AW2 Workbook (Merged) (Optimized)

CRITICAL THINKING, READING AND WRITING
Enhancing Problem Solving and Decision Making Skills
STUDENTS’ WORKBOOK
4th Edition
© Clover Jones McKenzie, Harold McDermott
2017
Edited by Judith Orogun
2nd Edition Revised by Nicole Cameron
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any
information storage and retrieval systems, without written
permission from the authors.
Printed in Kingston, Jamaica, 2017

Acknowledgements
Disclaimer
Efforts have been made to acknowledge all works that were cited. "In cases
where the authors have been unable to locate copyright holders, the authors
apologize and hope such holders will take our liberty in good faith. The authors
would appreciate information that will enable us to acknowledge copyright
holders at the earliest possible time."
The completion of this Workbook at a time when there were so many

other things taking place, showed the commitment and dedication of
all the contributors. This is especially important when we consider
the fact that this was really voluntary service. This Workbook is
evidence of our desire to assist our students to attain as much as
possible from their experiences within the Academic Writing 2
Module.
We wish to thank everyone who helped in various ways; however

special appreciation must be shown to the following persons:
• family members who supported us in whatever way they could;

• Mrs. Nicole Cameron, who despite having Summer duties, took
on the task of revising sections of the 2nd edition of the book;
• Mrs. Audene Henry Harvey, who without hesitation proofread
sections of the book on the spot;
• Ms. Simone Berry and Ms. Edmarie Scott who assisted with
the proofreading of the first edition;
• colleagues and friends who offered encouragement and advice.
Thank you all!
Clover Jones McKenzie & Harold McDermott

School of Humanities & Social Science i
Contents
UNIT ONE Critical Thinking
Introduction..……………….………………………………………………..…………….1
What is Critical Thinking………………………………………………….…….……...3
Characteristics of the Critical Thinker………………………………………….…….4
The Value of Critical Thinking……………………………………………………....…5
UNIT TWO The Critical Thinking Process

Introduction……………………………………………………………..…………...…..14
Skills and Activities………………………………………………………………...…..15
The Steps in the Process………………………………………………………….…….16
Step 1: Identifying the Issue, Idea or Action Being Promoted.………......17
Step 2: Locating Sources………………………………………………...…......24
Step 3: Interpreting Information……………………………………..……....35
The Argument…………………………………………………………………..……….36
UNIT THREE Evaluating Arguments

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………95
Features of a Logical Argument……………………………………………….………96
Faulty Arguments ……………………………………………………………………....97
The Critical Review………………………………………………………………...….107
UNIT FOUR Producing Arguments
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..116
Expository Versus Argumentative Messages ………………….………...………..117
Writing the Argumentative Essay………………………………………...………...119
Argumentative Essay Outline………………………………………………….....…124
Sample Argumentative Essays……………………………………….……..…...….131
Works Cited…………………………………………………………………..………...146
School of Humanities & Social Science ii

INTRODUCTION
“Congratulations Ms. Troy, you have won ten million

dollars in the Wonder Games. In order to collect your prize
you need to send US$500 to this address....”
“The interest on deposit at the regular banks is way too small.

Place your money with us and get 200% interest per
month.”
Thousands of persons, both locally and internationally, who were caught

by various versions of the schemes mentioned above listened to or read the
relevant information and acted upon it. They later learnt that it was not a
good idea to just accept information at face value. It would have been better
for them if they had questioned the information before acting. This situation
is not just limited to scams involving money. Everything we do in life,
including eating, dressing, choosing spouses, friends or schools, is governed in
one way or another by the type of information we choose to use as a guide.
What does all this have to do with language and communication?
Well, the thought processes are closely related to language skills. In

reasoning through any issue, the individual has to choose relevant details,
understand them, ponder on them, analyze and draw conclusions from them.
These activities are all related to language, as they fall under aspects of
comprehension, from the decoding of letters and sounds to the analysis and
application of knowledge gained. Academic Writing 1 introduced you to the
lower to middle level comprehension skills, such as reading between the lines
and drawing inferences. Academic Writing 11 seeks to assist you to go
beyond just finding and understanding information. It attempts to take you
further along the process of developing crucial critical thinking skills. These
skills can be applied to the needs of everyday reasoning and problem solving.
Like Academic Writing 1, this is a skill-based module. You cannot acquire a
School of Humanities & Social Science iii

skill by merely sitting in the class or depending on the lecturer. Being told
what a skill is or what it involves will not enable you to master that skill. You
learn to drive a car by driving; you learn to cook by cooking and so on. You
need knowledge about these skills, but it is in actually performing the tasks
that you develop your ability to complete them well. Skills can only be
mastered through PRACTICE.
Many students operate under the false notion that general modules like
Communication are not important since they are not their areas of
specialization. They therefore spend very little time on cultivating the
required skills. But like the persons caught by the lottery and other scams,
they have been sorely misled. A high degree of proficiency in language skills
can greatly enhance your ability to do well in your personal, academic and
professional life. In addition, language skills enable you to complete various
tasks over your entire lifetime. So, do not be fooled, make sure that you
think wisely and do all you can to build your language skills. You will be
enabling your success in life in general, not just in courses at UTech.
So, as you undertake to enhance your critical thinking skills, get ready to read,
listen, reason, speak and write, both in and out of class. You need to attend
classes regularly and on time so that your lecturer can provide guidance. You
must also complete the required readings and exercises so that your lecturer
will have something with which to work.
Remember also, that critical thinking is a higher order skill that depends on
your knowledge of the lower order skills. So, all the things you learnt about
information gathering and processing in Academic Writing 1 are applicable as
well. You are moving up the ladder, but you have to first step on the lower
rungs in order to get to the top. So, your Academic Writing 1 Workbook is still
useful, just in case you forgot some of the conent.
Come on! Let’s start our journey towards becoming

more proficient critical thinkers.
Clover Jones McKenzie
School of Humanities & Social Science iv

