{"id":4124,"date":"2013-06-27T17:53:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T17:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=4124"},"modified":"2026-03-28T10:34:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T15:34:11","slug":"textual-evidence-for-predictions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/textual-evidence-for-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Textual Evidence for Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_79wrtffElcM\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_79wrtffElcM\" data-source-videoID=\"79wrtffElcM\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Textual Evidence for Predictions Video\" height=\"1080\" width=\"1920\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Textual Evidence for Predictions\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_79wrtffElcM:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_79wrtffElcM {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/890-thumb-final-v2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_79wrtffElcM\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_79wrtffElcM\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Textual Evidence for Predictions\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_79wrtffElcM\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_79wrtffElcM\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_79wrtffElcM\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction 2vt_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"2vt\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"2vt_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"2vt\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Predictions_Based_on_Previous_Knowledge\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Predictions Based on Previous Knowledge<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Predictions_Based_on_Textual_Information\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Predictions Based on Textual Information<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Techniques_for_Making_Predictions\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Techniques for Making Predictions<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hi, and welcome to this video on predictions! As we are reading a story, whether we realize it or not, we are making predictions. This is particularly the case when we are reading actively instead of passively. Reading actively means that we are engaged with the text fully and immersed in its world. <\/p>\n<p>Our thinking about that fictional world allows us to come up with possible outcomes, meaning we use textual evidence to make predictions. Today, we\u2019ll be looking at two types of predictions and how to best make predictions while you\u2019re reading. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<p>So, like I said, we\u2019ll be looking at two basic kinds of predictions: predictions based on our knowledge of how literature works and predictions based on information the text has already given us.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Predictions_Based_on_Previous_Knowledge\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Predictions Based on Previous Knowledge<\/h2>\n<p>\nThis first type uses a slightly different way of looking at literature than the second. Though there is a lot of literature out there, there are often ideas or basic tropes that remain constant (or at least common) throughout most works. For instance, we understand how protagonists work and how they deal with conflict. We also know about the basic structure of plots in novels and stories. What are some of the implications of this in terms of making predictions?<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Four_Principles_of_Making_Predictions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Four Principles of Making Predictions<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px;\">Answers are rarely given at the beginning of a story.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px;\">Looking at where you are in a story or book will give you a good idea as to how soon the climax will occur.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 12px;\"> Literature tends to influence other literature. (Think of how many works have similar endings, character developments, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Think of genres and how their conventions differ: Mystery novels, Shakespearean comedies, and science fiction works all have different general rules.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>These four basic principles allow us to make predictions simply by understanding the basic structure and conventions of different kinds of literature. For example, after reading one or two Jane Austen novels, you will likely be able to predict how future works by Austen will end. You can go further and apply this to romance novels in general, as they have been deeply influenced by the rules and conventions created by Austen.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Predictions_Based_on_Textual_Information\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Predictions Based on Textual Information<\/h2>\n<p>\nNow let\u2019s look at our other type of prediction-making: predicting based on information in the text. One of the tools many authors use in their writing, which is helpful when making predictions, is foreshadowing. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Foreshadowing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Foreshadowing<\/h3>\n<p>\nDefined simply, foreshadowing is a literary device used by authors that hints at developments occurring later on in the story. Some forms of foreshadowing are more direct\u2014they are obvious or ironic statements that let readers know what is likely to happen. However, sometimes the author may use subtle foreshadowing, which usually consists of clues that don\u2019t become apparent until after the foreshadowed event comes to pass. In this case, you can look at an event in the text and think back to what previously happened and almost say \u201cAh! I should have seen it coming!\u201d <\/p>\n<h4><span id=\"Direct_Foreshadowing_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Direct Foreshadowing Examples<\/h4>\n<p>\nLet\u2019s look at an example of direct foreshadowing. Lauren Oliver\u2019s <em>Before I Fall<\/em> contains a clear example of direct foreshadowing in the very first sentence of the book as the narrator states: <\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cThey say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that\u2019s not how it happened for me.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHere, we know from context that the narrator must be dead. However, we know that the narrator\u2019s life did not pass before her eyes, as it\u2019s known to happen. Therefore, the phrase \u201cthat\u2019s not how it happened to me\u201d makes readers ask \u201cWell, how did it happen to you?