Critical Reading: Formulating Evaluative Statements
What is critical reading?
● Reading and rereading the argument of the author to be able to go beyond what
an author stated in his text (Estacio, 2016).
● Critical reading often involves asking questions about the reading. In particular,
you are examining the strengths and weaknesses of the reading's argument
(OWLL-Massey University, 2016).
● The aim of critical reading is not to find fault, but to assess the strength of the
evidence and the argument (University of Leicester).
Steps in Reading Critically
1. Identify the author's purpose. Is it to i​ nform, entertain, persuade, ​or c​ riticize.
2. Distinguish the author's viewpoint. What is the perspective of the author towards
the subject? Is he credible enough?
3. Unravel the author's tone. The tone can be identified based on the words that the
author used.
4. Spot the logical fallacies. There are two general types of fallacies. These are:
Identifying the Author's Purpose
Purpose is the reason an author writes about a topic. An author writes to share a main idea
about a topic. An author’s main idea is directly related to the author’s purpose. One of the
three following purposes will drive a main idea: to inform, to entertain, and to persuade.
1. To inform​ – to give information about a subject. Authors with this purpose wish to
provide facts that will explain or teach something to readers. e ​ .g.​ P
​ ain is a normal
part of a physical process that lets us know something is wrong.
2. To entertain​ – to amuse and delight; to appeal to the reader’s senses and
imagination. Authors with this purpose set out to captivate or interest the
audience. ​e.g. “​ Yes, I have gained weight. I weighed only 8 pounds when I was
born.”
3. To persuade – to convince the reader to agree with the author’s point of view on a
subject. Authors with this purpose may give facts, but their main goal is to argue
or prove a point to readers. e ​ .g​. ​The death penalty is deeply flawed and should
be abolished.
Note​: An author may have a more specific purpose in mind other than to inform, entertain, or
persuade. The following chart shows examples of specific purposes.
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To figure out the author’s purpose, the reader must consider the main idea, thought pattern,
and tone. For example:
Topic Sentence: S ​ panking must be avoided as a way to discipline due to its long-term
negative effects on the child.
Consider what the author is going to write about spanking.
● Is the author going to discuss the disadvantages of spanking?
● Is the author going to argue against spanking as a means of discipline?
● Is the author going to make fun of those who use spanking as a means of
discipline? ​
The tone words “must‟ and “negative” indicate the author’s point of view is against spanking.
The phrase “long-term effects” indicates that the details will be organized as a list of effects.
We can conclude that the author is going to argue against spanking as a means of
discipline.
Different Tones in a Text
Tone is the author’s attitude toward the topic. The author’s attitude is expressed through the
words and details he or she selects. For example, textbooks are usually written with an
objective tone which includes facts and reasonable explanations. The objective tone is
matter-of-fact and neutral. The details are mostly facts. On the other hand, fiction and
personal essays are usually written with a subjective tone. A subjective tone uses words that
describe feelings, judgments, or opinions. The details are likely to include experiences,
senses, feelings, and thoughts.
​ wo Types of Tone
T
1. Objective t​ one is impartial. It does not show any feelings for or against a topic;
therefore, it is unbiased or neutral. Often objective tone uses higher level words
and avoids pronouns such as I and you, creating a formal tone.
2. Subjective t​ one is personal, biased, emotional, and often informal.
Note​: Tone is expressed through the words and details the author selects. To determine the
author’s tone, you must notice how these words and details are used within the writing.
EXAMPLES OF TONE
The following statements express different attitudes about a shabby apartment. Six different
tones are used: optimistic, bitter, tolerant, sentimental, humorous, and objective.