UNIT ONE
CRITICAL THINKING
Unlocking of the mind
Introduction
Many of us love stories; we sometimes find them very entertaining. However,
many of these stories are not just meant to entertain; they can teach us very
important lessons as well. Several of the stories we read as children (and even as
adults) teach very profound lessons. How many Anancy stories do you know?
Why is Anancy able to win in each case? Even classical works, such as
Shakespearen plays contain messages about life and human interaction.
Remember Romeo and Juliet? What leads to the final tragedy? It is the
assumption that the other lover is dead. No verification is sought before action is
taken. The classic Merchant of Venice however, is an excellent example of how
sound reasoning can be used to prevent tragedy. Even television series that focus
on solving crimes, including NCIS, CSI as well as Law and Order, show how
extremely useful sound reasoning skills can be.
Nevertheless questions, problems and controversies do not just arise in stories or

on television. These are regular occurrences in life. We struggle with issues
related to health, education, relationships, politics, crime and so on. Many of the
situations depicted through the stories, plays and television shows mirror events
in life. Unfortunately, while children tend to display a high degree of curiosity as
they seek to understand the world around them, this inquiring characteristic is
often stifled by adults. This is true of the education system which very often
concentrates on passing on information, telling students WHAT to think instead
of helping them to discover HOW to think (Clement and Lochhead, 1980).
School of Humanities & Social Sciences 1

This situation should not be reinforced at the university level. As students at the
highest echelon of the education system much is expected of you. University
certification is supposed to prepare you to operate at the highest level of the
thinking hierarchy. The university can help students to become critical thinkers
by teaching them how to learn, instead of expecting them to be already equipped
with the necessary skills. Learning is a life-long task that involves the ability to
identify problems, locate relevant, valid information, analyze the ideas, and then
draw logical conclusions. Learning at this level is not a mindless process; it has
to involve critical thinking.
While it takes time and hard work to accomplish the task of becoming an effective
critical thinker, it is not an impossible task. Once you have the desire and are
prepared to do what is required, you will be well on your way to possessing a very
valuable life skill. The more you practise this skill, the better you will get.
So the question now is: How can we go about improving our critical thinking
skills? Before we begin that process, we first need to understand the following:
1) What is critical thinking?

2) What are the defining characteristics?
An understanding of the characteristics of the critical thinker will allow you to

determine where you stand as far as critical thinking is concerned. You then
need to begin your personal journey towards sharpening your critical thinking
skills.
About this Unit

The unit seeks to assist you in understanding the features of critical thinking. It
offers a definition for this concept and highlights some of the important
characteristics of the process of critical thinking as well as those of the critical
thinker. Activities to enhance understanding are also included.

Guiding Questions
1. What is critical thinking?
2. What are some of the key features of the critical thinking process?
3. What are the characteristics of a critical thinker?
4. What is the value of critical thinking skills?
What is Critical Thinking?
As human beings we all engage in some form of thinking in order to perform

various tasks required for survival. We eat, sleep, get dressed, comb our hair,
take the bus or drive to our destinations and so on. All these tasks require basic
thinking skills that allow us to function. In order to eat for example, you must
take the food, place it in your mouth, chew and then swallow. This type of
thinking is referred to as functional thinking. However, much of this very
elementary form of thinking is conditioned by our socialization, as we merely
pattern what we see around us or do what we are told by our parents, teachers
and other authority figures.
Critical thinking, on the other hand, involves more in-depth reasoning. It

entails the purposeful weighing of information based on set standards before
making decisions or taking action. In other words, critical thinking requires
thorough reasoning involving a careful analysis of the issue using universally
accepted criteria before passing judgements as to the value of any idea,
information or action. Critical thinking can be described as the scientific method
applied by regular people to the ordinary world.
The Nature of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is neither natural nor automatic; it is a skill that has to be

learned and developed. Unlike functional thinking, it involves weighing
evidence, questioning assumptions and carefully making decisions based

on the available evidence. The critical thinker questions his own beliefs as well as
those of others to purposefully decide which ones are reasonable based on
adequate evidence. This is unlike functional thinking which is based on
preferences, biases and prejudices that we have been socialized to accept as
normal and acceptable.
Critical thinking is inquisitive and aims at being fair-minded. This means that
the critical thinker is always asking questions about what s/he is required to do,
accept or believe. For example, in functional thinking we know that we must eat
in order to stay alive so we perform this everyday act of getting food and eating.
However, the act of critical thinking, as far as eating is concerned, may involve
making decisions about what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. By
contrast, functional thinking is based on acceptance of what may be habitual and
may conform to the accepted norm. It is not concerned with finding efficient ways
of solving problems.
Questions Related to the Critical Thinking Process

1. What am I required to believe, accept or do?
2. On what evidence am I expected to base my decision?
3. Is the evidence relevant and sufficient?
4. Is there an alternative explanation to what is given, accepted or
believed?
Characteristics of the Critical Thinker
According to Paul and Elder (2005, p.4) critical thinking is “self-directed, self-
disciplined, self-motivated, and self-corrective thinking”. This means that the
individual wishing to become a critical thinker must fully engage him/herself in
the process. No one can develop these skills for you. The facilitator can provide
information and activities that will guide and assist your development, but you
have to do the work.

