1. S.O.A.P.S.tone
Possibly the dumbest acronym ever created to help students with the concept of critical analysis.

2. Because this: has nothing to do with reading strategies.
S.O.A.P.S.tone
Because this:
has nothing to do with reading strategies.

3. SOAPStone
Subject
Occasion
Audience
Purpose
Speaker
Tone

4. S: SUBJECT
The subject of an essay is the writer’s main point, the topic being addressed.
There are sometimes multiple points.
In an ironic essay, the point may be the opposite of what is being said.
Ask: “What is the writer talking about?”

5. O: OCCASION
The occasion of a piece is the situation that gets the author to sit down and write.
The current situation, or context.
Ask: “What circumstance or event led the writer to pen this text?”

6. A: AUDIENCE
The audience is the person or group of people a writer is addressing in a piece.
Audience includes the type of people the writer wants to reach.
This includes all kinds of demographic groups: different races, ages, income levels, education levels, political beliefs, etc.
Ask: “Who is this piece for?”

7. P: PURPOSE Purpose is the reason behind a piece.
This includes both the subject and the occasion, but it is not the same as these two.
Purpose can be to argue an issue, to describe a scene, to tell a story, etc.
Ask: “Why did this writer put this on paper?”

8. S: SPEAKER
The speaker is the person in the text who is addressing the audience.
The speaker is NOT merely the author.
An piece’s speaker is always a persona; i.e., an element of the writer and not the whole person; a particular voice.
Ask: “Which part of the author’s personality is speaking through this piece?”

9. tone: tone Tone is the speaker’s attitude.
Tone helps to impart meaning, as it extends meaning beyond the literal.
How do diction, imagery, language, and sentence structure (syntax) convey his or her feelings?
How would the author sound if reading their piece aloud?
Ask: “What is the attitude of the author?”

10. SOAPStone Should be used in conjunction with annotation.
Highlight/underline important words, phrases, and sentences (find the main idea)
Circle unknown words
Write questions in the margins
Summarize
Answer the SOAPStone questions.