A Critical Reading Guide

Printed Page 102

Detailed Information about the Subject

Does the writer portray the subject in enough well-chosen detail to show us why it’s interesting?

  • Summarize: Tell the writer one thing you learned about the subject from reading the essay.
  • Praise: Point out one passage where the description seems especially vivid, a quotation stands out, or another writing strategy works particularly well to present information.
  • Critique: Point out one passage where description could be added or where the description could be made more vivid, where a quotation that falls flat should be paraphrased or summarized, or where another writing strategy could be used.
Table 3.18: A CRITICAL READING GUIDE
A Clear, Logical Organization

Is the profile easy to follow?

  • Summarize: Identify the kind of organization–narrative, topical, or a blend of the two–that the writer uses.
  • Praise: Comment on the cues the writer gives that make the profile easy to follow. For example, point to a place where one topic leads logically to the next or where transitions help you follow the tour or narrative. Also, indicate what in the opening paragraphs grabs your attention or why you think the ending works well.
  • Critique: Point to information that seems out of place or instances where the chronology is confusing. If you think the opening or ending could be improved, suggest an alternative passage in the essay that could work as an opening or an ending.
The Writer’s Role

Is the author’s role, whether spectator, participant-observer, or both, clear?

  • Summarize: Identify the role the writer adopts.
  • Praise: Point to a passage where the spectator or participant-observer role enables you to identify with the writer, enhancing the essay’s immediacy or interest.
  • Critique: Point out any problems with the role–for example, if the participant-observer role becomes distracting, or if the spectator role seems too distant.
A Perspective on the Subject

Does the author have a clear point of view on the subject?

  • Summarize: State briefly what you believe to be the writer’s perspective on the subject and the dominant impression you get from the essay.
  • Praise: Give an example where you have a strong sense of the writer’s perspective through a comment, description, quotation, or bit of information.
  • Critique: Tell the writer if the essay does not have a clear perspective or convey a dominant impression. To help him or her find one, explain what interests you about the subject and what you think is important. If you see contradictions in the draft that could be developed to make the profile more complex and illuminating, briefly explain.
Printed Page 103

Before concluding your review, be sure to address any of the writer’s concerns that have not already been addressed.

Making Comments Electronically Most word processing software offers features that allow you to insert comments directly into the text of someone else’s document. Many readers prefer to make their comments this way because it tends to be faster than writing on hard copy, and space is virtually unlimited; it also eliminates the process of deciphering handwritten comments. Where such features are not available, simply typing comments directly into a document in a contrasting color can provide the same advantages.