Year 3 English | Learn, see, try
Use the story to explain your answer
Good readers do more than remember a few words. They check who did what, put events in order and use clues to explain ideas the author has not stated directly. You can reread a short passage as often as you need.
Read: Mia in the school garden
Mia carried a small watering can to the school garden. The soil beside the gate was dark and wet, so she walked past it. Under the shelter, a pot of seedlings had dry, pale soil. Mia tipped water slowly around their stems. A drop landed on her shoe, and she laughed. Before going inside, she placed the empty can beside the tap. At lunchtime, she brought her friend Leo to see the seedlings. “We can check them again tomorrow,” she said.
You can reread this original passage while answering.
What to notice
Distinguish a detail written in the story from an idea you infer. The words “dark and wet” are directly stated. Mia probably thinks that soil already has enough water, but the writer does not quote that thought.
What to do
Read the question, find the relevant sentence, and explain how the words support your answer. When asked why something happened, connect a clue to the character’s action rather than guessing a reason from outside the story.
Why it works
An inference combines evidence with a sensible explanation. It is more than a guess because you can point to a detail that makes it likely. A literal question, by contrast, can often be answered directly from one sentence.
Work through an example
Why did Mia walk past the soil beside the gate?
- Find the description: the soil was “dark and wet”.
- Connect that clue to Mia carrying a watering can. Wet soil probably did not need more water.
- A supported answer is: she went to plants that needed water instead. The text later describes dry soil under the shelter.
A common mistake
“She was afraid of the gate” invents a reason with no supporting clue. Interesting ideas are not always answers supported by the passage.
A strategy to try
Use the sentence frame “I think ___ because the text says ___.” For event-order questions, reread in sequence and notice words such as “before” and “at lunchtime”.
Try it now
Try three questions
No account is needed. These examples do not change saved learning progress. Choose an answer and check it for an explanation; you can try again.
For parents and carers
Read the passage aloud together if decoding is getting in the way of understanding. Accept an answer in your child’s own words, then ask them to point to the evidence. The aim is reasoned reading, not memorising one exact sentence.
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