Argument Analysis Advice
Useful phrases that lend themselves to actual analysis…
About the tenor of…
This argument is developed through the use of…
Through this, the audience is positioned to accept...
The idea is supported by...
Suggests that historically…
This is confirmed by…
[Author] characterises this as…
Further to this, the suggestion that…
The [alarmist, humourist, mocking] nature of his language here is aimed at…
Suggests the message that…
Supports Wright’s depiction… hence arguing that…
The argument here is that…
Implies here….
Invites his audience…
Ends positioning readers…
Both responses grow out of….
Author frames…
Conjuring an image of…
Serves to position…
Elevated to the collective [community, national] consciousness...
Situated within history and tradition…
Metaphorically alluding to…
With the implication that…
Asserts [the author] as…
The author insinuates…
Proceeds to form an indictment of…
Underlying thread of the argument…
Depicting/invoking/portraying/eliciting…
This demographic shows…
In comparison to…
There is a [positive/negative] connotation to…
How to go about Argument Analysis
> Read the background information and form outlining sentence ie ‘The recent [event] has thrust the issue of [what] into the Australian public consciousness, questioning the tenor of [what] in our society today.’
> Find all the logistical information ‘Barack Obama writing for the New York times in an opinion piece entitled ‘Thanks Obama’ (17/6/2018)’
> Find the contention! Read the article and formulate this very well - ‘…argues that the continued blame on social media for the struggles of everyday Americans should not be levelled against himself, but rather the fact that the minimum wage is not a living wage as it stands today.’
> Don’t forget the purpose of the piece – to analyse the arguments that are presented, and how the reader is positioned to accept them.
> Identify the stakeholders and the audience of the piece, and continuously reference them throughout the piece.
> Constantly ask yourself, what effect does this have on the reader? How are we positioned?
> Utilise metalanguage wherever possible to back up how you believe the author is forming their argument.
> Don’t forget to analyse the image/comment/other media for comparison, chuck it into the paragraph where it is consistent with an argument mentioned in the main piece OR provides a perfect counterpoint.
Conclusion – summarise the contentions of the pieces. Recall the complicity of the audience in the issue. ‘Both [author] and [author]’s works grow out of a sense of righteousness when considering the [issue] and advocate for the human factor to be considered. In our times of unrest, it is useful and pertinent to consider how we can contribute to a more lucid understanding of [the issue] where these imperative
Comentarios