Chapter 1
Foundational Reading Comprehension Strategies
Course: Gre
Subject: Gre Verbal Reasoning
Chapter: Critical Analysis And Argumentation
Introduction: Reading Between the Lines
When a friend tells you a story, you don't just listen to the facts. You hear the excitement in their voice, the sarcasm in their tone, the emotion behind their words. You understand how they feel about what they are telling you.
When you read, you don't have the benefit of hearing the author's voice. But authors embed clues in their writing to convey their tone and point of view. Learning to recognize these clues is like learning to hear the author's voice on the page. It allows you to understand not just what an author is saying, but how they feel about it and why they are saying it.
Reading as the Author Intended
Authors cannot read our minds, and we cannot read theirs. However, authors leave a trail of clues in their writing that reveal their attitudes, emotions, beliefs, and motivations. By learning to follow these clues, you can read from the author's perspective—understanding the text as it was intended to be understood.