Summarize the text being critiqued
Discuss the author and their background
Discuss issues related to the audience and the appeals
Discuss specific elements that relate back to the points about the audience
Discuss what others have said about the text
Conclude
analyze the features of the text you’re analyzing. Keep the following questions in mind as you read:
Who is the author? Does s/he have credibility to discuss the topic? Is there apparent bias? Is an institution sponsoring him/her, and if so, what does that institution represent?
What is the thesis, and what is the overall argument the author presents?
What did the author choose to study? Why?
What is the writer’s purpose? To inform? To persuade? To criticize?
Who is the author’s intended audience? Does s/he appeal to a resistant audience? A Neutral audience? Or is s/he “preaching to the choir?”
What appeal(s) are applied (ethos, pathos, logos, or a combination)?
How does the writer arrange his or her ideas? Does the author use inductive or deductive reasoning in structuring the argument?
Did you note any fallacies as you read? Is so, which ones?
How does the writer use diction? (Word choice, arrangement, accuracy, is it formal, informal? Technical versus slang?)
Does the writer use dialogue? Quotations? Statistics? Why or why not?
What have others said about this text? Some databases like Opposing Viewpoints will automatically share related articles. If you find an article online, you can search for more information (for example, the student with an interest in video games might search Video Game Violence Reactions).
Please note: If your essay just answers these questions, it will not get a good grade! These questions are designed to be a guide for notetaking!
Focus on rhetorical features
Focus on audience
Focus on interaction of elements
