically before you knew it. Here's how the above 4 little scenarios would work:

Because you don't "do" inference, and you only think of things literally:

Next steps

First, think of your favorite movie, book, or TV show. What are the main conflicts? If you can think of one or two, then you're on your way to become a master of conflict. Click on the Brainsheet on the top of this page to read more about conflict and show your teacher you "get it." You can also watch the video, above, to learn about conflict.