A.6.P.RI:4.1 - Find the expression whose reference matters

Start with the actual statement and the work it is meant to support. Identify a word or omitted participant whose interpretation changes the result: for example, whose account, whose left side, which location or which time.

Use A.6.P to recover the relevant participants and relation. Read a quotation relative to its attributed speaker until the use calls for another interpretation. An imperative may leave the intended actor implicit; distinguish that actor from the person relaying the message.

Choose the smallest explicit account that removes the consequential ambiguity. A sentence such as “Dana means the cabinet to Dana’s left” may suffice. If the source participant is unknown and the choice matters, retain that missing fact.