2. Question

Why do I need to ask questions?

Asking questions makes you an active reader. Asking and answering your questions helps you to understand and remember. Asking questions directs your reading. It is easier to find something if you know what your are looking for in the first place. Asking questions will help you use the information. A teacher or boss will probably ask you some of the questions you ask yourself.

What questions do I ask?

There are three categories of questions you will want to ask. The first category involves verifying the assumptions you made during your survey of the material. Some examples of questions include: “Was my assumption or prediction about the writer’s message correct?” and “Were my guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words correct?”

The second set of questions deals with specific details. If you read a novel, some questions you will want to ask are “Who are the characters?”, “What is the plot?”, “Where does the story take place?”, “How did the story affect me?”, “When did the climax of the plot occur?”, “How do the characters change during the story?” and “Why did the writer tell the story?”

The last group questions deal with the writer’s style and the writer’s effectiveness at telling the story.