READING CRITICALLY

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• CHAPTER 8
• READING 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

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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 authors
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.
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What is meant by authors point of view, and how
can you determine it?   An authors point of view
is his or her position on an issue.   Point of
view is also known as the authors argument (the
overall main idea the author is arguing for)
and the authors 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 authors
point of view in order to know which side of an
issue he or she favors.
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To determine the authors point of view, critical
readers ask themselves this comprehension
monitoring question What is the authors
position on this issue?   To answer this
question, look for words that reveal the
authors point of view.
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What is meant by authors purpose, and how can
you determine it?   An authors 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 authors 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
authors 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.
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To determine an authors 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 authors
purpose, notice the words the author has used
and the way the information is presented.
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Authors 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.
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What is meant by authors intended audience, and
how can you determine it?   An authors 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?
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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 authors purpose for
writing (Is it meant to inform? to instruct? to
persuade?)
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• Why is it important to determine
• an authors 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 authors
• 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.

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What is meant by authors tone, and how can you
determine it?   The authors tone is the manner
of writing (choice of words and writing style)
that reveals the authors attitude toward a
topic.   It may help you to think about what the
authors 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
authors tone because if you misunderstand an
authors tone, you may misinterpret the message.
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Critical readers ask themselves this
comprehension monitoring question What do the
authors 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.
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• Words That Can Be Used to Describe Tone
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• 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 preference
• or concern

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• 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

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• Words that describe an emotional tone
• Typically found in personal articles, political
  writing,
• and some persuasive writing such as editorials.
• compassionate showing kindness, mercy,
  or compassion 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• More words that describe a humorous,
• sarcastic,ironic, or satiric tone
• cynical scornful of the motives, virtue, or
  integrity of others expressing scorn and
  bitter mockery
• scornful treating someone or something as
  despicable or unworthy showing utter
  contempt
• contemptuous showing open disrespect or
  haughty disdain

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• 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

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• More words that describe
• a humorous, sarcastic, ironic, or satiric tone
• sarcastic characterized by the desire to
  show scorn or contempt
• bitter characterized by sharpness, severity,
  or cruelty
• skeptical reluctant to believe doubting or
  questioning everything
• disbelieving not believing refusing to believe

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• 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
  positive outlook
• approving expressing approval or agreement

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• More words that describe a supportive tone
• positive being in favor of supportive opti
  mistic
• sympathetic inclined to sympathy showing
  pity empathic
• tolerant showing respect for the rights or
  opinions or practices of others

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• 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

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• Some other words that can describe tone
• arrogant giving oneself an undue degree
  of importance 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

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How the Critical Reading Skills Are
Interrelated The authors 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
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• 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.

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• 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