4: Reading to Figure out the Argument — Read

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Learning Outcomes

Identify the main claims of a text as well as the reasons that support those claims.
Identify any limits, counterarguments, or rebuttals mentioned in an argument.
Draw a visual map of the claims, reasons, limits, counterarguments, and rebuttals.

4.1: Overview- Reading to Write
In order to write well about another person’s argument, we first need strategies for identifying the argument’s structure and main ideas.
4.2: Types of Claims to Look out for
An argument may aim to describe something, to evaluate something, or to advocate for action.
4.3: Making Notes on the Writer’s Claims
Making notes about the claims in each paragraph can help us understand an argument and prepare to write about it.
4.4: Deciding Which Is the Main Claim
Asking ourselves questions about the writer’s purpose can help us find the main claim of a text.
4.5: Finding the Reasons
Certain common phrases signal when authors are presenting a reason to support a claim.
4.6: Finding the Counterarguments
Writers use key phrases to introduce counterarguments and signal whether or not they see any merit in those arguments.
4.7: Finding the Responses to the Counterarguments
Writers signal whether they completely or partly disagree as they give their responses to counterarguments.
4.8: Finding the Limits on the Argument
Certain phrases signal when writers limit what they are claiming in order to clarify their points and defend against counterarguments.
4.9: Common Argument Phrases
A list of all the common templates from the chapter for introducing claims, reasons, counterarguments, and limits.

This page titled 4: Reading to Figure out the Argument was last modified on Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:19:22 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anna Mills.