Typical phrasing

Type i – [Claim quoted from the sources] – What are the strengths and weaknesses of the argument supporting this claim?

Type ii – How well does the author use evidence to support the claim that _____?

Example

Study Source 3.

(a) ‘Young people care about the future.’
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the argument supporting this claim?

[6 marks]

Strengths: The mention of youth climate protests is solid evidence that some young people care about the future. Citing a UN report that “young people want to be involved in shaping the future” could be strong evidence that young people generally care about the future, since UN reports are compiled by respected experts.

Weaknesses: the negative perceptions reported are hearsay – we aren’t told what proportion of older people perceive young people as careless, or whether their impression is accurate. The UN report is referred to vaguely, and the following claims are either irrelevant (i.e. “young people are central” does not mean they care) or it is unclear whether they are from the UN report or the writer’s own opinion.

119 words

Skills & approaches

Requiring claims to be supported with evidence and reasoning is at the heart of critical thinking. We don’t just automatically accept things we are told, but we consider whether they are likely to be true. For a claim to be persuasive, the information needs to be true, the logic needs to be correct, and the expression needs to be effective and appropriate.

Consider things like:

  • fact ⇔ opinion
  • evidence (quality, relevance)
  • expertise (are they likely to have enough knowledge?)
  • likely sources of bias (e.g. vested interest)
  • reasoning (clarity, logic)
  • use of language (e.g. misleading, factual, exaggerated, rhetorical, vague, precise, aggressive tone)

As you evaluate points in the argument, try to use concept words like the ones above to help you express why they are strong or weak.

If the question asks “How well does the author use evidence to support the claim that _____?” (Type i) then it is important to include a clear overall judgement in your answer. If the question is phrased “What are the strengths and weaknesses?” (Type ii) then an overall judgement isn’t essential.

There are six marks available for this question and you are given twelve lines, implying that you aren’t expected to write more than about 120 words.

Marking policy

To score in the top band you need two or more developed points plus some other undeveloped points, or a wide range (four or more) undeveloped points. If the question is a Type ii you also need a convincing overall evaluation.

The example answer above starts with an undeveloped point then makes three developed points.

Now you try

Study Source 3

2(a) ‘Young people do not care about their culture.’
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the argument supporting this claim?

You can post your answer in the comments section. Make sure you don’t go over 120 words.

Then on to the next section!

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash