Tom stormed out of a room after clenching his fists in frustration, leaving his teammates staring in stunned silence, suggesting he was angry about their losing streak. Hannah was excitedly ripping open a present with glee and giggling, likely receiving a gift on her birthday or Christmas. Fred paid for chocolate sadly while looking at a photo of his late wife Molly, implying he was feeling lonely after her death.
Finding clues about characters' feelings and situations
1. Inference detectives: Looking for clues
Read the excerpts and write your inferences in the box below.
Think about . . .
• Who the character might be (old, young, sporty, brainy etc) •
• What kind of person the character is (kind, thoughtful, nasty, selfish, etc) •
• How the character is feeling at that moment and why
• Where and when this action is taking place
1 Tom clenched his fists until the knuckles were white. He sighed deeply, stood up and
stormed toward the door without saying another word. He opened the door and slammed it behind
him. His ten team mates sat staring at each other in stunned silence.
Tom must be frustrated at his team for going on a losing streak
extremely annoyed
2 Hannah’s eyes grew as big as saucers and she began to clap her tiny hands together. As
soon as the present was within reach, she grabbed it and began ripping off the paper. She was
giggling and squealing with delight.
It must be hannahs birthday
Or it may be christmas
3 Fred hobbled toward the counter. He reached into his pocket and with a shaking hand pulled
out his old leather wallet. As he got his money out, he noticed the picture of his wife Molly. All of a
sudden his eyes became sad and after paying for his chocolate he quickly put his wallet back into
his pocket. Thanking the shop assistant he left the shop and headed home for a lonely night in
Freds wife Molly must have died from a car accident
Freds wife Molly may have have left him