READING FOR UNDERSTANDING, ANALYSIS

AND EVALUATION(National 5/Higher)

2014

Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation means

Showing you can recognise and explain

• The type of text/genre

• Purpose and Audience

• The main ideas

• Techniques used

• Impact of above (Effectiveness: did it make me angry, change my mind??? Etc)

T.T.A.P.

T = TEXTT = TONEA = AUDIENCEP = PURPOSE

Recognise the Text(Genre)

What kind of writing is it?

Narrative Evaluation Explanation Review Diary Letter Description Poem Essay Speech Advice Article Advertisement Argument Instruction Leaflet / information Poster

TONE

Tone is the writer’s attitude towards that particular subject that he/she is writing about …

e.g. Is the tone of the text formal (polite) or more informal (familiar or chatty)?

Is it humorous, critical, dismissive, accusatory, suspicious, intimate, judgemental, sympathetic … ????

What words help you to think this?

What is the Tone?

His marks were so low that I realised he had not studied at all. I had wasted my time, wasted my money and had run out of patience.

What words/expressions support your answer?

Audience?Who is this text aimed at?

Who is supposed to read it / Who would be interested in this article?

• Young/old/teenagers/locals/foreigners

• Male/female

• People interested in certain interests/hobbies/politics/history/events

Purpose Why has the text been written?

PURPOSE EXAMPLES OF TEXTS

To Entertain Films, cartoons, comics

To Inform Newspaper articles, non-fiction stories, documentaries

To Persuade Discursive writing, debates, donations, political stories

To Instruct How to guides, cookbooks, manuals, first aid books!

To Recount Diary entries, journals

To Evaluate School reports, science reports

The Main Ideas

Be able to summarise (in bullet point form) the main points/facts/ideas raised by the writer.

A main point/fact/idea is a general observation such as “more children are carrying knives”

Then back it up with a quote such as “16000 children in Uk arrested …”

• Always write your answers in your own words (i.e. translate it)

• Topic sentences often give you a clue as to each new ideas in longer passages.

You Try

1. Read, “The Men Behind the Morphsuit”

1. TTAP?

1. Summarise the main points in no more than 7 bullet points. You do not need to quote for this one.

Possible Answers• Three young Scots dressed up in a one-piece

suite from Japan for a night out in Canada.• Lots of people were interested in the suits.• They decided to make their own version of the

suit to make some money.• The company has grown quickly• They suits became very popular• The suits were used in a wide variety of ways• The company made a lot of money.(If desperate, aim for at least 4 points!)