Examining Written Arguments

Strategies for Prereading (35)

1. The title of the argument is important for setting the mood.

2. Researching when and where the text was published will help you discover more about the author.

3. Learn about the backround of the author.

Familiarize yourself with the author's motives and point of view to help you understand the piece.

4. Imagine the context in which the author was writing and the target audience.

Is it for a specific audience? Is it a conservative or liberal article?

Summarizing is the cornerstone on which all other critical reading and writing tasks are built (43).

Strategies for Writing Rhetorical Summaries (45)

Aristotelian Rhetoric

Does the author make use of logical appeal?

Does the author use examples?

Does the author use deductive reasoning, showing how a generalization applies to a specific case(45)?

Rogerian Argument

Does the author sum up opposing views accurately?

Is there an attempt to establish a common ground?

Is there a depiction of compromise between the two parties?

Toulmin Model

Does the author support a claim of fact, value or policy?

How is the claim supported? With facts or statistics?

Is the claim supported with expert opinion?

Referential (Content) Summary

The use of the author's ideas about the subject.

Rhetorical (Structure) Summary

Summarizes the text in terms of rhetorical or structural choices the author made (44).

How to summarize effectively

1. Read introduction and conclusion at least twice to determine main issues in the text.

2. List "guideposts" in the text to better understand the main argument.

3. Use both the words of the authors and yourself.

4. Pay attention to overall meanings. Summaries should always be shorter than the original. state opinions objectively, and cite the author with their work (44).

Understanding what the author is trying to tell you. It is often difficult when opinions and feelings of "right" and "wrong" disrupt understanding.

Working with the Text (40)

Skim Reading for Overall Structure. Find out how the article or book is organized by identifying subheadings or chapters and their statement or thesis.

Use the topic sentences of each paragraph to determine the evidence being used.

Don't overlook language signposts, usually transition words and phrases (40).

Consider the visuals used as evidence or emotional enhancements for the author's position.

Strategies

In order to properly disagree with an author, read the entire argument to ensure author has not made their point clear.

Discuss author's topic with others with opposite opinions to yourself to determine if you have properly disagreed.

By using the several types of argument, discover which points the author portrayed clearly and which topics make sense to the reader.

Consider weaknesses of the argument, and locate instances of faulty reasoning, unsupported statements, and the limitations of the author's assumptions about the world (54).

Determine if the title effectively sums up the author's thesis statement.

Determine whether writer could have organized things more clearly, logically, efficiently (54).

Notice how the author follows through on the main claim, or thesis, of the argument (54).

Evaluate author's vocabulary. Is it too complicated or simple? Are the key terms defined? (54)