17 What is Analyzing?

Analyzing is the process of breaking the whole into smaller pieces. Think of it as breaking down pulling apart a puzzle and looking very closely at each piece.

Annotating the text is one aspect of analyzing because you are paraphrasing and taking notes, paragraph by paragraph, section by section.  As a college reader, you will sometimes be asked to describe a specific point within an article.  For example, you may be instructed to reread a particular paragraph and explain it in your own words.  This means you would have to examine the vocabulary the author used or the quotes the author may have included.

You may also be asked to analyze the rhetorical situation of the text. For instance, your instructor may ask you to explain the author’s purpose for writing the article.  In this case, you would have to take a close look at the way the article is written.  Did the author use a persuasive tone or an informative tone?  Who was the intended audience of this author? What prompted the author to write this text? Most of the time, the answers to these questions are not directly found in the text.  Instead, you will need to reread and discover the implied thoughts and ideas within the author’s words. Examining hidden meanings and ideas within the text is sometimes described as “reading between the lines” or “inferencing”.

Analyzing requires attention to detail, patience, and time.  It is important to set aside enough time for you to read, take notes, and focus on the text you intend to analyze. This skill will strengthen your comprehension and critical thinking skills.