Analyzing Arguments

Developing your understanding of a text requires a close analysis of how that text makes meaning. These questions can be used to help guide you in creating a methodical analysis of a text. You can develop the observations you make with these questions into a summary of the text or a persuasive argument about the text's implicit messages or the significance of the rhetorical strategies the author used. You might also (or instead) use your analysis and understanding of the text to inform your critical analysis of another text.

These questions have been worded to help with focusing on a single passage at a time; if your analysis is of a larger text or covers multiple passages, you can use these questions to develop your analysis by focusing on core ideas or sections of the text to answer them.

Thinking About Organization:

• Page Real Estate:

  • Most authors have some kind of space limitation for their writing? How much space does each idea in the passage get? How much space does the passage itself get? What does the amount of space given to each idea suggest about its role or importance?

• Location in the Text:

  • The way an author organizes their text can give you insight into how the passage works within the text and its importance. Is the passage at the beginning, middle, or end of the text? Does the passage open a chapter, follow an important claim, or close the work? What might its placement suggest about its role or importance to the text as a whole?

• Mapping:

  • Within the passage, you can map out how the author makes their claim. What is the main idea? What points support it? Does the author give examples or counter-points? Are there allusions to other texts or the selections that preceded this passage? How do the structure and component parts of the passage contribute to meaning?

Thinking About Word Choice:

• Audience:

  • The way an author writes says a lot about who they're addressing. Thinking about the target audience for the passage can help you think about the argument's purpose. What kinds of language do they use? Are there field-specific terms, is it formal or informal?

• Assumptions:

  • An author's assumptions also have an impact on meaning. Are these assumptions expressed or implied? How do they affect the meaning of the passage or text as a whole?

• Rhetorical Strategies:

  • When writing, authors select their words carefully, as they try to persuade their audience. How do their examples, comparisons, word choice, sentence structure, and appeals to authority, emotion, or common sense do this? What counter-arguments do they give?

Remember: Every passage has syntax and word choice; if there's something special about how the one you're analyzing makes meaning, be very specific when describing it!