ANNOTATING

AND
OUTLINING
Ayi Rohayati
Agenda:
ANNOTATING

1.What
2.Why
3.How
4.What
5.Assignments
1. What is annotating?

a. It is an active reading strategy.

b. To annotate is to make notes directly on a text as you read and

reread, identifying significant ideas,
discovering patterns of ideas, and speculating on
meanings. In addition; it sums up information in a text by
writing brief key points.
2. Why is annotating?

Whatever your purposes are for reading a particular piece, you have
3 objectives to meet: to identify the author’s most important points,
to recognize how they fit together, and to note how you respond to
them.

Therefore; annotating is essential for close and critical reading of

texts in preparation for writing assignments, analyses, research, and
test/exam responses.
3. How to annotate
Several examples:
1. Underline or circle pithy words/phrases or
sentences
2. Underline or circle key words
3. Underline ideas, then
4. Develop an argument or make a point
5. Number related points
6. Bracket important sections of text
7. Connect important ideas, words or
phrases
In the margin:

1. Define unfamiliar terms or words

2. Write comments or questions
3. Summarize each section
4. Note any significant patterns or motifs
5. Identify points or arguments
6. Identify any outstanding lang. usage or writing strategies
4. What is the best way to annotate?

There is no single best way to create an annotation. This is primarily because

annotations serve different purposes for different students. What works best
for you may not work at all for a student with a different learning style.

The best is the one that is user-friendly – i.e. one that is easy to use by YOU:
organize your annotation in a way that YOU find most helpful.

The most important thing to realize about annotating is that there is nothing
magical about it except the process of doing it. Its value is NOT in the
product but in the production.
5. Group Assignments: Annotating
A. In a group of five (5), annotate the text - e.g. underlining, stabilolizing, circles,
brackets, arrows, asterisks, etc.
1. Mark interesting features of the text – e.g. words, phrases, sentences.
2. Mark the relation of features to each other – e.g. words, phrases, ideas that repeat
or resemble each other; that contrasts; or that are anomalous.

B. Write comments in the margin.

Comments can accomplish a variety of purposes; for example, you can define
unfamiliar words, write your response to the author’s ideas, etc.
Agenda:
OUTLINING
1.What
2.Why
3.How
4.Assignments
1. What is outlining?
a system of note-taking that shows how you have organized a group of
ideas extracted from the text.

2. Why outlining?
It helps you see the author’s plan, and his idea organization. It also helps
you to read with better understanding.

3. How to outline?
1. Discover the most important idea – i.e. the main idea.
2. Find out how the author develops or subdivides his main point.
3. Discover the author’s details
OUTLINING IS
◦ a good way to create a visual picture of what we have read
◦ we record the author’s idea organization
◦ a tool for organizing ideas to develop into a summary writing
◦ an author lists down all ideas relevant to the TOPIC, sorts them all into major
and minor ones, and create an outline out of them

Why do we outline?
◦ It gives an overview of the topic and enables us to see how ideas (Topic, Main
Idea, and Supporting details) relate to one another
◦ Recording the information in our own words tests our understanding of what
we read.
Study the following text

There are many good reasons for people to study in a foreign country. First, it is a
good opportunity for foreign students to learn a new language. In addition, they can
practice it every day. Second, they are able to live in a different culture. Therefore,
students will learn new customs and traditions. Finally, they will be in contact with new
people. They can develop relationships with international friends. In brief, people can
broaden their experience and increase their knowledge by studying outside of their own
countries.
Topic: ____________________

Main idea: ____________________________________

__.

Sup. ideas: A. ____________

B. ____________
C. ____________

Concl: ____________________________________
Topic: Studying in another country

Main idea: There are good reasons for people to study in a

foreign country.

Body: A. Language
B. Culture
C. People

Concl: People can broaden their experience and increase

their knowledge by studying outside of their
countries.
What is the best way to outline?
 There is no single best way to create an outline. This is primarily because
outlines serve different purposes for different students. What works best
for you may not work at all for a student with a different learning style.
 The best is the one that is user-friendly – i.e. one that is easy to use by
YOU: organize your outline in a way that YOU find most helpful.
 The most important thing to realize about outlining is that there is nothing
magical about it except the process of doing it. Its value is NOT in the
product but in the production.