Extracting information, ideas, and opinions from texts

Information Extraction

Understand the general meaning: Read the entire text once to grasp the overall theme or message.
Identify key sentences and words: Highlight or underline significant parts of the text that seem to convey crucial information or give a sense of the narrative’s direction.
Look for explicit and implicit details: The text may express ideas directly or subtly suggest something. Stay alert for both.
Analyse figures and data: If the text includes graphs, tables, or statistics, scrutinise them to glean relevant information.

Comprehending Ideas

Recognise main ideas: Identify the primary thoughts or concepts that an author wants to express in the text.
Detect supporting ideas: Notice the secondary ideas which are used to back up the main ideas. They’ll provide additional insight.
Understand logical progression: See how the author develops their thoughts and arguments in a logical sequence.

Decoding Opinions

Discern the author’s viewpoint: What does the author think or feel about the topic? Their words, tone, and the examples they use can provide indications.
Detect bias and prejudice: If the author holds a strong opinion, they may express it in a biased manner. Identify such instances.
Gage public opinion: In some texts, the author may refer to what the public or majority think about a subject. Extract these opinions.

Differentiating Between Facts and Opinions

Separate facts from opinions: Facts are objectively true, while opinions are the author’s subjective beliefs. Learn to differentiate.
Corroborate facts: Check the facts mentioned in the text against reliable sources for validity.

Remember, practising with diverse texts can enhance your comprehension and extraction skills effectively. Make use of sample texts and past paper questions to practice these strategies.