Below are some of the qualities that a critical thinker will display. He or she
• does not merely accept what is said or written, but raises and clearly
articulates crucial questions and problems;
• accepts that all problems, issues and questions are complex;
• does not jump to conclusions, but is prepared to put aside making a

judgment if the evidence is not sufficient;
• is prepared to put aside and question own biases, preferences and beliefs;
• attempts to gather all the available evidence on the issue;
• accurately differentiates between facts and opinion;
• impartially assesses and evaluates the evidence in order to determine if the

claims made are valid, sufficient and logical;
• is prepared to change, modify or have beliefs confirmed on the basis of new

evidence that is based on reason and logic;
• is able to efficiently communicate with others within a problem solving

context;
• is prepared to apply the process of critical thinking and problem solving to

all situations in life.
(Characteristics adapted from Paul and Elder, 2005)
The Value Of Critical Thinking
The purpose of seeking to facilitate the development of critical

thinking in any subject or discipline is to improve the thinking skills
of students and thus better prepare them to succeed in the world
(Krishna Rao, 2005).
One of the greatest values of effective critical thinking is that it is the marker of
an educated person. No matter how many educational institutions you attend or
how many degrees you obtain, without being a critical thinker you cannot profess
to be truly educated. As mentioned in the introduction, genuine education does

not consist of just knowing facts or possessing a skill. Knowledge and skills are
extremely important; but they are a means to an end, not the end of your
education.
What we believe and are capable of cannot be solely based on what we are told or
what we learnt to do at a particular stage in life. A particular piece of knowledge
cannot be applicable to all situations and contexts. There may be different
alternatives in a particular situation. How do you choose? On what will you base
your actions? A critical thinker will have the tools to appropriately respond to
unfamiliar situations. The individual trained in critical thinking will be an
innovator who displays creative skills and will always apply initiative to new and
challenging situations.
A nurse who practises the skills of critical thinking, for example, on observing a
particular symptom in a patient would be obliged to consider that there could be a
number of causes for that particular symptom and not simplistically jump to
conclusion as to a single cause. He or she is then more likely to be an effective
healthcare professional. Likewise, an effective mechanical engineer who has to
diagnose the reasons for equipment malfunction will seek to rule out possibilities
before coming to a conclusion. Thereby saving the client unnecessary expenses.
Since life is ever changing and complex, possessing fully developed critical
thinking skills can enhance all aspects of our lives. In any profession it
distinguishes between the true professional and the simple practitioner of the
craft or vocation. The proficient use of critical thinking skills can lead to better
decision making in our personal lives as well. You may always question choices
you made earlier in your life, but you can greatly enhance the possibility of
making better choices in the future if the questioning is done before the choice is
made.

Before we embark on the journey of improving our critical thinking skills, let us
attempt to rate ourselves on the way we make decisions. Let’s take this self-
assessment. Remember, it is not a test for which you will be given grades; neither
will it be used to judge you. Just think of the way you usually do things and
record your response. Use the rating scale that follows.

Interpretation
• If your personal score is 20, you are consistently a critical thinker in all four areas
of your life.
• If your personal score is 16 – 19, you practise critical thinking on most occasions
• If your score is 11-15, you practise critical thinking in sometimes.

• If your personal score is 10 and under, you are an inconsistent critical thinker.

Activity 3 Critical Thinking in Everyday Life
Read the following scenarios, then identify practical solutions to the

problems described.
1. You arrive in Los Angeles excited about the opportunity to work for the
summer abroad. You reach into your handbag for the information on your
contacts there only to discover that it seems as if you left it back home.
You do not know anyone in the city. You cannot call as you did not activate
roaming on your phone and there is no internet access. What do you do?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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2. There are only two more weeks left before the beginning of the upcoming
semester, and you can’t wait especially since you have only one more year
left in university. One night, your parents call you into their room and tell
you very gently that it seems as if you might not be able to continue your
studies since your father, the only one who works outside the home, has
been laid off work and the family finances cannot stretch. You really want
to complete college. What are your options?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

Activity 4
Read the following on-line article and based on the information in the article,
answer the questions which follow.
Paul, R. and Elder, L. (2005). The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools.
The Foundation for Critical Thinking. Retrieved from
http://www.criticalthinking.org/files/Concepts_Tools.pdf
1. In your own words identify three characteristics of the critical thinker.
a. _______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. In your own words, state four things that you must do when you
reason.
a. __________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________
c. __________________________________________________________________
d. __________________________________________________________________

3. Identify and explain any FOUR standards that determine the quality
of reasoning.
a._______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c._______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Activity 5 What Did We Learn?
Summarizing Key concepts

Say, with reasons, whether each of the following statements is True or False.
1. It is possible to go through life without using and developing critical thinking

skills. True or False
Reason:________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Most of the thinking we routinely do each day is functional. True or False
Reason:____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. Critical thinking involves passing judgment and then carefully analyzing the
facts that led to the judgment. True or False
Reason:____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4. Both functional and critical thinking involve a process of arriving at a decision.
True or False
Reason:___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
5. The critical thinker will always make the best choices. True or False
Reason:____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Notes
_________________________________________________________________
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UNIT TWO
THE CRITICAL THINKING PROCESS
Introduction
When you studied the communication process, you learnt that the act of
communicating effectively requires a number of steps. Critical thinking is a
language-related skill and, based on its nature, requires the careful application of
a set of universally agreed procedures. The depth and breadth of each step is
dependent on the issue being considered. Deciding which car is most suitable for
you, for example, will require more in-depth information and greater deliberation
than what hairstyle to adopt. In addition, finding solutions to financial losses in
your company will demand the gathering and sifting through of much more
information than discovering how best to structure the lunchtime schedule.
However, before you can apply the relevant procedures, you need to become
familiar with them. Hence the information provided in the following unit is
valuable.
About this Unit

You will be introduced to the steps involved in critical thinking in this unit. Each
stage in the process is described and activities provided to assist in the
development of your critical thinking skills.
Guiding Questions
1. What are some of the steps in the critical thinking process?

2. What is involved in each of the steps of this process?
3. What is an argument?

Skills and Activities
Language development is skill-based. It involves performing various activities

with ideas, information, words and sounds. It cannot be too often repeated that
the language learner has to be very active in the learning process. Critical
thinking skills fall into the realm of language skills as they involve critically
reading or listening to information, understanding and thinking about the
messages involved. The critical thinker then has to use appropriate language
strategies and skills to articulate ideas. No matter what subject matter is being
considered, it is language that will facilitate the thought processes.
In addition, critical thinking skills are higher order comprehension skills that can
only be efficiently applied when lower order skills have been successfully
employed. Some of these skills were focused on in Academic Writing 1. The
aspiring critical thinker must first be able to, for example,
a. find main ideas,

b. identify significant details,
c. summarize information,
d. synthesize information,
e. make inferences, and
f. draw conclusions.
While the facilitator will provide activities that may facilitate further
development of the required skills, it is the learners’ responsibility to practise
using these skills as much as possible. If you cannot perform these skills well,
you will have difficulty employing critical thinking skills. The following diagram
highlights the skills that the critical thinker must be able to effectively master.