\u201d This kind of direct foreshadowing works to make readers want to continue reading in order to find an answer to the question posed. <\/p>\n<p>You can make predictions by thinking outside the box here, as the information suggests that the narrator will not experience a \u201cnormal\u201d death. <\/p>\n<p>Another example occurs in J. R. R. Tolkien\u2019s <em>The Hobbit<\/em>. In Chapter 7, Bilbo and his band of dwarves enter Mirkwood forest and are warned several times about straying from the main path by the character Beorn. The final warning is written as such:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201cBe good, take care of yourselves \u2013 and DON\u2019T LEAVE THE PATH!\u201d<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nFirst, the fact that this is mentioned several times before Beorn\u2019s final warning makes it pretty obvious foreshadowing, and the fact that Beorn\u2019s final warning is in ALL CAPS drives home the point. We can infer from all of this that there is danger if Bilbo and company stray from the path and, perhaps more importantly, that they will in fact stray from the path. We can reasonably conclude this because otherwise discussing the path so often would be a waste of space. <\/p>\n<h4><span id=\"Subtle_Foreshadowing_Example\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Subtle Foreshadowing Example<\/h4>\n<p>\nFor an example of subtle foreshadowing, let\u2019s look at Shakespeare\u2019s <em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em>: <\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>BENVOLIO:<\/strong><br \/>\nTut man, one fire burns out another\u2019s burning.<br \/>\nOne pain is lessened by another\u2019s anguish.<br \/>\nTurn giddy, and be helped by backward turning.<br \/>\nOne desperate grief cures with another\u2019s languish.<br \/>\nTake thou some new infection to thy eye,<br \/>\nAnd the rank poison of the old will die.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this dialogue, Benvolio is advising Romeo (who is in love with Rosaline at this point) to fall in love with another in order to cure himself of his infatuation. There are a few things going on here. First, we see Romeo deeply in love with Rosaline\u2014in this way, his future mad love for Juliet is foreshadowed in a subtle manner.<\/p>\n<p>But even more subtle here is the reference to \u201crank poison.\u201d The rank poison of his love for Rosaline does in fact pass once he meets and falls in love with Juliet, but it is this love that ultimately leads him to <em>literally<\/em> die by poisoning himself. Unlike the previous examples of direct foreshadowing, it would be difficult for readers to piece this together until after reading the play. Then, in future readings (or just by thinking back to this dialogue after a first reading) these lines become all the more powerful.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of making predictions, it is often much easier to focus on direct foreshadowing. Let\u2019s take a look at some useful aspects for understanding foreshadowing and making predictions.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Techniques_for_Making_Predictions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Techniques for Making Predictions<\/h2>\n<h3>Checkhov&#8217;s Gun<\/h3>\n<p>\nFirst, be on the lookout for what\u2019s known as Checkhov\u2019s Gun. A Russian writer Anton Checkhov insisted on getting rid of all unnecessary elements in his works, so as to leave nothing hanging or unexplained at the end. He said, \u201cIf in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don&#8217;t put it there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Though this is not always true, you will find that many writers follow this rule. You can actually see this used in the previous example from <em>The Hobbit<\/em>\u2014warning Bilbo to avoid straying from the path would be an unneeded thing to repeat and emphasize if he weren\u2019t going to eventually leave the path!<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Red_Herring\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Red Herring<\/h3>\n<p>\nThen again, there\u2019s also the red herring. A red herring is a literary device that misleads the reader; it is essentially a dead end. Red herrings are often used in mystery novels in order to build suspense and hold off on revealing the actual suspect too early. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Different_Genres\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Different Genres<\/h3>\n<p>\nSecondly, be mindful of genre. Different genres have different rules and conventions. For instance, we know from reading mystery novels or watching <em>Law &#038; Order<\/em> that the obvious suspect is rarely the correct one. Therefore, we can make predictions about the actual culprit based on this knowledge. <\/p>\n<p>Works of science fiction, similarly, often include plot twists\u2014things aren\u2019t quite what they seem until we read further. Therefore, <em>being suspicious of the obvious<\/em> is one means of making predictions (or at least one way to avoid making incorrect predictions). <\/p>\n<p>This is where using other works to make predictions comes into the picture. We can make predictions by thinking about how other works in a particular genre have functioned. The more mystery novels you read, the better you will become at predicting the culprit &#8211; the more Shakespearean tragedies you read, the easier it will be for you to make thoughtful predictions about the ending. <\/p>\n<p>Though not all events in a text can be effectively predicted, foreshadowing often offers a way for readers to logically piece together a story\u2019s outcome. Reading carefully and looking for possible instances of foreshadowing is one strategy for making these sorts of informed predictions.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nNow, before we go, here\u2019s a review question to test your knowledge:<\/p>\n<p>Which of the following is an example of a red herring?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>A suspect initially thought to be the murderer ends up being innocent.<\/li>\n<li>A warning from a psychic comes true.<\/li>\n<li>A character enters a place that he is warned about and faces conflict.<\/li>\n<li>Katniss takes Primrose\u2019s place in the Hunger Games.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is A!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI hope this review was helpful! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<ul class=\"citelist\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.litcharts.com\/literary-devices-and-terms\/foreshadowing\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cLitCharts.\u201d n.d. LitCharts. <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.reedsy.com\/what-is-foreshadowing\/\"target=\"_blank\">Atiya Bokhary. 2018. \u201cWhat Is Foreshadowing?\u2014Definition and 10 Gripping Examples.\u201d Reedsy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/literaryterms.net\/foreshadowing\/\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cForeshadowing: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net.\u201d 2016. Literary Terms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chekhov%27s_gun\"target=\"_blank\">\u201cChekhov\u2019s Gun.\u201d Wikipedia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":114815,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-4124","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4124"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280508,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4124\/revisions\/280508"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}