 2. Apathetic – indifferent due to lack of energy or concern
3. Awe – solemn wonder
● This place may be shabby, but since both of my children were born while we lived
here, it has a special place in my heart.​ 4. Bitter - exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief
5. Cynical - questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people
6. Condescension;condescending - a feeling of superiority
The tone is ​sentimental​. “​It has a special place in my heart​,” expresses tender emotions. 7. Callous - unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others
8. Contemplative - studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue
9. Critical - finding fault
● This isn’t the greatest apartment in the world, but it’s not really that bad.​ 10. Choleric - hot-tempered, easily angered
11. Contemptuous - showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect
12. Caustic - intense use of sarcasm;stinging, biting
The tone is ​tolerant​. The words “not really that bad” show that the writer accepts the situation 13. Conventional - lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality
while recognizing that it could be better. 14. Disdainful - scornful
15. Didactic - author attempts to educate or instruct the reader
16. Derisive - ridiculing, mocking
● If only there were some decent jobs out there, I wouldn’t be reduced to living in 17. Earnest - intense, a sincere state of mind
this miserable dump. 18. Erudite - learned, polished, scholarly
19. Fanciful - using the imagination
​ itter​. The writer resents a situation that forces him or her to live in a “miserable
The tone is b 20. Forthright - directly frank without hesitation
dump.” 21. Gloomy - darkness, sadness, rejection
22. Haughty - proud and vain to the point of arrogance
23. Indignant - marked by anger aroused by injustice
24. Intimate - very familiar
● This place does need some repairs, but I’m sure the landlord will be making 25. Judgmental - authoritative and often having critical opinions
improvements sometime soon. 26. Jovial - happy
27. Lyrical - expressing a poet’s inner feelings;emotional;full of images;song-like
The tone is ​optimistic​. The writer is expecting the apartment to be improved soon. 28. matter-of-fact- -accepting of conditions;not fanciful or emotional
29. Mocking - treating with contempt or ridicule
30. Morose - gloomy, sullen, surly, despondent
31. Malicious - purposely hurtful
● When we move away, we’re planning to release three hundred cockroaches and 32. Objective - an unbiased view-able to leave personal judgments aside
tow mice, so we can leave the place exactly as we found it.​
33. Optimistic - hopeful, cheerful
34. Obsequious - polite and obedient in order to gain something
The tone is ​humorous​. The writer claims to be planning a comic revenge on the landlord by 35. Patronizing - air of condescension
returning the apartment to the terrible condition it was in when the tenants moved in. 36. Pessimistic - seeing the worst side of things;no hope
37. Quizzical - odd, eccentric, amusing
38. Ribald - offensive in speech or gesture
● This is the apartment we live in. It provides shelter. 39. Reverent - treating a subject with honor and respect
40. Ridiculing - slightly contemptuous banter;making fun of
41. Reflective - illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
The tone is o​ bjective​. The writer does not express feelings about the apartment. He simply 42. Sarcastic - sneering, caustic
states facts. 43. Sardonic - scornfully and bitterly sarcastic
44. Satiric - ridiculing to show weakness in order to make a point, teach
45. Sincere - without deceit or pretense;genuine
COMMONLY-USED TONES 46. Solemn - deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection
47. Sanguineous - optimistic, cheerful
1. Accusatory – charging of wrong doing
 48. Whimsical - odd, strange, fantastic;fun
Logical Fallacies
​1. Argumentum Ad Baculum​ (Appeal to Force) - This argument uses force, the threat of
force, or some other unpleasant backlash to make the audience accept a conclusion. It
commonly appears as a last resort when evidence or rational arguments fail to convince a
reader.
Jordan​: Dad, why do I have to spend my summer at Jesus camp?
Dad​: Because if you don’t, you will spend your entire summer in your room with nothing but
your Bible.
2. Genetic Fallacy​ - The genetic fallacy is the claim that an idea, product, or person must be
untrustworthy because of its racial, geographic, or ethnic origin.
"That car can't possibly be any good! It was made in China!"
3. Argumentum Ad Hominem​ (Poisoning the Well) - Attacking or praising the people who
make an argument, rather than discussing the argument itself. This practice is fallacious
because the personal character of an individual is logically irrelevant to the truth or falseness
of the argument itself.
