© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Efficient and Flexible Reading, 8/e Kathleen T. McWhorter Chapter 6: Reading Essays and Articles

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers In this chapter you will learn: 1. To recognize the parts of formal essays. 2. To read popular press articles. 3. To read scholarly journal articles. 4. To critically analyze essays and articles.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Comparing Essays and Articles Essays Presents personal view of an author on a subject. More subjective. Puts a personal “spin” on the information presented. Articles Author assumes the role of a reporter. More objective. Avoids personal feelings and concentrates on directly stating the facts.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Examining the Structure of Essays Title Introduction Thesis Statement Supporting Information Summary or Conclusion

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Structure of an Essay Title Introduction Body Conclusion Thesis Statement Paragraph 1 Supporting Idea Paragraph 2 Supporting Idea Paragraph 3 Supporting Idea Paragraph 5 Final Paragraph Supporting Idea Paragraph 4

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Structure of an Essay The Title: Suggests the subject of the essay. Is intended to capture the reader’s interest. Announces what the essay will be about. The subtitle suggests subject matter more directly.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Structure of an Essay The Introduction: Presents the thesis statement of the essay Offers background information – Example: explains television addiction as an issue Defines technical or unfamiliar terms – Example: defines addiction Builds your interest – Example: an extreme case of television addiction

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Thesis Statement Answers the question: “What is the one main point the author is making?” Examples: – Due to its negative health effects, cigarette smoking is once again being regarded as a form of deviant behavior. – Career choice is influenced by numerous factors including skills and abilities, attitudes, and life goals. – Year-round school will provide children with a better education that is more cost effective.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Body The body of the essay contains sentences and paragraphs that explain or support the thesis statement. This support may be in the form of: s Examples s Descriptions s Facts s Statistics s Reasons s Anecdotes (stories that illustrate a point) s Personal experiences and observations s Quotations from or references to authorities and experts s Comparisons

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers The Conclusion An essay is brought to a close with a brief conclusion, not a summary. A conclusion is a final statement about the subject of the essay. The conclusion refers back to, but does not repeat the thesis statement. A conclusion suggests a direction of further thought or introduces a new way of looking at what has already been said.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Reading and Evaluating Essays 1. Establish the authority of the author whenever possible. 2. Pay attention to background information the author provides. 3. Identify the author’s thesis. 4. Pay attention to new terminology. 5. Highlight as you read. 6. Outline, map, or summarize the essay.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Popular Press Articles Two common types: hard news articles and feature articles Both contain: – Lead (beginning) – Body or Development (story itself) – Conclusion

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Hard News Articles When reading notice: The Inverted Pyramid structure (general to specific) – Title or Headlines – Datelines, Credit lines, and Bylines – Summary Lead – Body or Development

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Action Story Contains all of the features of an inverted pyramid. Also has the events in chronological order of their occurrence. The conclusion contains additional information that does not fit within the chronology used in the body.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Feature Articles When reading notice: Feature Lead sparks interest Nut Graph explains the scope of the article Body or Development contains detailed information Conclusion

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Articles from Scholarly Journals Abstract Summary of Related Research Description of Research Results Implications, Discussion, and Conclusions Implications Suggesting Further Research

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Reading Articles from Scholarly Journals 1. Be sure you understand the author’s purpose. 2. Highlight as you read. 3. Use index cards. 4. Use quotations.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Analyzing Essays & Articles 1. Who is the author? 2. What is the author’s purpose? 3. What does the introduction or lead add to the piece of writing? 4. What is the author’s thesis? 5. Does the author adequately support the thesis? 6. Does the author supply sources, references, or citations for the facts and statistics presented?

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Critical Thinking Tip #6: Evaluating Research Sources 1. Check the copyright date. 2. Be sure to use an authoritative source. 3. Choose sources that provide complete and concrete information. 4. Select first-hand accounts of an event or experience. 5. Avoid using sources with biased information, personal opinion and reactions.

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Summary 1. How do essays and articles differ? 2. What are the parts of an essay? 3. What can you do to improve your reading of essays? 4. How are popular press articles organized? 5. What are the parts of most scholarly journal articles? 6. How can you read essays and articles critically?

© 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers Go Electronic For additional readings, exercises, and Internet activities, visit this book’s Web site at: