Preparing for a journey in a story: sequence and inference
The sequence of a story is the order of its events. Words such as first, then, next, after that, while and finally help the reader. To put events in order, find the time words and the actions. An inference is a guess that you make from clues in the text. The writer does not say it directly. Use the pattern: We can guess that … because … For example: We can guess that the driver is careful because he checks the bus twice. A good inference has a clue from the text, not just a feeling. Check it by asking: Does the text give a reason for this guess? In a story about getting ready for a journey, the way a character prepares shows the character’s personality. In your reader, Chapter 2 is on pages 13 to 17; read it and put its events in order, but do not retell it here.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Find the events | He parked, checked the oil, counted the seats. |
| Put them in order | first, then, next, finally |
| Find a clue | He counts the seats twice. |
| Make an inference | We can guess that he is careful because … |
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Fathy parked the old green school bus in front of the school and opened the bonnet. He checked the oil, wiped the windows and counted the seats twice: forty. Then he took a small notebook from his pocket and wrote a list: spare tyre, first-aid box, water, map. He put a tick next to each word except the last. He frowned, closed the bonnet and went to the office. “I need a map,” he said. “The road to the hills is narrow, and I have driven it only twice. Could another teacher sit in the front seat to help me watch the road?” The secretary smiled and picked up the telephone.
Order and guess. Take a short story you know or a photo of a busy kitchen. Write five events in order with time words. Then write two inferences with “We can guess that … because …”. Do not retell a long story; only five events and two guesses.