Reading comprehension worksheet on drawing conclusions and making inferences with a story about a greedy man.
A reading comprehension worksheet titled "Drawing conclusions and making inferences" from K5 Learning, featuring a story about a greedy man and a neighbor, with instructions for practice.
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Step-by-step solution for: Making Inferences Worksheets | Worsheets library
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Making Inferences Worksheets | Worsheets library
You’re looking at a Reading Comprehension Worksheet from K5 Learning titled “Drawing conclusions and making inferences.”
The goal is to practice drawing conclusions (figuring out something for yourself based on evidence) and making inferences (using what you already know + what the story says to understand deeper meaning).
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> Once there was a very greedy man who sold everything he owned and bought a brick of gold. He buried that gold brick behind a hut that was across the road from his shabby old house. Every day, the greedy man went across the road and dug up his gold brick to look at it.
>
> After a while, a workman noticed the greedy man going across the road every day, and decided to follow him. The next day, the greedy man dug up his gold brick, but the hole was empty. He pulled at his hair, and cried out in sorrow, “My beautiful gold brick!” he wept.
>
> A neighbor came running, and asked the greedy man what had happened. When the greedy man told him, the neighbor just shrugged his shoulders. “Why be so sad?” said the neighbor. “Just go get a rock and put it in the hole, and pretend that it is gold. It will do you as much good as the gold did.”
---
## ✔ Task: Draw conclusions and make inferences
Let’s break this down step by step.
---
## 🔍 Step 1: What does the story say? (Literal facts)
- The man sold everything to buy gold.
- He buried the gold brick.
- He dug it up daily to look at it — never used it.
- A workman followed him and stole the gold.
- The man cried when he found it gone.
- The neighbor suggested replacing it with a rock — since he never used it anyway.
---
## 💡 Step 2: Make Inferences (What can we figure out?)
> The greedy man didn’t *use* the gold — he only looked at it.
➡️ Inference: He valued the *idea* of having gold more than its actual use (like buying food, shelter, or helping others). He got emotional satisfaction from seeing it, not practical benefit.
> The neighbor suggests replacing the gold with a rock.
➡️ Inference: The neighbor understands that the man never actually *used* the gold — so a rock would serve the same purpose (emotional comfort). This implies the gold was useless to him in reality.
> The man cried over the loss — even though he never spent it.
➡️ Inference: His sadness isn’t about losing money or utility — it’s about losing the *symbol* of his greed and self-worth. He tied his identity to possessing gold.
---
## 🧠 Step 3: Draw Conclusions (What can we conclude overall?)
> The greedy man’s obsession with gold was irrational — he gained no real benefit from it.
➡️ Conclusion: Possessing something without using it is meaningless. True value comes from use or sharing, not just ownership.
> The neighbor’s advice is ironic — it highlights how pointless the gold was to the man.
➡️ Conclusion: Sometimes people cling to things for emotional reasons, not practical ones. The neighbor sees through the man’s greed and points out the absurdity.
> The story teaches a lesson about greed and misplaced values.
➡️ Conclusion: Greed blinds people to what truly matters. The man lost nothing of real value — only an illusion of wealth.
---
## 🎯 Final Answer / Summary:
> The greedy man cared more about owning gold than using it. He got emotional pleasure from looking at it, but never benefited from it practically. When it was stolen, he was devastated — not because he lost money, but because he lost his symbol of wealth. The neighbor’s suggestion to replace it with a rock shows that the gold was useless to him anyway — proving that true value lies in use, not possession. The story teaches us that greed can make us value things for the wrong reasons.
---
## ✏️ Bonus: How to Apply This Skill
Next time you read a story:
- Ask: “What does the text say directly?”
- Ask: “What can I guess based on what I know and what’s implied?”
- Ask: “What lesson or message can I draw from this?”
This worksheet helps you become a smarter reader — not just memorizing words, but understanding meaning!
