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Humanities LibreTexts

1.2.2: Annotating

  • Page ID
    360583

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    Annotating a text means to actively engage in a dialogue with the text. You can underline and circle key terms, write questions and comments in the margins, look up words that are new to you, use emojis to express your emotions toward the text, or agree/disagree with the content. Some students use different colored pens to mark different aspects of the text, so you might use green to mark the main idea, blue to mark the words that convey the tone of the passage, or red to mark examples of figurative language such a similes, metaphors or personification within the passage. The annotations serve as a visual aid while studying and makes it easier for you to comprehend what you are reading, remember what you have read, and respond to the reading meaningfully since the annotations require you to actively think and write about what you read.

    The following video demonstrates the annotation of an excerpt of The Great Gatsby in a step-by-step tutorial analyzing specific literary devices and finding the overall theme. You can use these close reading strategies to annotate any text including articles and books.