CHAPTER 8READING CRITICALLY

 IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN:

• What critical reading is and why it is important

• How to determine an author's point of view

• How to determine an author's purpose

• How to determine an author's intended audience

• How to determine an author's tone

What is critical reading and why is it important? 

Critical reading: Gaining additional insights and understanding that go beyond comprehending the topic, main idea, and supporting details.

Critical reading is also referred to as critical reasoning or critical thinking.

 It is important to be able to read critically so that you can

understand an author’s message accurately and completely.  

Reading critically involves asking certain comprehension monitoring questions after you read a passage.

The purpose of asking yourself these questions is to help you think more completely and accurately about what you have read.

What is meant by author’s point of view, and how can you determine it?

 An author’s point of view is his or her position on an issue.

 Point of view is also known as the author’s argument (the overall main idea the author is “arguing” for) and

the author’s bias (the side of an issue the author favors). 

An author may be in favor of an issue(that is, he or she supports it),

or he or she may be opposed to it (that is, he or she is against it).

 You must recognize the author’s point of view

in order to know which side of an issue he or she favors.

To determine the author’s point of view, critical readers ask themselves this comprehension monitoring question:

“What is the author’s position on this issue?” 

To answer this question, look for words that reveal the author’s point of view.

What is meant by author’s purpose, and how can you determine it?

 An author’s purpose is his or her reason for writing. Whenever authors write, they write for a specific purpose. (For that matter, when you write, you have a specific purpose.)

The author’s purpose may be to inform, to instruct, to entertain, or to persuade the reader to believe something or to take a certain action. It is important to understand an author’s purpose for writing because you will then be aware of his or her motive for writing, and you will have a greater insight as to what was important in the message.

To determine an author’s purpose, critical readers ask themselves this comprehension monitoring question:

“Why did the author write this?” 

Sometimes authors state their purpose directly.

At other times, authors may not state their purposes for writing because they feel that the purpose is quite clear, and

they assume the reader will infer it. 

To determine an author’s purpose, notice the words the author has used and the way the information is presented.

Author’s Purpose Writing Strategies

To inform Use phrases such as It is interesting to know that …or There are different types of …

 To instruct Give a set of directions (instructions) or a sequence

of steps to follow. To persuade Deliberately use emotional language or words that

are designed to influence your thinking and make you respond a certain way.

 To entertain May tell a funny story, use wild exaggerations

(hyperbole), or simply describe a pleasant event or place.

What is meant by author’s intended audience,and how can you determine it?

 An author’s intended audience is whom the author

had in mind as his or her readers. 

Having a particular audience in mind will influence the material the author includes, how he or she presents it,

and how simple or sophisticated an approach he or she chooses. 

Critical readers ask themselves the comprehension monitoring question,

“Who did the author intend to read this?”

Sometimes the author will state who the intended audience is.

Even if the author does not state who the intended audience is, you can determine the audience by considering these three things:

1. The topic (Is it a common topic, or is it an unusual or specialized one?)

2. The level of language used (Is it simple, or sophisticated?)

3. The author’s purpose for writing (Is it meant to inform? to instruct? to persuade?)

Why is it important to determine an author’s intended audience?

• First, if you are not among those in the intended audience, you may need to do some extra work in order to understand the material.

• Second, if you are doing research, you can decide whether material on the topic is written for the “audience” you are part of.

• Third, knowing who the audience is gives you insight into the author’s purpose, his or her reason for writing. This allows you to evaluate whether or not that purpose was accomplished.

• Perhaps the most important reason for you to become aware of the importance of audience is that it can make you a better writer: you will learn to shape your message to your intended audience, and this will enable you to communicate your message more effectively.

What is meant by author’s tone, and how can you determine it?

 The author’s tone is the manner of writing

(choice of words and writing style) that reveals the author’s attitude toward a topic.

 It may help you to think about what the author’s tone of voice would sound like if he or she were saying the material to you rather than writing it.

 It is important to determine an author’s tone

because if you misunderstand an author’s tone, you may misinterpret the message.

Critical readers ask themselves this comprehension monitoring question:

“What do the author’s choice of words and style of writing reveal about his or her attitude toward the topic?”

 Word choice is one way authors reveal their tone.

Writing style is another way.

Words That Can Be Used to Describe Tone 

Words that describe a neutral tone:Typically used in textbooks, reference material,

sets of directions, instructional manuals, most newspaper and magazine articles,

and other factual, objective material that is presented in a straightforward manner.

