College Composition / Unit 31 CMP 0751 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Reading an Argument Closely
The idea
Reading an argument closely means reading it more than once, first to understand what it says and then to examine how it reasons.
In practice
Work in order. First, read the whole text for understanding, and summarize its main idea in your own words to check comprehension. Second, reread to determine its purpose: what the writer wants readers to believe or do. Third, mark the claims, the reasons given for them, and the evidence offered. Fourth, note the language and appeals the writer uses. Fifth, look for what the writer assumes without stating. Sixth, notice whether the writer acknowledges other views. Seventh, evaluate: decide whether the reasoning and evidence are enough to justify the conclusion.
Where people slip
Do not evaluate before you understand. A reader who argues with a text before summarizing it fairly often attacks a position the writer never took, which is a straw man of the reader's own making.
Your place on the trail
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