CRCB Ch. 7 Summary (Inferences)

CRCB Ch. 7 Summary
Inferences

Chapter seven in our CRCB text was about inferences and using them to identify implied main ideas. This text states that an inference is the process of making assumptions, and drawing conclusions about information when an author’s opinions or ideas are not directly stated. You have to “pull” the meaning from your readings. There are five strategies for effectively inferring meaning from writings when it is not directly stated. The first strategy is to understand an author’s purpose for writing the piece. The second strategy is to note comparisons and implied similarities. If an author makes a comparison to show something then you have to infer what the similarity is to understand the point of the author. The third strategy is to understand the author’s use of tone. Tone can be extremely helpful in trying to understand an author’s main idea, specially if it is implied. The fourth strategy is to detect an author’s bias. This can help us make informed decisions about what the author is saying. The last strategy is to recognize information gaps. These can be intentional or not. Also, authors may have implied main ideas for paragraphs or sections or chapters. When main ideas are implied, we have to use inferences and strategies to see them. We have to 1) Read carefully. 2) identify the topic of the reading material. 3) ask ourselves what important point the author makes about the topic. 4) Combine the topic with the new information.