The Steps in the Process
Critical thinking is purposeful. There has to be some objective that needs to be

accomplished. One just does not think critically in a vacuum. Purpose driven
decision-making can come in two forms. These are:
a. the need to respond to what someone says, does or wants you to do; and
b. the need to solve a personal or professional problem as well as develop

your own views on an issue.
In one sense, both groups of purposes could be seen as one because the ultimate
aim is the same. Considering whether to accept a belief or action could be
classified as a problem. This is something that you need to solve. However, these
purposes are separated here, as there is a major difference in how the critical

thinking process begins. To perform (a) in the above purposes, you search the
sender’s message for the problem; for (b), you have to define the problem for
yourself. For each type of problem, different procedures are used to arrive at the
issue that requires investigation. The activities related to the two types of tasks
mentioned above will be discussed in the following section.
Step 1: Identifying the issue, idea or action being promoted
1.1 Discovering the thesis or main message of others
Before you can make any judgments, you must be very clear about what you are
being asked to accept or believe. You must be able to precisely express what idea
you are getting from the sender. If it is an oral interaction, it is a good idea to ask
the sender whether this is what s/he is saying.
A medical practitioner in a conversation with a colleague about a patient’s

condition may ask “Are you saying that we should not tell the patient about the
additional symptom until after the test?” The assumption being made here is
that it is better for the patient if s/he is not told until after the test. But to
ensure that the interpretation is correct, it is best for the listener to seek
confirmation. On getting verification, the listener can then move towards
evaluating the assumption.
Activity 6
As a critical thinker, what questions would you ask of the assumption – It is
better for the patient if he or she is informed about the additional
symptom after the test.
Question 1
__________________________________________________________________________
Question 2
___________________________________________________________________________

In the context of a written message, you may not have the writer to verify what
he or she is trying to say. You will have to depend on your reading
comprehension skills to assist. Some written messages may be very easy to
understand while others may require a vast amount of effort. In any case, you
have to apply the relevant comprehension skills focused on in Academic Writing
1. You may have to
A. examine the title of the article if there is one.
In examining the title, you may ask the following questions:
• What does the title suggest?
• Based on the response to that question, what information would you

expect to find in the reading?
The sender may sometimes surprise you, as there may seem to be no clear
connection between the title and the points made. Generally, however,
this is not the case. Whether or not the title is directly related to the
content of the presentation, the context, for which the message was
produced, can also help in decoding the main idea. The following activity
will help to clarify this idea.
Activity 7
Examine the following titles, then state a possible main message or
thesis you would expect to see in the relevant articles.
(i) The JUTC Bus system versus route taxis.
__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Striking the balance ! (Article in a Financial magazine)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

(iii) Striking the Balance! (Article in Fashion or Sports Magazine)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. Identify and examine all the main points

In addition to a keen observation of the title, if there is one, the reader
also has to try to extract the main points from the details given in the
entire piece of writing. Here you will need to use all the skills you
already acquired from summarizing information. The under listed
are some activities you will have to perform.
• Read through the passage in its entirety to get a feel of the

content.
• Read paragraph by paragraph, underlining the key phrases as

you go along.
• Paraphrase the main points and jot them down.
• Identify the line of reasoning suggested by the main points.
While some writers or speakers may clearly state what the main message or
thesis is, do not expect to find this in all messages. In some cases, there will be no
sentence that summarizes the writer’s message. You will have to read or listen
carefully and use the relevant major details to arrive at a plausible thesis or main
message. The thesis you decide on must be drawn from everything said in the
piece of communication. In other words, you should be able to defend your
decision using the details in the passage.
The skill of identifying main ideas and main messages is not one that can be
acquired overnight. It comes with much practice. This must be undertaken using

material from diverse sources and subject areas. As a university student, you are
expected to be able to read or listen to information on different topics. The
excuse that some things are boring or uninteresting does not mean much at this
level.
These passages will provide further practice in developing summary skills.
Activity 8A Summary Skills

Read the passages carefully; then write a summary of the main ideas. Use only the lines
provided in the workbook. Remember to include the bibliographic details.
Deciding on a life partner

D. MacPhenee August 22, 2011
Choosing a partner to share your life with can be compared to taking on a third hand or
foot that you cannot easily cut off whenever you like. This decision has to be taken
seriously, especially within a context that there seems to be a “constant battle of the
sexes”. When choosing a partner, you have to consider not only physical attraction and
money. The character of the person is also important. Is this person someone to whom
you could trust your life?
Women, especially, have to be very careful as some men are only interested in increasing
their score of how many women they have conquered by the time they reach a certain
age. Many of our men are not seeking partners in the true sense of the word. Ladies, do
not settle because you feel you cannot be alone. Wait for that special someone!
SUMMARY
__________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________
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\
This is an open letter to all those two-face sanctimonious religious hypocrites in

Jamaica who continue to collect tithes from the poor and long-term unemployed
people, and the anti-gambling bodies which are unhappy and against the idea of
having casino gambling in Jamaica. The poor and long-term unemployed people of
Jamaica need jobs to be able to continue paying their tithes to the churches in
Jamaica.
All the believers of myths that portray casino gambling in a negative light and
suggest that it would promote immorality in Jamaica and cannot deliver good
tourism, need to stop and think. We have already embraced horseracing, lottery,
bingo and all other forms of gambling, including the selling of raffle tickets at
church fairs etc. by some churches in Jamaica. I think the former lay-preacher
and current Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett’s, recent criticism of the
church’s campaign against casino gambling in Jamaica is in order and should be
commended. I don’t think “hypocritical” is a strong enough word to describe some
of these attention-seeking sanctimonious religious charlatans. Their anti-
gambling smoke-screen arguments are dressed up as something else and should
not be given any credibility.
The development process for casino gambling in Jamaica should start with
tourism, with a development strategy in all tourist designated areas of Jamaica,
where job creation and investment are badly needed.
Jamaica is not a welfare state, and social protection is not provided for the
unemployed, so Jamaica badly needs the combination of overseas investors, as
well as local independent investors, to help government services to provide more
job opportunities for the unemployed in the country.
I think it’s a safe bet to say that casino gambling would bolster the Jamaican
economy and create enormous economic benefits, bountiful state tax revenues, the
creation of thousands of new job opportunities, and an economic boom for all
sectors of the Jamaican economy.

