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Literary Analysis: Make and Support Inferences
Academic Vocabulary

  • • evidence (e-vu-dents) noun

  • Evidence is facts or information that show that something is true.

What’s the Author’s Message? The main idea of a text is the message or most important point an author wants you to understand. Usually, the main idea is not directly stated. You have to make inferences to figure it out:

  • 1. Read the text. Pay attention to facts and ideas about the topic.

  • 2. Think of what you already know about the topic.

  • 3. Combine evidence in the text with what you already know to figure out what the author has not told you directly.

Practice Together

Infer the Main Idea Read the passage. Combine evidence in the text with your own knowledge to infer the main idea.

At home that Christmas, Roberto went back to the same muddy field he’d played on as a boy. In his pocket was a bag full of bottle caps that he emptied into the hands of some kids. They threw him the caps, and he hit each one again and again.

When he returned to Pittsburgh come spring, baseballs looked HUGE, and he clobbered them as never before. That season, he hit .351, the highest batting average in the National League.

The chart shows how you can combine knowledge and evidence to infer the main idea. What can you infer from the information?

Inference Chart

I ReadI KnowAnd So …
Roberto practiced hitting bottle caps and then went on to get the highest batting average in the National League.Bottle caps are smaller than baseballs and harder to hit.

Try It!

Infer the Message Reread “Roberto Clemente.” With a partner, infer the main message of the selection. Think about what you should learn from the life of Roberto Clemente. Gather text evidence and your own knowledge in a chart like the one above and use it to help you make your inference.