Guidelines for analyzing a written text

Written texts. Instructors who ask you to analyze a written nonfiction text often expect you to address some of the following questions.

• What is the author’s thesis or central idea? Who is the audience?
• What questions does the author address (implicitly or explicitly)?
• How does the author structure the text? What are the key parts and how do they relate to one another and to the thesis?
• What strategies has the author used to generate interest in the argument and to persuade readers of its merit?
• What evidence does the author use to support the thesis? How persuasive is the evidence?
• Does the author anticipate objections and counter opposing views?
• Does the author fall prey to any faulty reasoning?