Summary
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1.2 Identifying problems to be solved or the naming of issues

of interest
Sometimes the critical thinking process will not begin with what someone is
trying to get you to think or do. You may be the one who has to initiate the
process based on a problem that needs to be solved. This problem can be a
situation that requires decisions to be made; or, it could be a situation that you
feel strongly about and wish to investigate. You may want to become the one who
offers ideas and beliefs to which others will react. In this case, you will have to
examine the situation to discover exactly what it is you have to solve or
investigate.

Let us say that for the past three months, your electricity bills have been
climbing. You have not bought any additional appliances or been doing anything
that requires higher electricity consumption. As a matter of fact, you have not
even been home much during the week due to work obligations. You have even
implemented energy saving measures, such as unplugging appliances when not in
use, purchasing and using energy saving light bulbs, as well as cutting down on
the use of the microwave and iron. You complain to the light and power company
and at your request, the Jamaica Public Service Company sent someone to check
the metre; they found nothing wrong. What questions may arise in your mind?
Write these questions in the space provided below.
Activity 9
Possible questions that may arise:
a.__________________________________________________________________________
b__________________________________________________________________________
What possible initial assumptions could be made?
a__________________________________________________________________________
b.__________________________________________________________________________
As indicated in the example above, the problem or issue may be one that directly
impacts you. These issues with personal impact can also be related to the society
in general, to work or school. Within the formal education system, students are
sometimes asked to demonstrate their level of critical thinking through the
completion of set assignments. One such task sometimes includes choosing a
topic from among a given set, completing the required analysis and investigation,
then providing suitable responses. When asked to choose a topic from given

options, the following factors should guide your choice.
• Personal interest
• Knowledge of the topic
• Availability of information
Activity 10
What are some of the issues that occupy your interest at this time?
a._____________________________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________
c._____________________________________________________________
Step 2: Locating Sources
Once you have clearly understood what the issue or problem is, you are then ready
to begin your investigation. Your search begins with locating all available
information on the topic from a variety of sources. A source in this context refers
to the place in which information is stored or through which information can be
obtained.
On embarking on your search for information, you must employ techniques that
will assist you to do so in a timely manner. Fortunately, you already have been
introduced to some of these methods and have been using them to find information
for various courses throughout your first year. Do you remember these
techniques? Well, if you don’t you better pull out your year one workbook as using
the techniques such as pre-reading, skimming and scanning will save much
precious time when searching through printed sources. These methods will help
to quickly establish whether a particular written text contains information that
relevant to you.

2.1 Types of sources
There are two major types of sources: primary and secondary. Here is one
description of what primary sources are in comparison to secondary sources.
According to Princeton University (n.d.),

a primary source is a document or physical object which was written or
created during the time under study. These sources were present during
an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular
event. Some types of primary sources include:
• Original Documents (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries,

speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage,
autobiographies, official records
• Creative Works: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art
• Relics Or Artifacts: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings
Primary sources tend to present data – information that is unprocessed. It has

not been interpreted by anyone. The investigator is the one who would have to
pull the required information from this data.
A Secondary source, based on Princeton University (n.d.),

interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more
steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures,
quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of secondary
sources include:
Publications
Textbooks, magazine or newspaper articles, histories, criticisms,
commentaries, encyclopaedia, journal articles
You can find a number of websites and books, which discuss the various types of
sources. So please explore. You can go into a search engine and type in the

required key words and explore. However, as you will see in the relevant section
on the evaluation of sources, you have to decide which sources to trust.
The library and the Internet are houses for various types of other sources. They
will contain both primary and secondary sources. The library may house
textbooks, magazines, as well as diaries, autobiographies and transcripts of
speeches or interviews. The Internet contains a variety of sites that focus on
nearly every topic we could think of. There are pictures, movies, poetry, music as
well as various types of articles.
Other major sources include the printed and electronic media. These will also
contain different sources such as
• interviews,
• documentaries,
• news items,
• film in the case of television, and
• talk shows on the radio.
Each source will have its advantages and disadvantages so you have to endeavour
to collect from different types. The sources you turn to should be relevant to the
topic or issue under investigation. Regardless of the source, you need to be
mindful of the quality of the information received. There are certain criteria that
the sources must meet.
2.2 Evaluation of Sources of Information
Critical thinking involves making judgments about the worth of ideas. So the
critical thinker in the search for evidence to support or disprove an idea has to be
very careful in making choices about which pieces of information are used. In
order to make valid choices, you need to be aware of the rewards and drawback
associated with each type of source. Please bear in mind that the type of source

will have a bearing on the usefulness of the information.
Does the type of source determine the credibility of all the

information housed in that source?
The answer is no. Although a source, such as the newspaper, will carry a certain
level of trustworthiness, each item posted therein will vary in its level of
credibility or believability. This will be further discussed in the relevant sections
that follow.
Let us now examine the credibility of some written sources.
Credibility of written sources
The cliché that ‘if it is in the library, it must be ok’ doesn’t always apply. In
addition, the fact that something has made it into print is not a reliable guide to
the accuracy and integrity of the information. It is up to the person using library
resources, searching the Internet or reading the report to assess whether the
information is relevant, useful or credible.
Guidelines for assessing the credibility of written information
Books
• Look to see what information has been included about the author.
Check on the title page, in the preface or introduction or on the book jacket.
Does it give any indication of the author’s experience and qualifications? Does
this experience seem relevant?

