Study guide: Mastering Document Analysis and Personal Opinions

📋 Course Outline

1. Document type and presentation
2. Topic, setting and timing
3. Characters and personal opinion

📖 1. Document type and presentation

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Article: An article is a written text that presents information or opinions on a topic.
• Newspaper article: A newspaper article is a text published in a newspaper, usually about current events.

📝 Essential Points

• A document can be an article, a text, a newspaper article, or a blog post.
• You present the document by stating what it is.
• You present the document by naming its type.

💡 Memory Hook

Type words: article/newspaper/blog = where it appears.

📖 2. Topic, setting and timing

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Main topic: The main topic is the central subject the text focuses on.
• Setting: The setting is where the story or events take place.

📝 Essential Points

• You can introduce the topic with phrases like “The text talks about…” or “The main topic is…”.
• You can describe where it happens with “The story takes place in…” or “It happens in…”.
• You can describe when it happens with “nowadays”, “in the past”, or “in the future”.

💡 Memory Hook

Topic = what; setting = where; timing = when.

📖 3. Characters and personal opinion

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Main character: The main character is the person who plays the central role in the text.
• Personal opinion: Personal opinion is what you think or feel about the text or its ideas.

📝 Essential Points

• You identify characters by saying “The main character is…” and then describing them (He/She is / They are).
• You give your opinion with “I think that…” or “In my opinion…”.
• You can agree or disagree using “I agree / disagree because…”.

💡 Memory Hook

Character = who; opinion = I think; agreement = because.

⚠️ Common Pitfalls & Confusions

1. Students may mix up topic (what) with setting (where) or timing (when).
2. Students may describe characters without using the main-character structure (The main character is…).
3. Students may give an opinion without a reason after agree/disagree.

✅ Exam Checklist

1. State the document type using one of: article, text, newspaper article, blog post.
2. Say the main topic using a “The text talks about…” or “The main topic is…” structure.
3. Describe the setting using “The story takes place in…” or “It happens in…”.
4. Describe the timing using “nowadays”, “in the past”, or “in the future”.
5. Identify the main character using “The main character is…” and the correct pronoun form.
6. Give a personal opinion using “I think that…” or “In my opinion…”.
7. Agree or disagree using “I agree / disagree because …”.