Efficient and Flexible Reading 5th Edition Kathleen McWhorter

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Efficient and Flexible Reading5th
EditionKathleen McWhorter

• Chapter 11
• Critical Analysis
• PowerPoint Presentation by Ceil Fillenworth,
• St. Cloud State University, 1999

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In this chapter you will learn

• To make inferences
• To distinguish fact from opinion
• To recognize generalizations
• To identify tone
• To identify an authors purpose
• To recognize bias

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Inferences

• An inference is the best guess you can make given
  the available information and circumstances.
• Applied to reading, an inference is a reasonable
  guess about what the author does not say based
  upon what s/he does say.

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How to Make Inferences

• Understand literal meaning first
• Ask yourself a question
• Use clues provided by the writer
• Consider the authors purpose
• Verify your inference

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Distinguishing Between Facts and Opinions

• Facts
• Facts are statements that can be verified--that
  is, proven to be true or false. Verified from a
  reputable source, facts can be accepted as
  reliable information.

• Opinions
• Opinions are statements that express feelings,
  attitudes, or beliefs and are neither true nor
  false. Opinions are not reliable sources of
  information and should be questioned and
  carefully evaluated.

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Words that signal opinion
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Informed Opinion

• Informed opinion is the opinion of an expert or
  authority. Such writers often mix fact and
  opinion without making clear distinctions.

Fact-Opinion
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Generalizations

• A generalization is a statement about a large
  group based upon observation of part of that
  group.
• A generalization is not a fact, but represents
  the writers judgment about a particular set of
  facts.
• Approach the writers conclusion with a critical,
  questioning attitude when reading material that
  contains generalizations.
• When a generalization is unsubstantiated by
  facts, regard it as an opinion.
• Generalizations presented as facts are dangerous
  and misleading they may be completely false.

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Tone

• Tone reveals the authors attitude and
  contributes to the overall message.
• Tone is achieved through word choice and
  stylistic features such as sentence length and
  pattern.

• Tone can establish formality between writer and
  reader, or can establish a sense of shared
  communication between reader and writer.

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How to Identify Tone

• Pay particular attention to descriptive language
  and connotative meanings.
• Ask, How does the author feel about his or her
  subject? How are these feelings revealed?

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Identifying Authors Purpose

• The purpose for writing may be to inform,
  instruct, amuse, entertain, persuade, to arouse
  sympathy, or get the reader to accept a certain
  point of view. Sometimes the purpose is obvious,
  sometimes not.

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Determining Authors Purpose

• Determine the subject and thesis.
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the tone?
• What is the point of view?
• Does the author try to prove anything about the
  subject? If so, what?

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Identifying Bias

• Bias refers to an authors partiality,
  inclination toward a particular viewpoint, or
  prejudice.
• A writer is biased if he or she takes one side of
  a controversial issue and does not recognize
  opposing viewpoints.

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How to Determine Bias

• Analyze connotative meanings
• Notice descriptive language
• Analyze the tone
• Look for opposing viewpoints

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Slanted Writing

• Slanted writing is a technique used to persuade.
  Slanted writing attempts to push the reader in a
  particular direction--usually toward a specific
  belief, attitude, or action. Slanted writing
  employs two techniques
• Use of words to create a favorable or unfavorable
  impression
• Selection of detail

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Summary In this chapter you have learned

• How to analyze what you read
• Four steps in making an inference
• The difference between fact and opinion
• How to identify generalizations, tone, purpose,
  bias and slanting

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For additional readings and exercises visit the
Longman English Skills Web page at

• http//longman.awl.com/englishpages