According to Dictionary.com, analytical means to or by to analysis (as opposed to other words, to be analytical, one needs to be able separate a material or abstract thing into small parts. Therefore, analytical reading is reading that involves trying to see the components of the reading passage or how the passage can be divided into parts. That is, the reader needs to be able to tell what the topic is, what the main ideas, the supporting details and other important parts such as facts and opinions are. After reading analytically or critically, the reader should have a clear idea what the text is really about and be able to give opinions about it.