My father told me to quit smoking. Why would I believe him when he can finish 3 packs of
cigarettes a day
4. Argumentum Ad Populum​ (Appeal to People) - Using an appeal to popular assent, often
by arousing the feelings and enthusiasm of the multitude rather than building an argument. It
is a favorite device with the propagandist, the demagogue, and the advertiser.​
● Bandwagon Approach​ – This argument asserts that, since the majority of people
believes an argument or chooses a particular course of action, the argument must
be true, or the course of action must be followed, or the decision must be the best
choice.
“85% of consumers purchase IBM computers rather than Macintosh; all those people can’t
be wrong. IBM must make the best computers.
● Patriotic Approach​ - This argument asserts that a certain stance is true or correct
because it is somehow patriotic, and that those who disagree are unpatriotic.
A true Filipino will exercise his right to eat adobo, since adobo belongs to a great
archipelagic country
5. Argumentum ad Traditionem/Antiquitatem ( ​ Appeal to Tradition) – This line of thought
asserts that a premise must be true because people have always believed it or done it.
“Davao City has kept its urban growth boundary at six miles for the past thirty years. That
has been good enough for thirty years, so why should we change it now? If it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it.”
6. Argumentum ad Verecundiam ( ​ Appeal to Wrong Authority) - An appeal to an improper
authority, such as a famous person or a source that may not be reliable or who might not
know anything about the topic.
“According to Juvy Taño, the constitution is the fundamental law of the land to which all laws
are based from.
This is an example of Verecundium since Juvy Taño does not have enough knowledge of
the constitution and is not even involved in constitution/law-related endeavors.
7. Argumentum ad Misericordiam ​(Appeal to Pity) – This fallacy is based on strong appeal
to emotions. When an appeal to sympathy or pity is highly exaggerated or irrelevant to the
issue at hand, ​ad misericordiam​ is regarded as a logical fallacy.
I really deserve 99 on this paper, Sir. Not only did I study during my grandmother’s funeral,
but I also passed up the heart transplant surgery, even though that was the first matching
donor in 3 years.
8. Hasty Generalization
The hasty generalization fallacy is sometimes called the over-generalization fallacy. It is
basically making a claim based on evidence that it just too small. Essentially, you can’t make
a claim and say that something is true if you have only an example or two as evidence. In
other words, it focuses onto d​rawing a conclusion based on a small sample size, rather than
looking at statistics that are much more in line with the typical or average situation.
My father smoked four packs of cigarettes a day since age fourteen and lived until age
sixty-nine. Therefore, smoking really can’t be that bad for you.
9. Sweeping Generalization
A sweeping generalization applies a general statement too broadly. If one takes a general
rule, and applies it to a case to which, due to the specific features of the case, the rule does
not apply, then one commits the sweeping generalization fallacy. This fallacy is the reverse
of a hasty generalization, which infers a general rule from a specific case.
(1) Children should be seen and not heard.
(2) Little Wolfgang Amadeus is a child.
Therefore:
(3) Little Wolfgang Amadeus shouldn’t be heard.
No matter what you think of the general principle that children should be seen and not heard,
a child prodigy pianist about to perform is worth listening to;the general principle doesn’t
apply.
10. Circular Reasoning
A type of reasoning in which the proposition is supported by the premises, which is
supported by the proposition, creating a circle in reasoning where no useful information is
being shared. This fallacy is often quite humorous.

The Bible is the Word of God because God tells us it is... in the Bible.

Explanation
This is a very serious circular argument on which many people base their entire lives. This
is like getting an e-mail from a Nigerian prince, offering to give you his billion dollar fortune --
but only after you wire him a “good will” offering of $50,000. Of course, you are skeptical
until you read the final line in the e-mail that reads “​ I, prince Nubadola, assure you that this
is my message, and it is legitimate. You can trust this e-mail and any others that come from
me.” ​Now you know it is legitimate... because it says so in the e-mail.

Source: elcomblus.weebly.com/education