Prof. Jessica Denzer
BMCC English 101: Composition
Unit 1
Reading Critically: Asking Questions
Meaning:
What is the main idea the writer is trying to make through out the essay? What is the
chief point the writer wants to make about the subject to which all other ideas and details
relate? What are the supportive ideas that contribute and add to the main idea?
Purpose and Audience:
Why did the author write the essay? What did the writer hope readers would gain from it?
What does the writer assume about the readers, and how are those assumptions reflected
in the essay?
Method and Structure:
What method or methods does the author use to develop the main idea, and how do the
methods serve the author’s subject and purpose? What is the structure of the essay? How
are the ideas and images organized? How does the organization serve to push the subject
and purpose?
Language:
How does the writer use tone, language, syntax, and sentence structure to convey the
main idea? How does the writer use language to convey attitudes towards the subject and
to make the meaning clear and vivid?