1. Who is the speaker? S It is not enough to simply name the speaker.
What can you infer about the speaker based on evidence from the piece?

2. O
What is
the occasion?
Discuss both the larger occasion-- issues or ideas that must have made the speaker think about the incident-- and the immediate occasion.

3. A
Who is the
audience?
At whom is the text directed? Don’t simply say, “Anyone who reads this.” Identify a certain audience by describing its characteristics using evidence from the piece.

4. P
What is
the purpose?
The purpose may be purely a personal one (to assuage guilt or to encourage action); it may also be directed to the audience. Decide on the message and how the author wants the audience to respond.

5. S
What is
the subject?
What is it about? You should be able to state the subject in a few words or a short phrase.

6. What is the
Tone? T
ONE
Choose the description of the tone to choose for the piece as a whole. Include specific words or phrases from the piece and explain how they support your statement. How does your subject affect the tone?