Analysis of an Argument

Question 1

What are the 5 overall goals for the essay?

Answer 1

• ID main argument
• address all parts
• 5 counter arguments
• info to negate
• fixes: info to support/ soften conclusion/ define key terms

Question 2

What are some things to remember when organizing the essay?

Answer 2

• intro, body, conclusion
• concise
• develop and support each point you make
• explain examples’ relevance

Question 3

Examples

Answer 3

• explain why they are relevant
• make sure they add clarity

Question 4

What are the popular argument types?

Answer 4

These include:

cause and effect

statistical

analogy

Question 5

When we are looking for an argument’s flaws, what are we looking for?

Answer 5

Examination for this includes finding:

• Strength of the language in the conclusion
• Missing assumptions
• Flaws common to the three popular argument types
• Key terms that lack definition

Question 6

How many argument flaws are we looking for in a passage?

Answer 6

We are looking for 5 of these in a passage.

Question 7

How can an argument be strengthened?

Answer 7

This can be done by:

• Gathering additional information
• Reducing the strength of the conclusion
• Define key term(s)

Question 8

What should be the format of the response I write?

Answer 8

This should be:

• Premise
• Main flaw with examples
• 4 more flaws
• Fixes
• Conclusion (“it’s flawed”)

Question 9

What should be in the first paragraph of the response?

Answer 9

This paragraph of the response should include:

– Thesis statement

• Paraphrase the argument and state that it is flawed/weak/does not follow from the premises
• Generalize the main flaws (if possible)

Question 10

What should the second paragraph of the response include?

Answer 10

This paragraph of the response should include:

• Explain the most significant flaw and elaborate
• Provide illustrative examples

Question 11

What should the third and fourth paragraphs of the response include?

Answer 11

This section of the response should include:

– Additional flaws

Question 12

What should the fifth paragraph of the response include?

Answer 12

This section of the response should include:

• Suggest a fix or two,
• Conclusion: restate that the argument, as it stands, is flawed

Question 13

What are some of the scoring criteria for the essay?

Answer 13

• well organized
• clear introduction and conclusion
• follow the argument’s line of reasoning
• identify the major problems with the argument
• develop your ideas logically and connect them smoothly
• support for your critique

Question 14

Synonyms for similarity:

Answer 14

These are synonyms for ___:

• Similarly
• In the same way
• Just as
• Likewise

Question 15

Words to contrast:

Answer 15

These words show _____.

• On the other hand
• Nevertheless
• Conversely
• In spite of

Question 16

These words show cause and effect:

Answer 16

These words show _____ :

• Therefore
• Hence
• Accordingly
• Consequently

Question 17

These words are used to expand on a topic:

Answer 17

These words are used for ______ .

• Additionally
• Also
• Furthermore
• Moreover

Question 18

These words are used for emphasis:

Answer 18

These words are used for ____ .

• More importantly
• Indeed
• In fact
• Truly

Question 19

These words are used to show that we are drawing a conclusion:

Answer 19

These words are used to ___ .

• Finally
• In conclusion
• On the whole
• In summary

Question 20

How long should I spend brainstorming?

Answer 20

5 to 7 minutes for this part of writing the essay.

Question 21

How long should I spend writing the essay?

Answer 21

20 minutes for this portion of writing the essay.

Question 22

How long should I spend proof-reading the essay?

Answer 22

3 to 5 minutes for this portion of writing the essay.