Analytical Reading

MGMT SCHOOL

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 Questions for pre-reading
1. What does the title indicate? (converting titles into questions)
2. How do the subtitle and headings function?
3. Is there biographical information about the author?
4. What do topic sentences of the paragraphs express and is any of them
especially important?
5. What does the printed form/format reveal? (enumeration, italics, boldface
print, diagrams etc..)
6. Does the text end up with the summary?
7. What type of background knowledge do I need to understand the text?

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Questions about Content
1. What is the topic or focal point of the text?
2. What is the main idea and central claim? (Explain _______ Persuade)
3. What other ideas are presented?
4. How does the text support, qualify and develop the claim or position?
(Which organization strategy is used for the text as a whole?)
5. What inferences, judgments or conclusions are drawn?

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 Questions for analyzing texts from stylistic standpoint

1. Is the text written in the 1st person, 2nd person or 3rd person? How
does the point of view contribute to the style?
2. Are the verbs in active or passive?
3. Does the text contain formal/informal vocabulary?
4. What can be said about sentence length and complexity? Are
sentences simple or complex and scholarly?
5. How do the point of view, language and sentence structure contribute
to the tone?
6. are there citations, lists, references, footnotes etc?

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Questions for rhetorical analysis
1. What is the author’s purpose and what is the intended message toward
audience?
2. What do I know about author’s background and credibility?
3. How does the author’s choice of genre, style and organization advance
the author’s purpose?
4. For whom is the author writing? In what type of publication- scholarly
journal, popular magazine, local or national newspaper? Who reads the
publication? When was the article published, which year?
5. What feeling, social circumstance , phenomenon prompted the author
to write the text?
6. How is the author viewing other writers and texts?
 Questions for Critical Analysis of Content
• Topic/focal point
• Thesis/Central claim: Is it plausible, defensible and illuminating? Does it sound reasonable or is
the author prejudiced?
• What aspects of the topic are emphasized? Are they sufficient? What are the gaps?
• How does the text support the claim? Is the evidence relevant, accurate and substantial or does
it only partially support the thesis? Which points need more support?
• What inferences, judgements and conclusions can be drawn? Are the valid? Or are alternative
inferences and conclusions as justifiable?
• What assumptions underlie the thesis? Will readers question them?
• Does the text provide accurate perception of the reader’s theoretical, ideological persuasion?
• Does the text acknowledge other points of view?
• What are consequences of the argument in the text? Should we explore other possibilities?

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 Questions for Critical Analysis of Style
• Does the text demonstrate identifiable genre? What are its special characteristics?
• Is the genre appropriate or would the message be conveyed better in another genre?
• Are certain components of the genre stressed at the expense of others?
• How does the organization contribute to the meaning? Would it be better organized
differently?
• Does the language serve to heighten and illuminate the point or is it merely adequate?
• Are the references to other sources welcome additions to the text or do they appear to be
superfluous?

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Questions for Critical Analysis of Rhetorical
Content
• What effect does the author intend to have on the audience?
• For whom does the author write? Where was it first published? Who reads this
publication?
• In what year was it published? Can you identify the circumstance, event or social
practice that prompted the author?
• Does the author supply sufficient back ground knowledge or do they make
erroneous assumptions about readers’ background knowledge?
• Is the author’s voice and tone appropriate or unnecessarily formal and pompous?
• What do we know about the author’s credibility? Do they come across as reliable
or are you left with questions about their background, orientation, reputation?
• How does the author draw on/view other writers and texts on the same topic?

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