• unemotional involving little or no emotion or feeling

• dispassionate devoid of or unaffected by passion,emotion, or bias

• indifferent appearing to have no preferenceor concern

Words that describe a serious tone: Typically used in important formal announcements

and obituaries, for example.

• solemn deeply earnest, serious, and sober

• serious grave, earnest, not trifling or jesting

• reserved deeply interested or involved, marked by self-restraint and reticence

Words that describe an emotional tone:Typically found in personal articles, political writing,

and some persuasive writing such as editorials.

• compassionate showing kindness, mercy, orcompassion; sympathetic

• concerned caring deeply about a person or issue

• impassioned characterized by passion or zeal

• nostalgic feeling bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations in the past

More words that describe an emotional tone:

• sentimental based on emotion rather than reason

• remorseful feeling regret

• self-pitying feeling sorry for oneself

• urgent calling for immediate attention; instantly important

• defiant intentionally contemptuous; resisting authority or force

Words that describe a critical, disapproving tone:Typically found in movie and book reviews,

editorials, some magazine articles.

• critical inclined to criticize or find fault

• disapproving passing unfavorable judgment upon;condemning

• pessimistic expecting the worst; having a negative attitude or gloomy outlook

• intolerant not allowing a difference of opinion or sentiment

• indignant angered by something unjust, mean or unworthy; irate

Words that describe a humorous, sarcastic, ironic, or satiric tone:

Can be used in writing of many sorts, including literature and social criticism, and some newspaper

and magazine columns and articles.

• lighthearted not being burdened by trouble, worry, or care; happy and carefree

• irreverent disrespectful; critical of what is generally accepted or respected; showing a lack of reverence

More words that describe a humorous, sarcastic,ironic, or satiric tone:

• cynical scornful of the motives, virtue, or integrity of others; expressing scornand bitter mockery

• scornful treating someone or something as despicable or unworthy; showing utter contempt

• contemptuous showing open disrespect or haughty disdain

More words that describe a humorous, sarcastic, ironic, or satiric tone:

• mocking treating with scorn or contempt

• malicious intended to cause harm or suffering; having wicked mischievous intentions or motives

• ironic humorously sarcastic or mocking

More words that describe a humorous, sarcastic, ironic, or satiric tone:

• sarcastic characterized by the desire to showscorn or contempt

• bitter characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty

• skeptical reluctant to believe; doubting or questioning everything

• disbelieving not believing; refusing to believe

Words that describe a supportive tone:Found in writing of many types,

such as certain textbooks, inspirational writing, some magazine articles, and personal correspondence.

• encouraging showing support

• supportive showing support or assistance

• enthusiastic showing excitement

• optimistic expecting the best; having a positiveoutlook

• approving expressing approval or agreement

More words that describe a supportive tone:

• positive being in favor of; supportive;optimistic

• sympathetic inclined to sympathy; showing pity; empathic

• tolerant showing respect for the rights or opinions or practices of others

Some other words that can describe tone:

• authoritative speaking in a definite and confident manner

• ambivalent having opposite feelings or attitudes at the same time

• conciliatory willing to give in on some matters

• cautious careful; not wanting to take chances; wary

Some other words that can describe tone:

• arrogant giving oneself an undue degree ofimportance; haughty

• grim gloomy; dismal; forbidding

• humble marked by meekness or modesty;not arrogant or prideful

• apologetic self-deprecating; humble; offering or expressing an apology or excuse

How the Critical Reading Skills Are InterrelatedThe author’s purpose causes him or her to use a certain tone to convey a

point of view to an intended audience. 

The author decides on a purpose (reason) for writing:to inform to instruct to persuade to entertain

 To accomplish this purpose, he or she uses an appropriate tone:

serious formal sincere enthusiastic disapproving sympathetic informal humorous ironic

 To convey his or her main idea or point of view

(position on an issue):point of view (in favor of or opposed to) or argument

 To an intended audience:

the general public a specific group a particular person

Things to keep in mind when reading critically:

• You should avoid seeing the purpose of everything you read as to inform.

• If the author's purpose is to persuade, you should determine which side of an issue he or she favors.

• Understanding the author's tone will enable you to grasp the true or intended meaning, even when the author's words may appear to be saying something different.

• There are two forms of irony: irony in tone and irony in situations.

• Sarcasm and irony are not the same thing.

AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• What critical reading is and why it is important

• How to determine an author's point of view

• How to determine an author's purpose

• How to determine an author's intended audience.

• How to determine an author's tone