Analyzing Arguments in Writing

The video tutorial provides guidance on identifying and analyzing arguments in academic texts. It explains how to recognize arguments through topic sentences and main points, and how to analyze them by evaluating supporting evidence. The tutorial also offers tips for applying these skills in writing and suggests further resources for learning.

What is the primary focus of the video tutorial?

• How to conduct research

• How to write essays

• How to improve reading speed

• How to identify and analyze arguments

In academic writing, what is an argument primarily used for?

• To confuse the reader

• To make a formal point

• To summarize a story

• To entertain the reader

What is typically the first sentence of a paragraph called?

• Conclusion sentence

• Supporting sentence

• Topic sentence

• Detail sentence

What is the benefit of using topic sentences in writing?

• They confuse the reader

• They help identify the main argument

• They make paragraphs longer

• They are unnecessary

What is a common feature of paragraphs with topic sentences?

• They lack a main argument

• They are always short

• They are always long

• They have a clear main argument

What should you do if a paragraph lacks a topic sentence?

• Summarize the paragraph

• Identify important ideas and find commonalities

• Read only the last sentence

• Ignore the paragraph

What is the main argument of a paragraph that compares coal-fired and nuclear energy?

• Coal energy is more efficient

• Nuclear energy is safer

• Both energies are equally safe

• Nuclear energy is more expensive

What should you do if two claims in a paragraph seem unrelated?

• Ignore one of the claims

• Find a common theme

• Rewrite the claims

• Choose the more interesting claim

What is the main argument of a paragraph that lacks a topic sentence?

• It is a summary of common ideas

• It is not important

• It is always the first claim

• It is always the last claim

What should you do if you cannot find a topic sentence?

• Ignore the paragraph

• Identify key ideas and summarize

• Read only the first sentence

• Read only the last sentence