Consider this example:
Would a politician automatically qualify to write an article on

Economics?
• Check the name of the publisher
Are you familiar with the publishing house? Some publishers have a
reputation for producing works of academic excellence. If you are not familiar
with the publishing house, ask the librarian who should know or who can check
the information for you. This is a form of critical thinking or problem solving.
A critical thinker learns when and where to seek help. In addition, there is
also the option of using Google to identify information. But again, you have to
be careful, as not all sources of information on the Internet are trustworthy.
• Look also at the year of publication.
How recent is the information? It is recommended that sources be no more

than 5 years old, if reference is being made to current issues.
Note
While the stipulation for currency is approximately five years, sometimes you
may need to use older sources if your topic or purpose requires it. Suppose, for
example, your aim is to compare and contrast the types of music of the 1960s with
dancehall. It would then be very strange if you only used sources dating from five
years ago onwards. This is why careful planning of your message is so important
before you even begin to select the types of sources you wish to use. Effective
message production, as you should have gathered when you were completing
Academic Writing 1, is a form of problem solving. You have to make decisions
about the topic, purpose, audience, thesis, content, types of sources and so on.

Periodicals
This is the general term given to the magazines and journals held in a library
collection. Periodicals provide up-to-date information on research that is currently
in progress or on recent research findings. Researchers all over the world publish
their findings in journals as a means of communicating to their colleagues, the
advances they have made in their field. Information within this source also tends
to be compressed and summarized in comparison to full-length books.
Journals contain articles that are written by the people who are actually doing
the research in a particular subject area. These areas include medicine, teaching,
psychology, engineering and business. Information on the writers can usually be
found in short biographies within the journals. Included also, may be reference to
other relevant research carried out by the same author(s). Reading this will give
you additional information on which you can judge the credibility of the author.
Magazines may contain information about recent research but are more likely to
be written by professional journalists rather than the person doing the research.
These publications are often meant to give general information on a subject rather
than the specifics contained in a journal article on the same subject. Because
subject specialists did not write these articles, it may be useful to check a few
articles on the same topic to make sure that the information is consistent. In
addition, you should also attempt to assess the credibility of the author by seeking
answers to the following questions.
• Is the author qualified to write on this particular subject?

• Does the author include sources from which information was derived?
• Do those sources appear to be credible?
Newspapers, which are also periodicals, would be treated in the same way
magazines are handled. However, we should also bear in mind the chief purpose
of producing newspapers. The aim is to sell as many copies of possible. While

this may be true of any written text, newspapers tend to place much more
emphasis on luring persons into purchasing copies. The producers will therefore
use features that entice persons. This does not mean that these features make all
the items unreliable. The critical thinker just has to stringently apply the
evaluative measures outlined in this section to determine if, and how, to use a
particular source of information.
The newspaper is often a frequently used source as the subject matter reported on
may be very topical, unlike textbooks that tend to have very formal and dated
information. The newspaper also provides the reader with a variety of types of
information housed in one place. In addition, it tends to provide current, local
examples of events. This can be very useful when specific regional research on
the issues under consideration is limited. Included in newspapers are usually
commentaries, feature stories and news items among other things. Therefore, its
usefulness cannot be ignored. You just have to be careful in selecting and using
information from this very valuable source.
The Internet
The Internet offers up to 50 million pages of information. Anyone can put a page
onto the web - corporations, universities, colleges, community organisations,
political organisations, special interest groups and individuals. There may not be
quality control over all the information that is on the web. Therefore, one has to
be very careful when searching the Internet. Apart from the issue of credibility,
searching the Internet can be time-consuming as there may be a vast amount of
information on a subject that you have to sift through before you find a relevant
and useful site.
If you decide to do an Internet search, it is important to follow some set

guidelines. One useful technique is to sift through the sites to locate those that
may seem more trustworthy. Many universities and colleges facilitate

information gathering, as they allow access to their libraries through the
Internet. There may also be articles posted by affiliates of these universities.
There may be value in perusing these sites first.
Whether using a university or open site, you may use these guidelines to test the
credibility:
• who wrote the information contained on the site? Is there any detail
about their qualifications and experience?
• is the site sponsored by a reputable organisation? What do I know about

that organisation? Is it likely to be biased in a particular way?
• is the information documented? Does it provide references to the sources

used to write the article?
• does the information compare favourably with other sources of similar

information such as books and journals?
• look at the date the site was last updated. This information is usually at
the bottom of the page and will tell you how current the information is.
Reports
The first step in assessing the credibility of reports is to find out about the author
or authors - what are their skills and qualifications in the specific subject area?
Other questions to be considered include:
• How old is the report? Would it now be superseded by more up-to-date

information?
• Is the information in the report supported by specific evidence?
• Are there other reports on the same subject that you can use to compare
and corroborate the information?

Other Types of Sources
Sources such as radio and television, speeches and artefacts also have to be
carefully scrutinized. Usually relevance is the key factor and so the following
questions could be asked:
• Does the information contained in the source speak to the issue being
examined?
• Does the artefact, such as a picture or drawing, give some relevant
data on the issue?
For speeches and opinions expressed through talk shows or interviews, the
measures of credibility applied to the authors/writers of printed sources should
also be used. The time frame to which the information refers is also important.
Reminder
Make sure that you record the relevant information from the source before you
even begin to copy or make notes. You need the
• author/speaker/creator of the work;
• date;
• title of book, article, speech and so on;
• place of publication (where applicable);
• publisher (where applicable)
• retrieval site for references accessed through the web
Review your knowledge of the APA reference system. Take down the reference in
the required manner from the very beginning. Do not write down any of the
content until the bibliographic details are recorded.

