How to Annotate a Text for Close Reading

Whether you are using a printed text, online text, or a combination, annotating text for a close reading is a vital

skill for AP literature students. So, what does annotation mean? Annotation is when you mark up a text, either

in pencil on the hardcopies or using annotation software- like Scrible- on online copies. I will assume that most

of you will use online copies; therefore, if you are using the book, please be aware that you are NOT allowed to

highlight or write in pen. Writing lightly in pencil and using sticky notes is appropriate in the book.

So, how do you annotate a text to demonstrate your close reading?

1. Unfamiliar words- highlight and use context clues or the dictionary to figure out meaning. I suggest

having a separate tab with dictionary.com open for easy access.

2. Mark important plot points- places where the action turns and note your ideas.

3. Mark any conflicts with the protagonist- or main character. Conflicts can be with other characters, with

society or its values, with external forces, or within the character herself.

4. Mark words or phrases that describe the personality of main characters and record your ideas about

those personalities- motivations, fears, dreams, beliefs, challenges, etc.

5. Mark any symbolism- things that represent other things- and record what these tangible objects may

represent.

6. Mark any place where you can connect the theme- showing cultural transfer from history to the

present. Feel free to make linked connections. For example, if you make a connection to a news video

that you’ve seen, you can google that news piece and add a link on the sticky note.

What other annotations show you are closely reading the text?

1. Ask questions.

2. Comment on the character- what do you think? How does she change?

3. Comment on lines or quotations that you think are important, powerful, or meaningful.

4. Agree or disagree with characters, beliefs, ideas, etc.

5. Summarize and make predictions. Connect to your life or other texts.

6. Note if you experience an epiphany- an aha! Moment.

7. Note things you want to discuss or things you don’t understand.

8. Note the rhetoric- that’s how the author uses language: effects of diction or syntax (how words are

chosen or how sentences are formed), point of view, repetition of words, phrases, actions, events, or

patterns, narrative pace/time/sequence of events, irony, contradictions or juxtapositions, ALLUSIONS,

figures of speech or literary devices, motifs, tone/mood, imagery, setting, and SYMBOLS.

The most common complaint about annotating is that it slows down your reading- that’s the point! If it annoys

you, you can always read first, then go back and annotate. Reading twice is preferable anyway. Be willing to

stretch your mind, challenge your beliefs, and experience the world through someone else’s perspective. The

purpose of reading American literature is to understand who we were… to better understand who we are and

who we can be. Be sure to go back over your annotations and notice patterns, and then draw conclusions. Try to

think of something new and relate it to your world view.