Analyzing Nonfiction Text

Now that you know the basics about how to read a nonfiction text, let’s move on to some advanced skills that will help you analyze information in one text, paired texts, or a text paired with a graphic.

Purpose

Determining a nonfiction text’s purpose requires answering a simple question:

Why did the author write this?

Most nonfiction texts exist to teach you something or change your mind on an issue. Identifying the purpose reveals just as much about the author as the text’s content.

To find purpose, use the same skills we discussed earlier regarding the main idea. Examining an author’s word choice can also reveal much about their text’s purpose.

Effectiveness

Let’s say an author wants to change your mind. Even if you do not agree with their opinion, you can identify an effective argument by:

• Seeing if the evidence they present is relevant to their main idea.
  • If the evidence is irreverent to their main point, the nonfiction text is not effective.
• Seeing if they try to persuade you based on emotion rather than fact.
  • Appealing to your emotions may blind you to faulty reasoning or logic.

Paired Texts

Some GED RLA questions will ask you to analyze two passages at the same time. These passages will share a topic, theme, or idea. Follow these success steps when approaching paired passages:

• Note what the questions are asking
  • This step primes your brain to find relevant information.
• Read both texts carefully
• Find similarities and differences
  • Typical differences include authors’ points of view and tones regarding the shared topic, theme, or idea.

Once you’ve finished these three steps, dive back into those questions.

Texts with a Graphic

At least one of the nonfiction texts you encounter on the GED RLA test will include a graphic. This graphic may include:

• A chart
• A graph
• A diagram
• An image

The graphic will include some form of new information relevant to the text. When you examine the image after reading the text, ask yourself:

“What does this image add to the conversation?”

&

“What new thing am I supposed to learn by looking at this?”