Give each annotation one job
Published
A useful margin mark tells your future self why a passage matters. Choose a small set of marks and keep their meanings clear.
Mark the function, not the excitement
A line can contain a claim, an example, or a qualification. Label that function in the margin before highlighting it. Claim: repairs cost less gives you a reason to return and distinguishes the argument from the example that follows.
Separate questions from disagreement
I do not follow and I do not agree describe different problems. Use a question mark for a missing connection and write objection when you have a reason to challenge it. This prevents an unclear sentence from becoming an accidental verdict. State the reason briefly enough to find it during review.
Leave room for the second pass
Mark a few passages that support your reading purpose, then pause. If nearly every line has the same mark, the markings do little sorting. On a second pass, keep the useful labels and add a short connection between them.
Three lines, three functions
A practice passage says Repairing this chair costs less than replacing it. A repair costs ten; a new chair costs thirty. That comparison excludes delivery. Label the sentences claim, example, and qualification. Each mark explains a different part of the argument.
Try it
Which annotation belongs beside the sentence That comparison excludes delivery, and what does the label preserve?
Compare your answer
Qualification. It preserves the limit on the price comparison, reminding you that the stated costs do not include every possible expense.