1. An introduction to Analyzing Writing
SOAPSTone
An introduction to Analyzing Writing

2. What is SOAPSTone? Speaker: The voice that tells the story
Occasion: The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing.
Audience: The group of readers to whom this piece is directed
Purpose: The reason behind the text
Subject: The topic of the piece of writing
Tone: The attitude of the author

3. Speaker
While reading the text, ask yourself this major question: WHO IS SPEAKING?
Don’t confuse the author with the speaker. They are two different voices; sometimes two different personas. For example, Jim is a reporter for the NY Times, but thespeaker is a man trying to influence readers to steer clear of a new product.
Ask yourself: What’s the point of a speaker? Why do we care who is speaking? How does it influence the text? How does it influence the reader?
Who is speaking to the reader? Is it an economist? A fashion guru? A teacher? A lawmaker?

4. Occasion
While reading, it’s important to determine WHAT EVENT INFLUENCED THE TEXT.
Why do we write? Why does it matter? Do we just write about anything and everything, or are we influenced to write?
Ask yourself: Why is this person writing this text now? What major event or occurrence inspired this piece of writing?
Are they writing in response to a new law? An ongoing war? A celebrity mishap? A major world crisis?

5. Audience
While reading the text, it is important to determine WHO THE AUDIENCE IS.
Don’t think an article on the health risks of elementary school cafeteria food is an article for just anyone. Who could an article like that be targeting?
Ask yourself: Who is the intended audience for this text? Why write to this specific audience? Why cant a piece of writing be meant for EVERYBODY?
Is the audience the financial experts of the business world? Stay-at- home mothers? College students? Athletes?

6. Purpose
While reading the text, it is necessary to understand the PURPOSE OF THE TEXT.
Ask yourself: What’s the purpose of the writing? What is it intended to do? What is the speaker hoping to achieve? Is there a goal?
Are they trying to influence consumers to buy a certain product? Vote for a specific politician? Save their money by investing? Send their kids to private school?

7. Subject While reading the text, determine the SUBJECT OF THE TEXT.
Ask yourself: What is this piece of writing about? What topic(s) does it concern? Why does it matter?
Are they writing about the war in Iraq? A new law that just passed? A hot,new celebrity?

8. Tone
While reading the text, one of the most important questions is WHAT’S THE TONE OF THE TEXT?
How is the author saying what he’s saying? What is his attitude towards the subject? Towards the audience?
Is he angry? Biased? Persuasive? Neutral?

9. The Analysis Paragraph
An analysis paragraph must prove something by using the text as evidence.
Follow the specific paragraph outline if you want to write an outstanding paragraph.
DO’s and DON’TS:
DO state your point in the topic sentence
DON’T forget to provide the WHY and HOW SO?
DO cite your evidence
DON’T use a quote without explaining its significance
DO follow the paragraph outline

10. An Outline of an Analysis Paragraph
Topic Sentence (TS): One sentence that states your point; it states what you’re trying to prove.
Concrete Detail (CD #1): Your first piece of evidence; a quote from the source.
Commentary (CM): Two to four sentences that explains the significance of the quote. How does it help prove your point?
Concrete Detail (CD #2): Your second piece of evidence; another quote from the source.
Conclusive Sentence (CS): One sentence that wraps up your paragraph.

11. Sample Topic Sentence
In "Why Reliance on Technology is a Bad Thing," John Grohol’s purpose is to (inform/persuade/etc.)(whom) about (what).
Sample: In "Why Reliance on Technology is a Bad Thing," John Grohol'spurpose is to awaken technology dependents about the risk of relying so heavily on technology in order to function daily.
Sample: “In Parenting Experts Weigh in on ‘Tiger Mother,’” Eryn Brown, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, writes to an audience of parents in order to promote high expectations for children, but not by damaging their well-being.

12. Model Paragraph
TS: In “Why Reliance on Technology is a Bad Thing,” John M. Grohol’s purpose is to inform technology dependents that what they cant live without, will one day replace them.
CD #1: “We’re constantly seeking out short-term gains and improvements without really taking into consideration the whole picture for future generations” (Grohol 1).
CM: Self interest is getting in the way of personal growth because machines are created so creators can be lazy. But this laziness will eventually lead to the creators being replaced by a machine that will get the job done.
CD #2: In addition, Grohol comments on people looking for shortcuts as he states, “I suspect some new architects would know how to design a 50-story building on paper” (Grohol 2).
CM: Dependency on technology equals weakness. Fifty years ago, people were able to survive without technology. Unfortunately, the 2011 generation is useless without technology, which allows them to be controlled and taken over by computers, etc.
CS: In conclusion, some humans have become too lazy to operate and have become addicted to machines; the easy way out isn’t always the right way.

13. Citing within your Paragraph
You must ALWAYS support your point with textual evidence and give credit where credit is due=acknowledge the author.
Introduce the material being cited with a acknowledgement phrase that includes the author's name and title.
Notice that the period follows the parenthetical citation. When a quotation ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, leave the end punctuation inside the quotation mark and add a period after the parentheses: " !" (8).
Example: James Smith, a writer for the Orange Country Register, reports that shortly after California made it illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, "accidents caused by using the phones dropped by 75 percent" (A8). This proves that outlawing cellphones while driving is reducing accidents and ultimately saving lives. The law is an essential addition to California’s legislation.