What is defined as the ability to consider the text as a whole and to make judgments about it?

The ability to consider the text as a whole and make judgments about it is best captured by the concept of evaluative comprehension. This type of comprehension goes beyond simply understanding the literal content of the text or describing its elements. Instead, it involves analyzing the text critically, assessing its themes, arguments, and the effectiveness of its presentation. Evaluative comprehension allows readers to form opinions, make comparisons, and judge the validity or reliability of the presented information and its overall impact.

In contrast, descriptive comprehension focuses on summarizing and describing the text without engaging in judgment or deeper analysis, while critical comprehension entails analyzing the structure and components of the text without necessarily forming a judgment. Literal comprehension relates solely to understanding the explicit meaning of the words in the text, without delving into overall interpretations or evaluations. Thus, evaluative comprehension is the most comprehensive form of understanding, enabling readers to holistically engage with and read between the lines of the material.