A Brief Note on Annotating

Annotation can be helpful for retention. Learn more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

What is Grammar Minute?

Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I almost never annotate the books I read. I find that it slows down my reading pace too much and distracts me from the text when I’m spending a ton of time writing my own thoughts down.
But if you’re reading a book where content retention is important, especially if there are numbers or specific facts involved, annotation is a good idea to improve retention. Studies have shown that writing down notes by hand is better for recall than typing. This is a great opportunity to use bullet points and as few words as possible, rather than complete sentences. Omit articles, like “an” or “the,” unnecessary verbs, and adjectives to shorten the amount of time you’re looking away from the text so you don’t lose your train of thought. Your notes shouldn’t be lists of disconnected facts; taken together, they should form a neat, coherent outline of the text.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.