Printable reading comprehension worksheet titled "Making Inferences" where students match words to antonyms and answer questions based on a story about two boys exploring.
A worksheet titled "Making Inferences" with a passage about Petey and Ralphie exploring, followed by five questions asking students to infer details from the text.
JPG
692×896
144.1 KB
Free · Personal Use
Quality Assured by Worksheets Library Team
Reviewed for educational accuracy and age-appropriateness
ID: #232915
⭐
Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Activities for Making Inferences - Worksheets - Primary
▼
Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Activities for Making Inferences - Worksheets - Primary
Actually, there’s a mismatch in the instructions and the content of the worksheet.
The title says: “Making Inferences”
The directions say: “Match each word to its antonym.”
But the content is a short story followed by inference questions — not a list of words to match with antonyms.
This appears to be an error in the worksheet design. The directions do not match the activity.
---
✔ Correct Interpretation & Solution:
Since the actual task presented is a story followed by 5 inference questions (plus one creative thinking question), we will solve those inference questions based on clues in the text.
---
Petey and Ralphie go exploring on a Saturday. Petey carries a net and bag for specimens. Ralphie gets his nose stuck in a bush. Petey finds a small, red-and-black, winged critter — likely a ladybug or beetle. He puts on a hat and jacket (probably because it rained or was cloudy). They eat lunch (Petey: ham sandwich; Ralphie: steak bone). They play catch as the sun sets. Summer is over, and Petey must get up early tomorrow.
---
## ✍️ Answers to Inference Questions:
---
1. What did Petey and Ralphie go out to collect?
> Answer: Specimens (likely insects or small creatures).
> Explanation: The story says, “Petey carried a net and a bag to put specimens in.” This implies they were collecting natural items — probably bugs or other small animals — for observation or study.
---
2. What kind of critter did Petey find?
> Answer: A small, red and black, winged insect — most likely a ladybug (or possibly a beetle).
> Explanation: The description — “small, red and black, winged critter” — matches a ladybug perfectly. Ladybugs are common, harmless, and often collected by children. The fact that they later call it their “new pet” also supports this.
---
3. Why did Petey put on a hat and jacket?
> Answer: Because it was raining or about to rain — he wanted to stay dry and protect his specimen bag.
> Explanation: The text says, “Petey looked up, held out his hand, and decided to put on his wide brimmed hat and jacket.” Holding out his hand suggests he felt raindrops. Also, he “tucked the specimen bag under his jacket so it wouldn’t get wet,” which confirms he was protecting things from moisture.
---
4. What do you know about Ralphie?
> Answer: Ralphie is likely a dog.
> Explanation: Several clues point to this:
> - He “stuck his nose into a bush searching” — typical dog behavior.
> - He ate a “big, juicy steak bone” — dogs love bones.
> - The boys “trotted on home” — “trotted” could describe how a dog walks.
> - They observed their “new pet” together — if Ralphie were a boy, it would be odd to call the critter “their new pet” while including him as part of “the two.”
> So, Ralphie is almost certainly Petey’s dog companion.
---
5. Why do you think Petey has to get up early?
> Answer: School is starting again — summer is over.
> Explanation: The story ends with: “Summer was over, and Petey had to get up early tomorrow.” This strongly implies the start of the school year. Kids usually have to wake up early for school, especially after summer break.
---
What do you think might happen next?
> Answer (sample): Petey will wake up early, get ready for school, and maybe show his new ladybug pet to his teacher or classmates. Ralphie might follow him to the bus stop. Or, since it’s the first day of school, Petey might be nervous but excited to share his summer adventure.
> Explanation: This is a creative response based on the context. Since summer ended and school starts tomorrow, the logical next step is the beginning of the school year. The story focuses on exploration and discovery — perhaps Petey will bring his “specimen” to school for show-and-tell.
---
✔ Final Note:
The worksheet has a typo or formatting error — the directions should say “Answer the following inference questions based on the story,” not “Match each word to its antonym.” But since the real task is clear from the content, we’ve solved the inference questions correctly.
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or worksheet corrections!
The title says: “Making Inferences”
The directions say: “Match each word to its antonym.”
But the content is a short story followed by inference questions — not a list of words to match with antonyms.
This appears to be an error in the worksheet design. The directions do not match the activity.
---
✔ Correct Interpretation & Solution:
Since the actual task presented is a story followed by 5 inference questions (plus one creative thinking question), we will solve those inference questions based on clues in the text.
---
📖 Story Summary:
Petey and Ralphie go exploring on a Saturday. Petey carries a net and bag for specimens. Ralphie gets his nose stuck in a bush. Petey finds a small, red-and-black, winged critter — likely a ladybug or beetle. He puts on a hat and jacket (probably because it rained or was cloudy). They eat lunch (Petey: ham sandwich; Ralphie: steak bone). They play catch as the sun sets. Summer is over, and Petey must get up early tomorrow.
---
## ✍️ Answers to Inference Questions:
---
1. What did Petey and Ralphie go out to collect?
> Answer: Specimens (likely insects or small creatures).
> Explanation: The story says, “Petey carried a net and a bag to put specimens in.” This implies they were collecting natural items — probably bugs or other small animals — for observation or study.
---
2. What kind of critter did Petey find?
> Answer: A small, red and black, winged insect — most likely a ladybug (or possibly a beetle).
> Explanation: The description — “small, red and black, winged critter” — matches a ladybug perfectly. Ladybugs are common, harmless, and often collected by children. The fact that they later call it their “new pet” also supports this.
---
3. Why did Petey put on a hat and jacket?
> Answer: Because it was raining or about to rain — he wanted to stay dry and protect his specimen bag.
> Explanation: The text says, “Petey looked up, held out his hand, and decided to put on his wide brimmed hat and jacket.” Holding out his hand suggests he felt raindrops. Also, he “tucked the specimen bag under his jacket so it wouldn’t get wet,” which confirms he was protecting things from moisture.
---
4. What do you know about Ralphie?
> Answer: Ralphie is likely a dog.
> Explanation: Several clues point to this:
> - He “stuck his nose into a bush searching” — typical dog behavior.
> - He ate a “big, juicy steak bone” — dogs love bones.
> - The boys “trotted on home” — “trotted” could describe how a dog walks.
> - They observed their “new pet” together — if Ralphie were a boy, it would be odd to call the critter “their new pet” while including him as part of “the two.”
> So, Ralphie is almost certainly Petey’s dog companion.
---
5. Why do you think Petey has to get up early?
> Answer: School is starting again — summer is over.
> Explanation: The story ends with: “Summer was over, and Petey had to get up early tomorrow.” This strongly implies the start of the school year. Kids usually have to wake up early for school, especially after summer break.
---
What do you think might happen next?
> Answer (sample): Petey will wake up early, get ready for school, and maybe show his new ladybug pet to his teacher or classmates. Ralphie might follow him to the bus stop. Or, since it’s the first day of school, Petey might be nervous but excited to share his summer adventure.
> Explanation: This is a creative response based on the context. Since summer ended and school starts tomorrow, the logical next step is the beginning of the school year. The story focuses on exploration and discovery — perhaps Petey will bring his “specimen” to school for show-and-tell.
---
✔ Final Note:
The worksheet has a typo or formatting error — the directions should say “Answer the following inference questions based on the story,” not “Match each word to its antonym.” But since the real task is clear from the content, we’ve solved the inference questions correctly.
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or worksheet corrections!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of inference worksheets.
