Text Analysis
Learn
This lesson focuses on text analysis techniques for examining informational texts in depth. You will learn systematic approaches to analyzing structure, rhetoric, and argument in nonfiction.
Key Concepts
- Analyzing text structure and organization
- Identifying rhetorical strategies
- Evaluating argument and reasoning
- Comparing multiple sources on a topic
Examples
Study these examples of informational text analysis in action.
Example 1: Analyzing Text Structure
Examine how organizational patterns affect reader understanding...
Example 2: Evaluating an Argument
Analyze the logic and evidence in a persuasive text...
✏️ Practice
Test your understanding with these practice questions.
Practice Questions
0/3 correctWhat is the main idea of a passage?
An inference is:
Context clues help you:
Check Your Understanding
Test yourself with these 10 questions.
1. What are the common organizational patterns in informational texts?
Show Answer
Common patterns include chronological/sequential, cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, and order of importance. Authors choose patterns that best serve their purpose.
2. How does text structure affect the reader's understanding?
Show Answer
Structure guides how readers process information, emphasizes certain relationships between ideas, creates expectations about content, and helps readers locate and remember key information.
3. What is rhetoric in the context of informational writing?
Show Answer
Rhetoric refers to the strategic use of language to inform, persuade, or affect an audience. It includes word choice, appeals to logic/emotion/credibility, and organizational choices.
4. What are the three rhetorical appeals, and how do they work?
Show Answer
Ethos (credibility/character), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic/evidence). Effective writers often use all three, balancing them based on their purpose and audience.
5. How do you identify logical fallacies in an argument?
Show Answer
Look for flawed reasoning such as false cause, hasty generalization, ad hominem attacks, false dichotomy, or circular reasoning. Ask if the evidence actually supports the conclusion.
6. What makes evidence relevant to an argument?
Show Answer
Relevant evidence directly connects to and supports the specific claim being made. It addresses the topic at hand, comes from credible sources, and applies to the context being discussed.
7. How do you compare and contrast multiple sources on the same topic?
Show Answer
Identify each source's main claim, evidence, and perspective. Look for areas of agreement and disagreement. Consider each author's purpose, audience, and potential biases.
8. What is the difference between explicit and implicit information?
Show Answer
Explicit information is directly stated in the text. Implicit information must be inferred from context, word choice, or connections between ideas. Both are important for full comprehension.
9. How do transitions function in informational texts?
Show Answer
Transitions signal relationships between ideas (addition, contrast, cause/effect, sequence), guide readers through complex information, and create coherence across paragraphs and sections.
10. What should you consider when evaluating an author's credibility?
Show Answer
Consider the author's expertise and credentials, the publication source, whether claims are supported with evidence, potential conflicts of interest, and how the work is received by other experts.
Next Steps
- Practice identifying organizational patterns in articles you read
- Analyze rhetoric in opinion pieces and editorials
- Move on to Lesson 5: Writing Application