Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Subject Area Practice Test

Which subtitle of reading comprehension involves understanding an author’s main argument?

1. Inference

2. Critical Analysis

3. Synthesis

4. Summarization

The correct answer is: Critical Analysis

The correct choice, critical analysis, is integral to reading comprehension as it requires engaging deeply with a text to identify and understand the author's main argument. This process involves evaluating the effectiveness of the author's claims, the evidence presented, and the logic behind their reasoning. By performing a critical analysis, readers not only grasp the central themes and assertions but also assess the validity and implications of those arguments. This level of comprehension goes beyond simply understanding the words on the page; it demands that the reader interprets and critiques the author’s points of view. In contrast, while inference deals with reading between the lines to understand implied meanings that are not directly stated, synthesis involves combining information from various sources to create a new understanding. Summarization focuses on condensing the main ideas of a text into a brief overview, which can sometimes overlook the nuances of the author's argument. In each of these instances, the emphasis is on different aspects of comprehension rather than directly engaging with the author's main argument at the same depth as critical analysis.