Make Inferences from a Story

Look at the sentence below.

Katie swung the door open, skipped into the room and whistled a tune.

How is Katie feeling?

We can use clues from the sentence to help us answer this question.

This is called inference.

We can infer that Katie is feeling happy because she is skipping and whistling.

People often skip or whistle when they are happy. The sentence didn't actually use the word happy but we can infer this.

Inferring things from a story is a lot like being a detective as you have to use clues to help you work out the answer.

In this activity, we will be answering inference questions about the story below. Read it carefully.

A Triathlon to Remember

Jay looked into the calm saltwater lagoon; its surface was sparkling under the sun like a diamond ring. He had spent the past six months tiringly training for this triathlon and finally, the moment had arrived. Cautiously, Jay tested the water, listening for the starting horn. As the horn sounded, Jay dived into the water like a starving dolphin on the search for food. His powerful arms pulled him forwards with every stroke. When he heard the splashing of other swimmers getting closer, he pushed himself harder. Reaching the finishing line in no time, Jay pulled himself out from the water to see that he was in the lead. The water lapped up and down on the rocks like it was giving him a round of applause before he began the next section of the race.

Sprinting over to his bike, the sand crunched beneath Jay’s feet. He quickly pedalled away so he could stay in front. The bike’s wheels spun like a struggling windmill in a hurricane. Looking out at Lanzarote’s lava fields, Jay remembered why he picked this location for his race. It was stunning. The black and red fields were full of craters like the uneven surface of the moon. In the distance, Jay could see his next challenge. He gulped as he saw the steep hill getting closer to him. Struggling to climb the hill in the heat, Jay slowed down allowing two other cyclists to overtake him on the hill. He watched them disappear like sports cars in the distance. Trying not to feel disappointed, Jay pedalled on, knowing he could try and catch them once he was at the top. Reaching the top of the mountain without letting any more cyclists get ahead felt like a win itself. Jay knew he had to catch up. Whizzing down the other side of the mountain, Jay was a turbo jet. As the road flattened at the base of the mountain, Jay caught sight of the second cyclist. He powerfully pedalled until his legs were burning lava to get ahead of him.

Jay began the 10 km run, which was the final event of the triathlon, in second place. If he could overtake one more person, he could win. Victory was in sight. With each stride across the volcanic earth, Jay thought about his family who were waiting at the finish line for him. The sun was getting lower in the sky, creating long shadows like people cheering him on. Jay was relieved that this stretch of the triathlon was without hills. The finish line was in sight and it was his last chance to push past the runner in first place. He fixed his eyes on the finish line and ran like he had never run before. Just before he crossed the line, he managed to step in front of the other runner. A roar of applause erupted around him. This was the best race he’d competed in.