Annotating an Article
September 23, 2025
Posted by STLCC in Tutoring Resources
Reading Critically
To read critically, think like a reporter and look for the who, what, where, when, why and how in the article. Think about the author, the main point and the author’s purpose, such as to inform, persuade or entertain. Then decide whether the author did an effective job by examining their writing and the evidence they used.
Reading critically means you must comprehend the text. Read the text more than once and answer the questions below.
Questions to Ask While Reading
- Who wrote the article and are they credible?
- What is the author’s purpose or main point?
- What evidence does the author use, and is it credible information?
- Do I find this position convincing? Why or why not?
- How did the author make this relatable to the reader?
- How might someone use this information in an essay?
Annotating
Annotating means adding notes to help you better understand the text.
- Identify answers to the questions listed above.
- Take notes in the margins.
- Underline important points such as the main idea, evidence and key vocabulary.
- Use sticky notes to add comments next to paragraphs.
- Circle words you do not understand and look them up.
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