Inference with Supporting Detail
"Maya slammed the door and walked away without answering."
What can you infer about Maya's feelings?
Give one supporting detail from the sentence.
Maya is angry or upset.
Supporting detail: She “slammed the door” and “walked away without answering.”
"The timid kitten hid under the blanket,"
Which word is a context clue that helps define timid and why?
Hid or under the blanket (shows the kitten is shy or afraid).
"Sam returned the lost wallet to the teacher."
What trait does this show?
A. careless
B. honest
C. selfish
D. forgetful
B. honest
"Alyssa hummed while she sharpened her pencils and lined up her books. She glanced at the clock and smiled."
What can you infer she is preparing for? Provide one supporting detail.
She is preparing for class or a lesson.
Supporting detail: She sharpened pencils and lined up her books.
"When the lights buzzed and the oven wouldn't heat, Sara frowned and checked the manual." What is the problem and the clue?
Problem: The oven is not working.
Clue: “oven wouldn't heat.”
"Ben studied the map for a long time, then folded it carefully and put it away. He checked his compass twice before starting."
What can you infer about Ben’s preparation?
Give one supporting detail.
Ben is careful and well-prepared.
Supporting detail: He studied the map for a long time and checked his compass twice.
"The ancient vase was fragile and cracked in many places."
Which word gives the best clue about the meaning of ancient and why?
Cracked (and fragile) — these clues suggest the vase is very old.
"When Ana saw her friend trip, she helped them up and checked if they were okay."
What trait is shown?
A. brave
B. kind
C. rude
D. bored
B. kind
"Tom stayed after class to ask questions. He took careful notes and practiced the problems at home. His test score improved."
What can you infer about Tom’s study habits? Give two details.
Tom studies carefully and works hard.
Supporting details: stayed after class to ask questions and practiced problems at home.
"Marco's seedling drooped despite daily watering. He noticed the soil was hard and compact."
What problem is occurring and what is the clue?
Problem: The seedling is unhealthy because the soil is too hard.
Clue: soil was hard and compact.
"The library sign said 'Quiet, please.' Several students were whispering while one boy tapped his pencil. The librarian walked over and shook her head."
What can you infer about the librarian’s job and why she shook her head?
Provide two supporting details.
The librarian’s job is to maintain quiet and order in the library, and she shook her head because students were making noise.
Supporting details: The sign says “Quiet, please,” and students were whispering and tapping a pencil.
"He was famished after the hike. He ate the whole sandwich in one bite."
Which phrase clues the meaning of famished and why?
He ate the whole sandwich in one bite (It shows he was hungry).
"During the science fair, Noah stayed late to help clean up the experiment area. He also wrote a thank-you note to the volunteers."
What two traits best describe Noah?
A. thoughtful and responsible
B. lazy and distracted
C. impatient and noisy
D. forgetful and rude
A. thoughtful and responsible
"The town's river had been low all summer. The mayor announced plans for a new water-saving garden and asked volunteers to plant native shrubs next weekend."
What can you infer about the community’s concern and action? Provide two details.
The community is concerned about water shortages and is taking action. Supporting details: river had been low all summer and the mayor announced a water-saving garden plan.
"Mrs. Patel noticed the classroom fish tank was cloudy. A student reported the filter was unplugged. Mrs. Patel plugged it back in."
What was the problem and clue?
Problem: Filter was unplugged.
Clue: The cloudy water.
"The cake was still warm when Mia placed it on the table. She wiped a small smear of frosting from the counter with the back of her hand. Later, when guests arrived, she apologized and laughed nervously when someone asked why the kitchen smelled sweet."
What can you infer about what happened earlier and Mia’s attitude?
Cite two supporting details.
Someone likely tasted or sampled the cake earlier and Mia feels embarrassed.
Supporting details: She wiped a smear of frosting from the counter and laughed nervously and apologized when guests asked about the smell.
"Lena was furious when she saw the broken window. She clenched her fists and paced the room before calling for help."
Which actions serve as context clues for furious and why?
Clenched her fists and paced the room (clenching fists usually indicates your angry).
"During recess, Zoe let others go ahead in line even though she wanted to be first. She smiled and said it's okay."
Which trait fits Zoe best?
A. selfish
B. generous
C. jealous
D. bossy
B. generous
"Ava found a stray dog shivering by the curb. She wrapped it in her jacket, checked the tag, and posted a notice on the community board. When no owner came forward, she took it to the shelter."
What can you infer about Ava’s decision-making and feelings? Provide three details.
Ava is compassionate and responsible.
Supporting details: wrapped the dog in her jacket, checked the tag and posted a notice, and took it to the shelter.
"The school play script pages were scattered across the floor. Costumes were missing buttons. The stage manager asked everyone to help look for extras and sew the buttons."
Identify the problem and two clues.
Problem: The play preparations are disorganized.
Clue: Script pages scattered and costumes missing buttons.
"Carlos tightened the straps on his backpack and checked the water bottle inside. He looked up the tall hill and wiped sweat from his forehead before starting up the path. Halfway up, he stopped to catch his breath but kept climbing. When he reached the top, he smiled and took a picture of the view".
What can you infer about Carlos’s goal? Provide two supporting details.
Carlos’s goal is to reach the top of the hill while hiking.
Supporting Details: He looked up the tall hill and started up the path. He kept climbing and took a picture when he reached the top.
"The rambunctious children tumbled across the playground, shrieking and wrestling with one another until the teacher intervened." Identify the context clues for rambunctious and explain how they help determine meaning.
"The rambunctious children tumbled across the playground, shrieking and wrestling with one another until the teacher intervened."
Identify the context clues for rambunctious and explain how they help determine meaning.
Context clues: tumbled, shrieking, wrestling, teacher intervened. These actions show the children are loud, energetic, and difficult to control.
During art class, Lily noticed that a new student was sitting alone without any supplies. She quietly shared her markers and helped him get started on the project. When he thanked her, she smiled and told him he could keep using them. Later, she helped him clean up the table before leaving.
Which two character traits best describe Lily?
A. curious & playful
B. selfish & careless
C. kind & helpful
D. impatient & rude
C. kind & helpful
Paragraph (6 sentences):
Marcus spread his books across the table and reread his notes from class. He highlighted important information and wrote questions on a sticky note. When he didn’t understand something, he checked the textbook again. Later that evening, he asked his sister to quiz him using the questions he wrote. Before going to bed, he reviewed the material one more time. The next morning, he walked into school feeling confident.
What can you infer about Marcus’s goal? Write 2–3 sentences explaining the inference and include three supporting details.
Marcus’s goal is to prepare well for an upcoming test. The paragraph shows this because he reread his notes and highlighted important information, wrote questions and asked his sister to quiz him, and reviewed the material again before going to bed, which shows he wanted to make sure he understood everything.
The class was excited to watch their caterpillars turn into butterflies. One morning, Emma noticed the container lid was slightly open. The caterpillars were crawling around the table instead of staying inside their habitat. The students carefully looked around the classroom to find them. Their teacher helped them gently place the caterpillars back into the container and secured the lid tightly. The class decided to check the lid every day after that.
What is the problem in the story? Provide three clues from the story that show the problem.
Problem: The main problem is that the caterpillars escaped from their container.
Clues: The container lid was slightly open. The caterpillars were crawling around the table. The students had to look around the classroom to find them.