1. 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

2. 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 author’s 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.

3. What is meant by author’s point of view, and how can you determine it?
An author’s point of view is his or her position on an issue.
Point of view is also known as the author’s argument
(the overall main idea the author is “arguing” for) and
the author’s 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 author’s point of view
in order to know which side of an issue he or she favors.

4. “What is the author’s position on this issue?”
To determine the author’s point of view, critical readers ask themselves this comprehension monitoring question:
“What is the author’s position on this issue?”
To answer this question,
look for words that reveal
the author’s point of view.

5. What is meant by author’s purpose, and how can you determine it?
An author’s 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 author’s 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 author’s 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.

6. “Why did the author write this?”
To determine an author’s 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 author’s purpose, notice the words
the author has used and the way the information is presented.

7. Author’s 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.

8. What is meant by author’s intended audience,
and how can you determine it?
An author’s 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?”

9. 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 author’s purpose for writing (Is it meant to inform? to instruct? to persuade?)

10. Why is it important to determine an author’s 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 author’s
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.

11. What is meant by author’s tone, and how can you determine it?
The author’s tone is the manner of writing
(choice of words and writing style)
that reveals the author’s attitude toward a topic.
It may help you to think about what the author’s
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 author’s tone
because if you misunderstand an author’s tone,
you may misinterpret the message.

12. Critical readers ask themselves this
comprehension monitoring question:
“What do the author’s 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.

13. Words That Can Be Used to Describe Tone
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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. More words that describe a supportive tone:
positive being in favor of; supportive; optimistic
sympathetic inclined to sympathy; showing pity; empathic
tolerant showing respect for the rights or opinions or practices of others

24. 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

25. 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

26. How the Critical Reading Skills Are Interrelated
The author’s 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

27. 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.

28. 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