Sometimes a writer does not tell you everything straight out. Instead, they leave clues. Working out the hidden meaning from clues is called inference — reading between the lines.
How does the character feel?
Writers show feelings through actions, faces and words. Instead of saying "she was happy", a writer might say "she skipped and grinned". You have to spot the clue and work out the feeling.
Yusuf stared at the empty cage. His hands shook and his eyes filled with tears. "Where has my rabbit gone?" he whispered. He had left the little door open for just one minute.
Backing up your guess
A sensible guess uses evidence — the actual words in the text. From the passage, we can infer Yusuf feels sad and worried. How do we know? His eyes filled with tears and his hands shook. Those are our clues.
What does a clue suggest?
The passage says the door was left open. This suggests the rabbit escaped through the open door. We are not told this directly, but the clue points to it.
Golden rule: When you make an inference, always ask "How do I know?" and point to a word or line in the text.
Spot the clue, work out the feeling
A writer often shows you a feeling instead of naming it. Your job is to find the clue.
| The clue in the writing | What you work out |
|---|---|
| “She skipped and grinned” | She is happy |
| “He stared at the floor and said nothing” | He is upset, or in trouble |
| “Her hands would not stay still” | She is nervous |
Notice that the writer never used the words happy, upset or nervous at all. That is what reading between the lines means.
Match each clue with the feeling it shows:
- She skipped and grinned
- Happy
- He stared at the floor and said nothing
- Upset
- Her hands would not stay still
- Nervous