Inference Skills

Okay, so 3B, you guys did Making Inferences Worksheet 1 today. How'd you find it? Pretty interesting and non-stressful, huh. Don't worry, 3A. You guys will have your chance soon.. *wicked grin*.


To infer something just means that we're not looking for a direct meaning. Instead, we're looking at clues and subtle hints, and sometimes drawing a conclusion for ourselves from what we've read. Another phrase for "inferring something" is to read between the lines. When we read between the lines, we don't take everything that we've read at face value - instead, we understand that some words or phrases might have hidden meanings. Ok, let's look at an example:

Let's just say that there exists a comprehension passage with such a line - "Uncle Tan was a wolf in sheep's clothings."

What can you infer from this line? Would you answer that :

a) Uncle Tan is the name of a specimen of canin lupis, otherwise known as the Wolf, and that it likes to cloth itself in the discarded garments of sheep, or

b) Uncle Tan is an incurable chee-ko-pek, most probably a middle-aged man.

(Speaking of which - HEADLINES! Do be careful when you're online and someone unfamiliar asks for your number...)

All right, I digress. Right now let's dissect the significance of inference skills in a more indepth way...

Some of you might be wondering what the significance of actually possessing Inference Skills is - other than scoring you high marks in one component of your Social Studies exam, that is. Well, let's take a look at how being able to infer things is vital to your doing well for comprehension tests. Oftentimes, you're not given direct facts in comprehension passages. Nope, your life's not gonna be so easy, hurhurhur...mostly, the examiner wants to test your depth of understanding of certain phrases and words. Is he/she/it likely to throw you this passage: Miss Lan is 25 years old and likes to work with youngsters. She loves to guide their learning and to quench their curiosity and then ask you "How old is Miss Lan?" or "What do you think Miss Lan works as?" If your answer is the former, then... I'm sorry to break the news to you now, kiddoes - you guys ain't in Sec 1 anymore. Sad, but true. :/

Supposing a related question to the our afore-mentioned uncle DOES come out in your Paper 1. Imagine that you're being asked this: "What is Uncle Tan's favourite hobby?"

How would you answer it? Leave your answers in the comment section, my Alpha's and Beta's...

Hello classes!

Hi class...this is your teacher speaking...roger that? :)

Anyway, I hope that this blog shall serve as a means of communication and interaction for all of us. Since I'm taking two EL classes this semester - 3A and 3B - this blog shall be for all of you to read and to leave comments at. However, if there are any specific instructions just for any ONE class, don't worry - I'll draw your attention to that in the title of the post, all right?

Okie, as a way for us all to be introduced to WHO I AM, here's a personal meme, from me to you:

1) What's your name and what do you like to be called?

My full name is Lan Kailuo but I'd prefer to be called..... *drumroll*..... MISS LAN. 

2) What did you do before you came to Yuying?

I was a student at NUS before I became a teacher. I majored in Philosophy, which is a really abstract subject. If you want to know more, look for me and I'll explain about it to you. ;)

3) What are two of your favourite things to do and why?

Well, I really love interacting with animals. I have 3 cats and a dog, and I used to have more pets. I love them because not only are they interesting to observe, they're also beings that display an innocence that is very rare amongst human beings nowadays. I love it, for instance, when I hold out a palm empty of food, but my cat still looks at me with eager, big eyes - because she thinks that there's a snack in store for her. Hehe. 

I love travelling too. I've travelled to Europe, and around SE Asia and China, and in the USA too. Travelling opens up more cultures to us, and lets us learn things that we wouldn't have known, had we just stayed in our home countries. I'm sure the foreign students from our class will have a lot to say about this. 

4) What do you expect from this semester's EL class?

Well, of course I expect all of you to pay close attention to what I'm saying, and to do your homework and hand it in on time. I'm sure that this way, you guys can do very well for your exams. However, English is not only about academic results - it is a way of life too. How about you?