purpose, and the material being read. Hence the technique described in this
section may need to be modified or altered because of these factors.
Active Reading
One of the best pieces of simple advice on reading is to read actively. Reading
should not be a passive process of waiting for the writer's ideas to be
absorbed. Instead, proper reading entails actively looking for the writer's
arguments or ideas and appraising them. One aid to active reading is to have a
pencil in hand, and to mark or underline important parts of the text, or
alternatively, to make brief notes in the margin, or on a separate piece of paper.
Some hesitate to mark a book because it defaces the book, but if a soft black
pencil such as a 2B is used, then the underlining can be erased. An alternative
is to take notes on a computer.
Finding the Structure
The principal task in active reading is to seek out the writer's structure. Serious
or technical writing should have a structure; consequently the text will not, or
should not, be a number of isolated and unrelated points. Instead there should
be a thread of continuity, or a chain of logic, as the author proceeds from their
starting point to present a structured account of the material.
As explained in discussion of writing, a text needs to be structured at six
levels.
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These are as follows:
Level 1: Words
This entails the writer using the right words to say what they mean.
Level 2: Sentences
A writer must construct proper sentences. To do this it is necessary to observe the rules of
grammar and syntax.
Level 3: Linking Sentences
A writer must link sentences properly. Ensure that each sentence flows from the one before it.
Level 4: Paragraphs
A writer must gather sentences into paragraphs. The basic rule is that each paragraph must deal
with one idea, the nature and scope of the idea being determined by the overall structure of the
text.
Level 5: Linking Paragraphs
A writer must link paragraphs properly. Ensure that each paragraph flows from the one before it.
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Chapter 27 Communicating Law
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