Reading: Reading for Inference & Implied Meaning: B2 Lesson 2: Inferring Characters' Feelings, Motives, and Relationships
CEFR Level: B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Target Reading Sub-skill: Reading for Inference & Implied Meaning
Specific Focus: Inferring Characters' Feelings, Motives, and Relationships
What You Will Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Infer a character's feelings based on their actions, words, and the situation.
- Infer a character's motives (reasons for their actions).
- Understand the relationships between characters based on their interactions and dialogue.
- Use textual clues to support your inferences about characters.
Hello Cambodian Learners!
In stories, authors don't always tell us directly how a character feels or why they do something. Good readers act like detectives, looking for clues in what characters say, do, and how others react to them. This helps us understand the characters more deeply – their feelings, what motivates them (their motives), and their relationships with others. Imagine reading about two friends in Battambang having a quiet conversation; their words and actions can tell you a lot about their friendship even if the author doesn't say "they are good friends."
Inferring About Characters
To understand characters well, we look for clues about their:
- Feelings: How does the character seem to be feeling (happy, sad, angry, nervous, excited)? Look at their words, actions, and how the narrator describes them.
- Motives: Why does the character do or say certain things? What do they want to achieve?
- Relationships: How do characters interact? Are they friendly, in conflict, family members, strangers? Their dialogue and actions towards each other reveal this.
Example: Click the text to hear it.
Inferred Feeling:
Sophea is likely feeling very nervous and anxious. (Clues: pacing, glancing at clock/phone, sighing, exam results due).
Inferred Motive (for checking phone/clock):
She wants to find out her exam results as soon as possible.
Practice Time!
Activity 1: What are they Feeling or Thinking?
Read each short text excerpt. Then choose the best inference about the character's feelings or motives.
Quick Quiz!
Great Job!
Inferring characters' feelings, motives, and relationships makes reading fiction much richer and more engaging. You're learning to see beyond the surface of the story!
