Deduction:
To make a judgement about something based on the information you have. Use subtle clues
within the text for meaning making.
Example:
‘I deduced she was married from the ring on her finger’
Example:
A man was standing in the doorway. He looked out and put up an umbrella.
Question: what was the weather like?
Answer deduced from the actions of the character. He put up his umbrella.
Inference:
Dictionary Definition
Inference - To form an opinion/hypothesis that something is probably true because of other
information that you already know.
‘It would be wrong to infer that people who are overweight are just greedy.’
Read between the lines. Inference uses prior knowledge, personal engagement and clues
scattered throughout the text.
Literary example from: “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey”
Near the beginning of a story we find out the main character's wife and child died a few years go.
In the middle of the story at the main character's home another character sits in a chair that is not
normally used.
The man shouts “Nobody sits in that chair!”
Question: Why did he shout?
The reader could infer that the chair might have belonged to his wife which made him upset.
This inference could lead the reader to think the action of the other character sitting in the chair
has brought back painful memories for the main character.
All this is inferred. It is not as obviously deducible as the first example because the clues are laid
through the text. More complex reasoning is required for inference.
The question on your understanding of a text
You have to infer meaning, which means reading between the lines, so you need to decide what
someone thinks from how they say things, not just from what they say.
Inferred meaning
We use this kind of indirect language every day, to give our words a certain effect. An example
is when we are sarcastic: “Mmm, delicious,” she said looking at the solitary sandwich on the
table
‘Even without any context (like where this is happening or who the person is) we know the
person does not think the sandwich is delicious. The clue is in the single adjective "solitary". We
might infer the person is hungry or doesn’t like sandwiches. The key to understanding the
attitude of a test is to consider how the writer feels about the subject
Do they feel good or bad about this subject?
Is it funny or serious?
Are they happy or sad?
When inferring meaning, you might simply know what the writer feels. If it is not clear,
then you need to look closely at detail and similes.
Details
Writers often use indirect language. Rather than just describing a scene, they might engage
readers by describing how you would see or feel the scene. Feelings will therefore come from the
kind of things being described (e.g. colorful, interesting descriptions with positive associations or
used, broken objects with negative associations).
Similes
Similes and metaphors are common techniques for suggesting feelings or attitudes. For example,
"He looked like a lion fresh from the jungle". This statement suggests a positive feeling, because
we think of lions as big and strong, the king of the jungle So the writer is impressed by the
person being described.
Identifying writing techniques
Different techniques will be used to appeal to different audiences or meet different purposes.
These are the techniques you should be able to identify:
Words: are they simple or difficult, formal or informal?
Sentences: are they short or long?
Paragraphs: are they short or long? Are they all the same length, or do some stand out for
emphasis or dramatic effect?
Personal pronouns; does the text use the personal pronoun 'you' or 'we' to address the reader?
Using 'we' is a technique the text could use to create a close personal relationship.
Persuasive techniques: does the writer use rhetorical questions (e.g. "Have you ever wondered
what it would be like to be a billionaire?"), groups of three (e.g. "The good, the bad and the
ugly") or alliteration (eg. "sizzling sunshine")? These can all be used to persuade the reader to
feel à certain way about something.
Discourse markers: does the writer use casual, chatty discourse markers (e.g. "anyway, you
know what I mean, so") or more formal.ones (c.g "nevertheless, therefore, however")?
Emotive vocabulary: are the words colorful (e.g. "extraordinary, teeming (crowded),
resplendent (splendid)" or plain (eg. "good, full of, organized"),
Exclamations: does the writing sound angry and argumentative (eg "This must stop" or "We
must think again...") or is the writing more thoughtful (e.g. "probably, it might be, on the other
hand").
Facts and opinions: does the text use lots of facts and statistics or there are more opinions is
that text intended to inform to Persuade review and entertain?
