Adapted from the work of Katie Hughes

Charting involves annotating a text in order to show the “work” each paragraph or section (made up of multiple paragraphs) is doing. Charting has many benefits: it helps students to identify what authors are doing in various parts of the text rather than simply what s/he is saying (and this helps students to move away from summarizing and into analyzing); it can serve as a way to thoroughly understand in a detailed way how a text is put together; it brings rhetorical awareness of the specific choices and deliberate “moves” made by authors throughout a text. 

How do we do charting?

Break down texts by section or paragraph to analyze what each section/paragraph is doing for the overall argument. Ask, what is the purpose of the section/paragraph? What is the author doing, how, and why? It’s important to select strong verbs to describe what authors do.

• For instance, maybe the author makes a claim, supports a claim, illustrates with examples/anecdotes, describes issues, contextualizes the topic, clarifies misconceptions, rebuts counter arguments, criticizes previous work, appeals to the audience (to their emotions or sense of logic), builds credibility for him/herself, outlines what happens next in the text, etc.

Here are some additional sample verbs to draw on (avoid thinks, believes, says/states, discusses):

Acknowledges Advocates Amplifies Analyzes Argues (Constructs an) Analogy Asserts Assumes Attacks Challenges Claims Clarifies Compares Complicates Concedes Concludes Contrasts Contradicts (Presents) Counterarguments (Presents) Counterexamples Debates Deconstructs Defines Defends Discusses Distinguishes (between) Exaggerates Examines

Exemplifies Explains Extends Forecasts Faults Frames Identifies Illustrates Introduces Implies Infers Investigates Justifies Outlines Parodies Predicts Problematizes Proposes (Sets up a) parallel Qualifies Questions Rebuts Refines Repeats Reframes Ridicules Satirizes Stresses Summarizes Supports Synthesizes Theorizes