Activity 11
The discussion above focused only on how to evaluate the some types of sources.
There was no mention of the advantages of each type of source. Can you list some
of these advantages and disadvantages?
Books:
Advantages
a.___________________________________________________________
b.___________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Internet:
Advantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Newspapers:
Advantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________

Radio/Television
Advantages
a.____________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Activity 12 Using Primary Sources
Primary sources (as briefly discussed on page) also have advantages and
disadvantages. Therefore, they also have to be evaluated for relevance, credibility
and reliability. Can you list some of the advantages and disadvantages of the
following primary sources?
Interview:
Advantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a.______________________________________________________________________
b.______________________________________________________________________
Survey (Questionnaire)
Advantages
a.___________________________________________________________
b.___________________________________________________________
Disadvantages
a._______________________________________________________________________
b._______________________________________________________________________

Step 3: Interpreting Information
You should now clearly understand the issue, problem or idea to which you need to react.
In addition, you have gathered what you believe is relevant information from a variety of
sources. You are now ready to thoroughly go through the information in order to
decipher the writer or speaker’s message. Again, this will necessitate your pulling on the
ability to summarize information. However, interpreting information requires much
more than just condensing the content, as writers and speakers do not necessarily spell
out their purposes or main messages.
During the critical thinking process, you have to use the information given to draw
conclusions relevant to the issue being discussed. As far as critical thinking is
concerned, you will be searching for evidence to support the logic or sense behind
a statement. When writers or speakers seek to defend a particular position on an
issue through the use of logical reasoning they are engaged in what is referred to
as argumentation. While not all information gathered will be argumentative in
nature, this section will focus on those types of information in which the creators
seek to defend their positions on issues.
Before we go on to the activities involved in interpreting information which seeks

to support a given statement, we first have to examine some of the technical
terms associated with critical thinking. Machina (2000) states that in order to
think critically, an understanding of the purpose and fundamental features of the
argument is necessary. Therefore our first discussion has to surround the issue of
what constitutes an argument.

The Argument
3.1 What is an argument?
A number of scholars have offered definitions of the argument. Examine the

following definitions for similarities and differences. Then try to create an
applicable definition of an argument.
Activity 13
Identify the similarities and differences among this set of definitions of an
argument.
Argument
Similarities
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Differences
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Your scrutiny of the definitions should reveal some of the following characteristics
of an argument.
a. An argument seeks to convince.
b. An argument is a line of reasoning.
c. An argument offers reasons.
d. An argument is a sequence of statements.
e. It offers reasons for other statements.
What can be concluded from the above? Well, the argument cannot be a single
statement or assertion. For example, Men are difficult patients, cannot be
an argument. It is an assertion that has no support. If your aim is to convince,
you have to present a case, which must comprise of a set of statements.
All the statements within the argument however, do not play the same role.
As Feldman’s definition states, “it is a sequence of propositions intended to
establish the truth of one of the propositions”. Therefore, the propositions or
statements play two roles. One group of statements serves to prove the main
statement and could be referred to as the evidence or premise. The main
statement within the set of propositions can be labelled the conclusion or claim.
The premises therefore serve to prove the validity (soundness) of the claim.

3.2 The Basic Structure of an Argument
The basic composition of an argument then is premises plus conclusion or

claim. To qualify as a line of reasoning, however, there must be at least two
premises.
This most basic structure of an argument is called a syllogism. This is a form of

argument in which there are two premises and a conclusion. There is usually a
major premise and a minor premise. This kind of reasoning is often used in
mathematics.
Major premise: 9 men can perform an activity 9 times as quickly as 1 man.
Minor Premise: 1 man can build a 10 by 10 wall in 9 hours.
Conclusion: 9 men can build the same 10 x 10 wall in 1 hour.
Some of us may be able to recall some of the mathematical problems that we had
to solve that really required logical reasoning. Do you remember the hypothetical
trains that took so many hours to travel a certain distance and the seemingly
tough questions that followed this opening statement? One vivid example of
these questions is “At what time would the train reach a certain destination
which is so many miles away?”
Another example of this basic type of argument structure is illustrated below.
Major premise: All humans are mortals

Minor premise: Jamaicans are humans
Conclusion: Therefore, Jamaicans are mortals.

Some arguments may have much more complex structures. There may be
arguments, for example, that may contain more than two premises and or a sub-
conclusion as well as the main conclusion. We will meet some of these types
during our examination of arguments in the relevant sections.
Activity 14
Using the information in sections 3.1 and 3.2, to create your own
definition of an argument.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Activity 15A Features of the Argument

Which of the following has the features of an argument based on the
agreed definition? Indicate by placing a tick (√) where there is an
argument or an X where the statements do not qualify.
a. Karen was ill because of her own carelessness, as she knows that she is
asthmatic. __________
b. Mrs. Webster is a very generous woman. She gives food to the poor and shares
her monthly income with the children’s organization. ____________
c. Persons living in urban areas do not need SUVs. Cars are cheaper and more
fuel-efficient. ___________
d. Inactive lifestyle and improper diet are features of modern society. They are
responsible for the prominence of lifestyle diseases. ___________
e. I am going to do excellently in this course as a result of the As I received in all

my course work assignments as well as the fact that an A starts at 75 marks.
In addition, coursework is 70% of the final grade. ____________

Activity 15B
For each argument, identify the premises and the claim or conclusion.
a. Argument
_________________________________________________________________________
Claim/conclusion
_________________________________________________________________________
Premises
_i___________________________________________________________________
ii___________________________________________________________________
b. Argument
___________________________________________________________________________
Claim/conclusion
________________________________________________________________________
Premises
i ____________________________________________________________________
ii ____________________________________________________________________
3.3 The Nature of the Argument
Sometimes in seeking to determine what something is, we may want to rule out
what it is not. This is similar to what medical practitioners sometimes do. They
seek to find the root of an illness by ruling out others. So, we will now examine
what an argument is not.

