How to Annotate a Book: What to Look For and How to Take Notes

Few things are more gratifying than sitting down with a well-worn copy of your favorite book, a cup of tea, and a pencil. 

Underlining interesting passages, noting character names and their traits, and writing your thoughts in the margins, all of which are known as annotating, are great ways to connect with a text on a deep level. Annotating also allows you to return to a book later and remember what you thought about it, making it an essential tool for students and professionals.

But what should you look for when you annotate a book? In this article, we’ll give you a few pointers on how to get started with article annotation like a pro.

What Does it Mean to Annotate Something?

When you annotate something, usually a book or an article, you’re essentially adding notes and comments on the document—creating a map that will help you (or someone else) better understand and/or engage with the content. You can even annotate a picture using an image markup tool.

Here’s a quick example. Let’s say you’re reading a text for class and you come across a passage that you want to remember and discuss with your classmates. You could underline the passage and write a brief note in the margins. Your note might look something like this:

“This is an important passage because it shows the coltan extraction process.”

You can see how this textbook annotation would be helpful when it comes time to discuss the chapter in class. By underlining the passage and adding a note, you’ve effectively highlighted something that you want to remember and discuss later.

How Do You Annotate a Text Effectively?

Now that you know what annotation is, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of it:

1. Questions: As you read, make a note of questions that come to mind. This can be anything from “What does this scenario remind me of?” to “Why did the author include this?” Keeping a note of your questions can help you keep track of what you need to check up on later, and it will also provide you with a jumping-off point for additional conversation or analysis.

2. Symbols and Themes That Appear Repeatedly: If you notice any symbols or themes that repeat themselves throughout the text, make a note of them. This could be anything from a character’s clothing to the setting of a scene. By keeping track of these things, you’ll be able to notice patterns that you might otherwise have missed.
3. Favorite Quotations or Passages: We all have passages or quotes from texts that we love for one reason or another. Maybe it’s because they’re beautiful, or maybe it’s because they speak to us on a personal level. Whatever the reason, be sure to mark these down so you can refer to them later or easily find them in the book.
4. Unfamiliar Words: If you come across a word you don’t know, annotate it! Don’t just skip over it and move on with the reading. Take a minute to look up the definition of the word and write it down in the margin next to where it appears in the text. That way, you’ll be able to quickly reference it later and won’t have to stop and look up the word every time you come across it.
5. References to Other Texts: If you come across a theme, character, or plot element that reminds you of a previous chapter, paragraph, or another book, you can also make a note of it. These connections can be helpful when making conclusions or drawing parallels.
6. Relationships to Real-Life Occurences: If something in the text reminds you of something that’s happening around you (political, social, economic, or even entertainment), you may want to make a note of it too. These connections can be helpful when you’re trying to understand the text on a deeper level.

How to Annotate a Book

There are a few different ways to annotate a book, and the best method for you will likely depend on your personal preferences. Here are four of the most common ways of annotating informational text:

1. Highlight: Highlighting or underlining portions that you think are significant is one of the easiest and most popular ways to annotate a book. Use a pen or a pencil for this. This can be a wonderful method to subsequently retrieve vital information quickly and conveniently.
2. Add Notes in the Margins: Another common way to annotate a book is to add notes in the margins. You can even annotate pictures online with the right tool. This can be helpful if you want to make a quick comment about a particular passage or if you want to jot down an idea that you had while reading.
3. Use Symbols: Another popular way to annotate a book is to use symbols. For example, you might use a star to mark a passage that you really liked or a question mark to denote a passage that you’re not sure about.
4. Use Sticky Tabs: If you want to be able to quickly find specific pages in a book, you can use color-coded sticky tabs. This can be handy if there’s a particular section that you want to be able to find easily without actually writing in your book.

What Do You Annotate in a Fiction Book?

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind while annotating a fiction book even if the process is essentially the same for nonfiction.

What is the purpose of your annotation? Do you want to track themes, or keep track of characters and plot twists? Once you know the purpose of your annotation, you can make a plan for what sorts of things you’ll want to annotate.

Make a note of anything that stands out to you as relevant to the story’s topic, characters, or narrative as you read. You can write notes in the margins or annotate and highlight text with a pen.

Some people prefer to keep their annotations in a separate notebook, so they can refer back to them later. Others choose to use post-it notes or bookmarks to record their ideas. As long as you’re consistent, there is no incorrect way to approach things.

Final Thoughts

Just like with regular paper books, annotating online text and eBooks can be a great way to highlight important content, make notes for later, or simply keep track of your reading progress. For eBooks, all you need is a reliable PDF editor and you are good to go.

Some editors will let you add highlights and notes directly to the text. Others will let you add sticky notes or comments. Experiment with different types of word annotate image markup options to see what works best for you.

Remember, whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, creating an annotated reading list will make you a more active reader and help you engage better with what you are reading.