Learn what to look for when annotating an essay or book.
Video Transcript
0:00 Owl: Welcome to Annotating an Essay or Book, an instructional video on reading comprehension brought to you by the Excelsior College Online Writing Lab.
0:20 Whether you’re reading an essay or book for class or just for fun, it can be difficult to understand what the author is trying to say.
0:28 However, if you practice active reading strategies like annotating while you read, you can improve your understanding of the text.
0:36 We’ll treat essays and books together in this video because they share a similar purpose and structure.
0:43 Both tend to be thesis-oriented, that is they put forth and support an argument.
0:50 And both do so using a common structure that has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
0:56 Of course, since books have multiple chapters, they have much more space to develop an argument than an essay does.
1:04 You can think of a book as a long essay and chapters as essays within an essay.
1:09 Therefore, while the book as a whole has an introduction, body, and conclusion, so does each chapter.
1:17 In this video, we will cover five tips for what to look for in an essay or book to help you improve your reading comprehension.
1:26 Specifically, we will talk about how to
1:29 find the stated thesis,
1:31 find the implied thesis,
1:33 identify topic sentences,
1:36 identify key supporting details,
1:39 and identify transitional words and phrases.
1:43 By looking for these things as you read, you will improve your understanding of the text and make the most of your time while you read.
1:50 Let’s get started!
1:52 The thesis, also called the thesis statement, is the main idea of the text.
1:58 It’s sometimes referred to as the author’s central argument.
2:02 A thesis consists of a specific topic and a position statement on the topic.
2:08 All of the other ideas in the text support and develop the thesis, so it’s really important to identify the thesis as you read.
2:15 There are two kinds of thesis statements: stated thesis and implied thesis.
2:21 Often the author makes his or her thesis explicit by stating it directly in the text.
2:28 This is called a stated thesis.
2:31 A stated thesis might appear in different places in the text.
2:35 Sometimes, a text opens with the thesis by stating it in the introduction or first paragraph.
2:41 This may happen after a hook—an interesting example or anecdote meant to draw the reader’s interest.
2:48 Other times, the author might build up to the thesis and state it in the conclusion or last paragraph.
2:54 This approach may be combined with a rhetorical question at the beginning of the essay that serves as a hook to set up the thesis as an answer delivered at the end of the text.
3:05 Once you locate the thesis, be sure to mark it somehow, either by highlighting or underlining it, or by bracketing it or placing a symbol next to it in the margin.
3:15 You might also want to paraphrase it in the margin, which will help you to understand it and remember it.
3:21 Sometimes the thesis is not directly stated in an essay or book.
3:26 This is called an implied thesis.
3:29 In that case, there are three strategies you can use to discover the implied thesis.
3:35 You can…
3:37 add a word or phrase to a sentence in the paragraph that almost states the thesis or main idea,
3:43 identify two key sentences from the paragraph and combine all or parts of them into a single sentence that states the thesis or main idea,
3:52 or summarize important ideas into one sentence that states the thesis or main idea.
4:00 Let’s look at an example of a passage with an implied thesis.
4:04 By applying the second strategy we just discussed, we can guess what the thesis is.
4:26 Okay, let’s check it out.
4:28 Using this key sentence…
4:30 …and this key sentence
4:32 …we can derive the following implied thesis:
4:35 Cooperative businesses are growing in popularity across the United States, especially among millennials.
4:42 To help you remember, use the margin to write down what you think is the thesis.
4:48 In addition to locating the thesis, you also want to pay attention to topic sentences.
4:53 A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph.
4:57 Just like with the thesis, there are several places you might find a topic sentence.
5:02 A topic sentence might come
5:04 at the beginning of a paragraph, followed by supporting details;
5:08 at the end of a paragraph, after the supporting details;
5:11 or in the middle of a paragraph, after some kind of opening hook or example, but before the supporting details.
5:19 Now, here are some clues to help you find the topic sentence:
5:24 look for a title or heading that indicates the topic;
5:28 look for a word, name, or phrase in the paragraph that appears in special print;
5:34 look for a word, name, or phrase that is repeated throughout the paragraph;
5:39 or look for a word, name, or phrase referred to throughout the paragraph by pronouns or other words.
5:47 Once you find the topic sentence, you should note its location by underlining, highlighting, bracketing, or marking it with a symbol.
5:57 Topic sentences are normally supported by supporting details.
6:01 Supporting details are pieces of information that develop the topic sentence.
6:06 This may include:
6:08 facts (such as names, dates, and events),
6:12 figures and statistics,
6:15 quotations or paraphrases,
6:17 summaries,
6:19 and personal experiences.
6:23 Supporting details normally answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, or how.
6:34 When you locate a key supporting detail, make a note of it in the text.
6:39 Here’s an example of a paragraph summarizing another study to support its main idea.
6:44 Finally, as you read, it’s important to be aware of transitional words and phrases.
6:51 Transitional words and phrases are intentional signposts that the author provides to guide the reader.
6:57 Observing the author’s signposts will help you to follow the author’s argument and understand it better.
7:03 Transitional words and phrases come in different types.
7:06 They can be used to signal or show…
7:09 Example—such as: for example or for instance
7:15 Time or Sequence—such as: first, second, and so on
7:21 Comparison—such as: similarly or likewise
7:28 Contrast—such as: however or on the other hand
7:34 Concession—such as: admittedly or granted
7:41 Addition—such as: furthermore or in addition
7:47 Cause and effect—such as: as a result or consequently
7:54 Conclusion—such as: therefore or in conclusion
8:00 Or, they can be used to signal or show…
8:03 Summary—such as: in summary or in other words.
8:09 Here’s an example of an author using transitional words and phrases to guide the reader through his or her argument.
8:17 Now, once you understand what to look for in an essay or book and how to find it, you can greatly increase your understanding of the text.
8:25 So, remember to look for the thesis (stated or implied), topic sentences, key supporting details, and finally, transitional words and phrases.
8:40 Thanks for listening to this instructional video on Annotating an Essay or Book!
8:46 Visit the Excelsior College Online Writing Lab for more support with reading and writing skills.
Complete these activities to practice annotating an essay or book.