Pre-AP English 1 Summer Assignment Assessment - Nonfiction

Pre-AP English 1 Summer Assignment Assessment - Nonfiction Directions: Use this handout to guide the written analysis of your nonfiction book. Each component of SOAPSTone should be at least 3 sentences. This assignment will count as your first quiz grade, so be thoughtful and thorough with your response.

You will type and submit your final paper to turnitin.com by ______

Title: ______

Author: ______

Short summary of book: (4-6 complete sentences)

SOAPSTone Analysis Form Speaker Who is the Speaker? The voice that tells the story. How does the writer establish his or her credibility in the text?  Identify the speaker. Who is s/he?

 Find a specific passage that establishes the writer as a trustworthy and/or qualified speaker. Explain how the passage establishes the writer’s credibility.

Occasion What is the Occasion? The time and the place of the piece; the context that encouraged the writing to happen.  Why did the author choose to write this text at this time?

 How do you know?

Audience Who is the Audience? The group of readers/listeners to whom a piece is directed. There may be multiple audiences, and the audience(s) may need to be discovered through the level of discourse in the text, the diction, the connation of chosen words, and the traits of the Speaker.  Who is the audience?

 How do you know? Purpose What is the Purpose? The reason behind the text; what the Speaker wants the Audience to think or do as a result of reading/listening to the piece.  What is the purpose/argument/claim of the writer?

 How is the purpose revealed in the text?

 Are the purpose and occasion similar or different in this piece? Explain your reasoning.

Subject What is the Subject? The general topics, content, and ideas contained in the text.  Identify the subject(s) the author writes about and create a sentence for each subject that reveals the author’s message about this subject.

Tone What is the Tone? The attitude of the author/speaker. What is the meaning imparted by the author that goes beyond the literal; how does the author feel about the subject?  Identify and discuss the overall tone in the piece.

 Explain how the tone affects the effectiveness of your book.

Sample Tone Words

Positive tone/attitude: lighthearted, hopeful, exuberant, enthusiastic, complimentary, confident, cheery, optimistic, loving, passionate, amused, elated, sympathetic, compassionate, proud Negative tone/attitude: angry, disgusted, outraged, accusing, condemnatory, furious, wrathful, inflammatory, irritated, indignant, threatening Irony/Sarcasm: scornful, disdainful, contemptuous, sarcastic, cynical, critical, facetious, patronizing, satiric, condescending, sardonic, mock-heroic, bantering, irreverent, mock-serious, taunting, insolent, pompous, ironic, flippant, grotesque Sorrow/Fear/Worry: somber, elegiac, melancholic, sad, disturbed, mournful, solemn, serious, apprehensive, concerned, hopeless, staid, resigned Neutral tone/attitude: formal, objective, incredulous, nostalgic, ceremonial, candid, shocked, reminiscent, restrained, clinical, baffled, sentimental, detached, objective, disbelieving, questioning, urgent, instructive, matter-of-fact, admonitory, learned, factual, didactic, informative, authoritative