SOAPSTone Explained: A Simple AP Lang Reading Tool
If you’re taking AP Lang, you’ve probably heard of SOAPSTone.
It might sound like something you’re supposed to memorize for a test, but it’s really just a tool for reading comprehension.
When you read a speech, article, letter, or other piece of nonfiction, SOAPSTone helps you stop and ask: Who is speaking? Why are they speaking? Who are they talking to? And what are they trying to accomplish?
You can use these questions to understand almost any rhetorical text.
S — Speaker
Who is speaking or writing?
Think about who they are and what might influence their perspective.
O — Occasion
What is happening that caused them to speak or write?
Look at the situation, time period, and events surrounding the text.
A — Audience
Who are they speaking to?
Who does the writer want to influence, inform, persuade, or reach?
P — Purpose
Why did they create this text?
What do they want their audience to think, feel, or do?
S — Subject
What are they talking about?
Try to identify the main topic in a few words.
Tone
How does the speaker feel about the subject or audience?
Look for words, details, and rhetorical choices that reveal their attitude.
The SOAPSTone Questions
When you’re reading an AP Lang passage, you can think:
Who? → Speaker
When/Why now? → Occasion
Who is listening? → Audience
Why? → Purpose
What? → Subject
How do they feel? → Tone
You don’t always have to write out every answer. The point is to use these questions to understand the text before you analyze it.
Once you know who is speaking, who they’re talking to, why they’re speaking, and what they want their audience to think or do, rhetorical analysis becomes a lot easier.
