Making Inferences | Answer Keys

Student Concept Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	The crowd was tense, anxious, and holding their breath - they knew this was an important moment. Evidence: "completely silent" in a usually noisy gymnasium suggests intense anticipation.
2	C. Marcus felt a lot of pressure to make the shot. Options A, B, and D are explicitly stated. Only C requires inference.
3	Text Evidence: Flour on counter, dirty bowls, sweet smell. Background Knowledge: These are signs of baking. Inference: Someone was baking something sweet (like cookies or a cake).
4	Without text evidence, inferences are just wild guesses. Evidence proves our thinking is based on what the author actually wrote, not just imagination. The FAST test requires us to support inferences with evidence.

Practice Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	B. Nervous and scared
2	Evidence includes: clutched music "so tightly pages crinkled," "legs felt like jelly," "couldn't see faces" felt "both better and worse," mouth opened but "no sound came out," voice was "thin, wavering."
3	Hearing Carlos's encouragement reminded Lily of singing at home (where she's comfortable). She pretended she was in her bedroom - a safe, familiar space. Her brother's support helped her relax and find her confidence. Evidence: "Just like at home!" and she "closed her eyes, pretended she was in her bedroom."
4	Lily's final performance was excellent/impressive. Evidence: Mrs. Chen smiled and took a note (positive sign), silence followed by erupting applause shows the audience was impressed.
5	B. The audience clapped enthusiastically and suddenly "Erupted" suggests sudden, explosive, enthusiastic applause - not polite or quiet.
6	Readers might incorrectly infer she received bad news and is sad. They might think this because crying usually means sadness, and she pressed her hand to her heart (which can signal distress).
7	B. Political or travel restrictions kept them apart (one is in Cuba) The foreign stamp, sister "in Cuba," and "forty years" apart suggests political/travel barriers, not a family feud.
8	Grandma Rosa feels overwhelming joy mixed with grief for lost time. She's experiencing complex emotions - happiness at the reunion news combined with sadness about the decades they missed. The tears represent years of longing finally releasing.
9	The "identical smiles" suggest Rosa and Maria are twins (or at least sisters who look very alike). The identical feature shows their close bond and explains why Rosa treasures the photo and why seeing Maria again after 40 years is so emotional.
10	C. Something sad or difficult happened in his life (loss, illness, or depression)
11	Three pieces of evidence: (1) Garden is overgrown with weeds and broken fence (he always cared for it perfectly before), (2) Newspapers piling up (he's not collecting them), (3) No answer to Mrs. Chen's knock, (4) He looks "older than Marcus had ever seen him."
12	The Maple Street community is caring and looks out for each other. Mrs. Chen brings food without being asked, notices warning signs, and Marcus offers help. They don't ignore a neighbor in need - they take action.
13	During the pause, Mr. Thompson was likely struggling with pride (not wanting help), surprise (that someone cared), or emotional difficulty (accepting kindness). His eventual nod suggests he decided to let someone in despite his hesitation.
14	In Passage 1, Lily's actions (clutching paper, shaking, wavering voice) showed nervousness - active, visible signs of emotion. In Passage 3, Mr. Thompson's actions are about absence - what he's NOT doing (not gardening, not answering, not collecting newspapers). Both require inference, but one shows emotion through action and the other through inaction.

FAST Format Quiz Answers

Question	Answer
1	B. Frustrated and angry that he's not taking the project seriously
2	C. She was feeling embarrassed or angry "Face felt hot" is a common physical sign of strong emotions like anger or embarrassment.
3	B. He didn't take it seriously or prioritize it
4	B. She is supportive and understood Jasmine needed help
5	B. She was growing more frustrated and giving up on getting a real response
6	B. She feels it's unfair but is keeping her real feelings hidden
7	B. She will not rely on Derek (or similar partners) for important work again
8	B. She noticed something was wrong but chose not to comment yet
9	See rubric and sample response below.
10	See rubric and sample response below.

Question 9 Scoring Rubric (Character Inference)

Score	Criteria
2	Makes a clear inference about Jasmine's character AND provides at least TWO pieces of text evidence
1	Makes an inference with only one piece of evidence, OR provides evidence without clear inference
0	No inference made, no evidence provided, or response shows misunderstanding

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 9:
I can infer that Jasmine is hardworking and responsible. Evidence: (1) She worked on the project for two weeks alone while Derek did nothing, (2) She stayed up until midnight to finish it herself. Background knowledge: Someone who works that hard on schoolwork values doing things right. Her actions show she's the kind of person who takes responsibility even when others don't do their part.

Question 10 Scoring Rubric (Comparative Inference)

Score	Criteria
2	Clearly explains the difference in how Derek and Jasmine value school AND supports with evidence from the text
1	Identifies the difference but lacks evidence, OR provides evidence but doesn't clearly explain the difference
0	Does not address how they value school differently or shows misunderstanding

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 10:
Derek and Jasmine value school very differently. When Derek says "It's just a grade" and shrugs, it shows he doesn't think schoolwork matters much - he'd rather play video games with friends than do his part. Jasmine, on the other hand, worked for two weeks, stayed up until midnight, and got upset when Derek didn't contribute. This shows she takes her education seriously and cares about doing quality work, while Derek sees it as unimportant.

Quick Reference: Types of Inferences