To analyse an argument, identify the writer's purpose, audience and main claim. Then examine how they build the case: the order of ideas, the evidence chosen and the language used.
Writers often extend a metaphor across a text. An article on fast fashion presents an “environmental bill” and a “human bill”, turning the low price of a T-shirt into a hidden cost someone else pays.
Notice concessions (“None of this means that buying clothes is wrong”). Acknowledging other views makes a writer seem fair and reasonable, which is itself a persuasive technique.
Worked example
What is the effect of headings called “The environmental bill” and “The human bill”?
- A bill is something that must be paid.
- The metaphor suggests the true cost is paid by the planet and workers.
Answer:They extend the idea of a hidden cost, making readers think about who pays.
Key words
- purpose
- what a writer wants to achieve
- concession
- admitting a point on the other side
- extended metaphor
- a comparison developed through a text
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: RI.9-10.6, RI.9-10.8