Critical Reading Strategies

This handout outlines some of the basic strategies

for critical reading.

1. Annotating

One of the first strategies to begin with is

annotating a text. When you annotate, you
underline important parts of the text, such as the
thesis statement, topic sentences of body
paragraphs and explanatory material. Annotating
may also include circling key words and writing
comments or questions you have about the
material in the margins. This is also a very good
way to mark material that needs to be studied for
exams.  See pages 6 and 72-89 in The Presence of
Others.

2. Contextualizing.

When you contextualize a text, you place it within

its original historical or cultural context. As a reader
you should try to identify this context and consider
how this context differs from your own. In order to
do this, you need to consider the following:
a. Language or ideas that appear foreign or out of
date.
b. Your knowledge of the time and place in which
the work was written.
c. The effect these differences have on your
understanding and judgment of the reading.

3. Reflecting on challenges to your beliefs and

values.

Sometimes our beliefs about an issue are difficult

to express because they are so ingrained. In order
to discover these beliefs it is important to explore
how a text challenges you. Does it make you feel
disturbed, threatened, ashamed, or inspired? Many
of you may have a strong reaction to some of the
essays you read.  This reaction is a good example
of an occasion when this type of reading strategy
can be used. In order to do this, you might try the
following:
a. Identify the points in the text where you feel your
beliefs are being challenged.
b. Choose one or two of the most troubling
challenges and analyze your feelings about them.

4. Paraphrasing.

When you paraphrase a text, you put it into your

own words. This can be helpful in understanding a
difficult or ambiguous passage. It is also one of the
three ways to incorporate other people�s ideas
into your own. The other two are quoting directly
and summarizing. Unlike a summary, a paraphrase
contains all of the original information. The purpose
of a paraphrase is to simplify without changing any
information. You are not changing what is said, but
how it is said.  See The Bedford Handbook, pages
561-562.

5. Outlining.

This can be used as a preliminary to summarizing.

Outlining allows you to identify the basic structure
of a text and the main ideas of the text. In an outline
you are listing the main ideas and supporting
evidence of a text. It is especially important to be
able to distinguish between the two. Use your own
words when outlining a text.  See The Bedford
Handbook, page 483.

6. Summarizing.

Summarizing creates a new text by synthesizing

the material of the original. After outlining the text,
the information is put together again in your own
words. Summarization fosters understanding of the
text, as you need to be able to recreate the
meaning of the text in your own words.  See The
Bedford Handbook, page 561.

7. Exploring the figurative language.

Similes, metaphors and symbols are all examples of

figurative language. This type of language helps
writers illustrate their points and get the type of
reaction they want from the reader.
a. A metaphor indirectly identifies two different
things with each other. For example, the ribbon of
road winded endlessly before us.
b. A simile makes a more direct comparison
through the use of connecting words such as like,
as, or appears. The cloud was like a cotton ball.
c. A symbol makes a comparison by making one
thing stand for another. For example, when a writer
refers to the crown to symbolize monarchy.

8. Looking for patterns of opposition.

A writer may anticipate opposition to his or her

views by responding to them in some way. A writer
may also have conflicting views about the issues
that are presented in the text. When considering
oppositions you might think of opposites like, yes,
no; black, white; etc. Writers will often present an
argument by favoring one side of opposing terms.
In order to look for patterns of opposition you might
do the following:
a. Make two columns on a piece of paper and in the
left-hand column list words and phrases that seem
to indicate opposition. In the right-hand column
write down the opposite to that phrase. For
instance if you wrote down �pleasant dreams� in
the left-hand column from Franklin�s essay, you
would write down �nightmares� in the right.
b. Make a note next to each pair which one the
author prefers.
c. Come to a conclusion about what the writer
wants you to believe based on these preferred
oppositions.

9. Evaluating the logic of an argument.

The two parts of an argument are claim and

support. The claim is what the writer wants the
reader to accept. That is, the claim is the idea,
opinion, or point of view of the writer. The support
is the reasons and evidence that becomes the
basis for that claim. Arguments must pass the ABC
test. That is the argument must be,
a. Appropriate
b. Believable
c. Consistent
To test an argument for appropriateness you need
to analyze it according to logical fallacies, for
instance false analogy, non sequitur, post hoc ergo
propter hoc. 

To test for believability you will apply other fallacies

that relate to reasoning, such as begging the
question, generalizations and failing to accept the
burden of proof. In testing for consistency you are
checking to make sure there are no contradictory
statements.  See The Bedford Handbook, pages
506-517.

10. Recognizing emotional manipulation.

Writers are guilty of improper emotional

manipulation when they use false or exaggerated
appeals. When a writer acts as an alarmist, uses
emotionally loaded words, like racist, or tries to
vilify the opposition, you, as reader, should be
suspicious. Some of the following are fallacies of
emotional appeal.
a. Loaded or slanted language: language meant to
get a specific reaction from the reader.
b. Bandwagon effect: everyone else thinks this is
true and so should you.
c. False flattery: praising the reader to get them to
accept the writer�s view.
d. Veiled threat: alarming or frightening readers into
believing author.

11. Judging the writer�s credibility.

There are three ways that writers establish their

credibility.
a. By showing their knowledge of subject (using
facts and statistics)
b. By building common ground with readers (base
reasoning on shared beliefs)
c. By responding fairly to objections and opposing
arguments (does the writer respond to objections
or ignore them and assume everyone agrees with
him or her)

12. Analyzing the writing in other disciplines.

Other disciplines have traditional ways of writing

about their subjects. As a critical reader, you need
to be aware of these differences.
a. What is the subject?
b. What kinds of statements tend to be made about
subjects in this field?
c. What key concepts does the reader need to be
familiar with?
d. What evidence is valued in this field?
e. How are statistics presented?
f. How is field research presented?
g. How much description and narration is normally
used? How much interpretation and evaluation?
h. How are quotations cited?
i. How are other scholars cited?
j. How is the author identified in the writing?
k. Where was it originally published?
l. Which genres are most commonly used in a
particular field?

*This material was adapted by Beth Gilmartin, a

former writing instructor at Seton Hall, from "A
Catalog of Critical Reading Strategies" in Rise B.
Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper, Reading Critically,
Writing Well:  A Reader and Guide, Fifth Ed., New
York:  Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999.