Inference & Analysis

Inferencing

At Middle Level, inference questions are more complex — they may ask about unstated causes, motivations, or implications.

Steps: (1) Find the relevant evidence in the text. (2) Combine it with what makes logical sense. (3) Choose the answer that is supported, not merely possible.

Character & Motivation

Fiction passages often ask: "Why did the character do X?" or "How does the character feel about…?"

Look for: dialogue, actions, descriptions of body language/facial expression, thoughts reported by the narrator.

Literary Devices

• Simile: comparison using like/as — "as fast as lightning"
• Metaphor: direct comparison — "he was a lion on the field"
• Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things
• Foreshadowing: hints at what will happen later
• Irony: the opposite of what is expected or said