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Chapter 11: Critical Reading

Breaking Through: College Reading, 7/e

Brenda Smith

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What Critical Readers Do:

Use direct statements. Make inferences. Use prior knowledge. Use language clues.

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Critical Readers Recognize the Author's Purpose/Intent

To informTo persuadeTo entertain

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Critical Readers Recognize the Author’s Point of View

Point of View: Author’s opinion or position on the subject.

Bias: an opinion or a judgmenthas a negative connotationassociated with prejudice

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Critical Readers Recognize the Author’s Tone/Attitude

AngryCheerfulDepressedDistressedFormalFrustrated

HumorousObjectiveOptimisticPessimisticSeriousRighteous

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Critical Readers Distinguish Fact from Opinion

Fact: a statement that can be proven true or false

Example: The temperature in the class is 78.

Opinion:a statement of feeling that cannot be proven right or wrong

Example: This classroom is always hot and

stuffy!

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Critical Readers Recognize Valid and Invalid Support for Arguments

Fallacy: an error in reasoning that can give an illusion of support.

Example: Everybody has these shoes; so should you.

Propaganda:where fallacies are prevalent, especially in advertisements.

Example: Tiger Woods in an ad for shoes.

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Fallacies in Argument

TestimonialsBandwagonTransferStraw personMisleading analogyCircular reasoning

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Testimonials

Celebrities who are not expertsstate support.Example: Tiger Woods appears

in television advertisements endorsing a particular brand of tennis shoes.

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Bandwagon

You will be left out if you do not join the crowd.

Example: All the voters in the district support Henson for Senator.

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TransferA famous person is associated with an argument.Example: George Washington

indicated in a quote that he would have agreed with us on this issue.

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Straw Person

A simplistic exaggeration is set up torepresent the argument.Example: The professor replied, “If I

delay the exam, you’ll expect me to change the due dates of all papers and assignments.”

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Misleading AnalogyTwo things are compared as

similar that actually are distinctly different.

Example: Studying is like taking a shower; most of the material goes down the drain.

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Circular Reasoning

The conclusion is supported byrestating it.Example: Papers must be

turned in on time because papers cannot be turned in late.

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Reading and Studying Letters of Opinion

What event prompted the letter?What is the thesis or opinion of the author?Do the details prove the opinion?What is left out?Are the sources, facts and other support credible?

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Evaluating Internet Information

What are the author’s credentials?Who paid for the Web page?What is the purpose of the Web page?How do the biases of the author affect the material?Is the reasoning sound?

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Summary QuestionsWhat do critical readers do?What is an author’s purpose or intent?What is the author’s point of view?What is bias?What is tone?

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Summary QuestionsWhat is a fact?What is an opinion?What is a fallacy?What is propaganda?

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