---
✔ You’ve now successfully drawn conclusions and made inferences from “The Greedy Man”! Keep practicing — it’s a superpower for reading comprehension.
The goal is to practice drawing conclusions (figuring out something for yourself based on evidence) and making inferences (using what you already know + what the story says to understand deeper meaning).
---
📖 The Story: “The Greedy Man”
> Once there was a very greedy man who sold everything he owned and bought a brick of gold. He buried that gold brick behind a hut that was across the road from his shabby old house. Every day, the greedy man went across the road and dug up his gold brick to look at it.
>
> After a while, a workman noticed the greedy man going across the road every day, and decided to follow him. The next day, the greedy man dug up his gold brick, but the hole was empty. He pulled at his hair, and cried out in sorrow, “My beautiful gold brick!” he wept.
>
> A neighbor came running, and asked the greedy man what had happened. When the greedy man told him, the neighbor just shrugged his shoulders. “Why be so sad?” said the neighbor. “Just go get a rock and put it in the hole, and pretend that it is gold. It will do you as much good as the gold did.”
---
## ✔ Task: Draw conclusions and make inferences
Let’s break this down step by step.
---
## 🔍 Step 1: What does the story say? (Literal facts)
- The man sold everything to buy gold.
- He buried the gold brick.
- He dug it up daily to look at it — never used it.
- A workman followed him and stole the gold.
- The man cried when he found it gone.
- The neighbor suggested replacing it with a rock — since he never used it anyway.
---
## 💡 Step 2: Make Inferences (What can we figure out?)
Inference 1:
> The greedy man didn’t *use* the gold — he only looked at it.
➡️ Inference: He valued the *idea* of having gold more than its actual use (like buying food, shelter, or helping others). He got emotional satisfaction from seeing it, not practical benefit.
Inference 2:
> The neighbor suggests replacing the gold with a rock.
➡️ Inference: The neighbor understands that the man never actually *used* the gold — so a rock would serve the same purpose (emotional comfort). This implies the gold was useless to him in reality.
Inference 3:
> The man cried over the loss — even though he never spent it.
➡️ Inference: His sadness isn’t about losing money or utility — it’s about losing the *symbol* of his greed and self-worth. He tied his identity to possessing gold.
---
## 🧠 Step 3: Draw Conclusions (What can we conclude overall?)
Conclusion 1:
> The greedy man’s obsession with gold was irrational — he gained no real benefit from it.
➡️ Conclusion: Possessing something without using it is meaningless. True value comes from use or sharing, not just ownership.
Conclusion 2:
> The neighbor’s advice is ironic — it highlights how pointless the gold was to the man.
➡️ Conclusion: Sometimes people cling to things for emotional reasons, not practical ones. The neighbor sees through the man’s greed and points out the absurdity.
Conclusion 3:
> The story teaches a lesson about greed and misplaced values.
➡️ Conclusion: Greed blinds people to what truly matters. The man lost nothing of real value — only an illusion of wealth.
---
## 🎯 Final Answer / Summary:
> The greedy man cared more about owning gold than using it. He got emotional pleasure from looking at it, but never benefited from it practically. When it was stolen, he was devastated — not because he lost money, but because he lost his symbol of wealth. The neighbor’s suggestion to replace it with a rock shows that the gold was useless to him anyway — proving that true value lies in use, not possession. The story teaches us that greed can make us value things for the wrong reasons.
---
## ✏️ Bonus: How to Apply This Skill
Next time you read a story:
- Ask: “What does the text say directly?”
- Ask: “What can I guess based on what I know and what’s implied?”
- Ask: “What lesson or message can I draw from this?”
This worksheet helps you become a smarter reader — not just memorizing words, but understanding meaning!
---
✔ You’ve now successfully drawn conclusions and made inferences from “The Greedy Man”! Keep practicing — it’s a superpower for reading comprehension.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of making inferences worksheet grade 4.
