Language Arts Notes

The author doesn't always tell you everything in a story. For example, he or she often merely suggests events, settings, and character traits. The author can also communicate more subtle messages, such as the narrator's reliability, the passage's theme, or even the author's own attitudes.

As a result, you often need to make inferences to fully understand the story and the author's choices. When making inferences, use your background knowledge of the world to interpret the story's details. Also, pay attention to the story's imagery, structure, and other stylistic elements, and consider what purpose they serve. Remember to base your inferences on evidence from the text.