A. The argument is not a quarrel.
The word argument is sometimes used to describe a dispute between
individuals. In this case, there is a heated exchange of words and the
emotions run high. There is no effort to be logical (make sense). The
persons quarrelling just want to get the better of each other. Quarrelling
does not require the use of higher order comprehension skills.
B. The argument is not a debate

It is not a situation in which one side may rationalize its position but
provide no good reason to support it. An argument is not arguing for the
sake of arguing. You are not just given a position, which you must defend.
Some characteristics of an argument

• The argument is a process of enquiry in which an attempt is made to
seek the truth about an issue.
• It involves using the critical thinking process to find the best solutions
to complex problems.
• The argument is about an issue or controversy. It must have two or

more conflicting sides from which the issue could be viewed.
• It is a process of looking at the reasons and evidence to arrive at the

best solution.
• It requires that all claims be justified by reasons or evidence.
• Every argument consists of a set of premises (statements) and a

conclusion (claim).

Application
In order to improve the ability to effectively recognize arguments, there is a need
to apply information learnt. The following activity will assist in this application
process.
Scenario: Dialogue between parent and child
Parent: You cannot wear that! Where is the rest of that skirt? Are you crazy?
Teen: But I’m not a child; I am 17.
Parent: You still live in my house. So do as I say; go change or no party.
This is a quarrel and not an argument – no justification is given for the claims
made by both speakers. The parties make some unstated assumptions.
Unstated Assumptions
• Parent: You cannot wear that! Where is the rest of that skirt? Are you
crazy?
Possible Assumptions
✓ Nice girls like my daughter do not wear revealing clothes.
✓ Wearing revealing clothes suggests that you are advertising yourself.
✓ Wearing revealing clothes may get a young girl into trouble.
• Teen: But I’m not a child; I am 17.

Possible Assumptions
✓ I am old enough to wear what I want. A parent has no right to tell a
17-year-old what to wear.
✓ Older persons have no sense of style and fashion; they still exist in
the age of the dinosaur.

In presenting arguments, assertions or assumptions must be clarified.
Consider the following as an alternative approach to the problem represented in
the above scenario involving parent and teenage daughter.
Parent:
Janice, don’t you think that skirt is a bit short for this kind of party.
You never can tell with all those boys around. You don’t want to give
the wrong impression and I don’t want anything to happen to my
darling daughter.
Teen:
Mommy, I understand. I know you don’t want me to get into
trouble. You raised me well; I know what to do to keep safe.
Wearing my skirt a little shorter than yours does not mean I am
going to get into trouble. I go to the beach all the time with my
friends. Look at the bikinis we wear.
The argument in the alternative approach is explicit because assertions are

clarified and supported. Explicitly stated arguments directly convey a
controversial claim and support it with reasons and evidence. Arguments can be
stated directly (explicitly) or be stated indirectly (implicitly). Where arguments
are stated implicitly, there are usually assumptions that you have to figure out
before you can judge the argument.

Activity 16
Provide details that will transform the following assertions into
arguments.
Student: I can’t bother to come to class tomorrow; it is not worth it.
Lecturer: Well, that is your decision. Hope you can live with the
consequences; it won’t affect me in any way.
Student:_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Lecturer:_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3.4 Types of Argument
When we talk about types of arguments we are actually referring to types of

reasoning that lead to a conclusion. There are three basic types of argument
(reasoning). These are

• Inductive argument
• Deductive argument
• Argument by analogy or comparison
A. Inductive Argument
Induction is derived from the Latin expression “in ducere” which means “to
lead up to”. It involves reasoning that uses knowledge about what is known
to make claims or generalize about what is not known as certainty.
Inductive argument or reasoning uses information about observed events in
order to reach a conclusion. It is a process that moves from specific facts to
arrive at a general inference or conclusion. This type of reasoning is
sometimes used by the legal system in determining guilt or innocence.
Example
$10,000 is missing from the cash register. It was there when the
supervisor left at the end of his shift and Paul came on duty. A
co-worker said Paul had told him he was having financial
problems. Checks reveal that Paul repaid a gambling debt of
$10,000 the following day. Therefore, Paul stole the money.
The conclusion/claim or generalization of the argument is that Paul stole the

money. The conclusion is not a fact but an inference or opinion based on facts of
the situation before you. Inductive reasoning moves from the specific facts to
general principles. It cannot prove logical truth; it can only indicate what
is plausible or possible.

B. Deductive Argument
Deduction is derived from the Latin expression, which means “to lead down
from”. It involves reasoning that draws a conclusion from the logical
relationship between two assertions or statements. Deductive argument or
reasoning usually contain the following:
• first, a broad general statement or definition (called the major

premise),
• then a more specific assertion or inference (called the minor

premise),
• followed by a conclusion.
Deductive arguments prove logical truth. The relationship of the two

premises leads logically to the conclusion.
Example
Simple Case
Major Premise: All UTech students are linked to a Faculty.

Minor Premise: Roger Duhaney is a student of UTech.
Claim/Conclusion: Roger is linked to a Faculty.
The conclusion must be true as it follows logically from the premises.
C. Argument by Analogy
The argument from analogy is based on comparison. Like the inductive

argument, analogy ends in a conclusion that is not a fact but an inference.
Of the three types of arguments, analogy is the weakest means to try to

prove a point. Because argument by analogy depends on similarities
between the things or situations being compared, fundamental
difference(s) can weaken this type of argument. An effective analogy
contains many points of comparison and likenesses that are essential
parts of the nature and purpose of the two things being compared.
Example 1
Case
Parent: I don’t ever want you to disobey my instructions and drive

the car without my permission. Remember that boy from
Mandeville who disobeyed his mother just like you. You
hear me? He crashed and died. You want to end like him?
That’s what happens to disobedient children.
Can you identify the flaws in this argument? How would you
respond to this parent?
Example 2
Case
Divorcee: I am not interested in a relationship with that person. He

is always bossing his little sister around; telling her what
to do or chastising her for doing something wrong. He
even tells her how much money to spend and on what. She
has two fathers, not one. I don’t want anyone to treat me
like that. He can go about his business.

Activity 17
Can you think of any other examples of the use of analogy by you or
anyone you know? Write the examples on the lines below.
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Application
Activity 18
1. Use each of the following statements to create inductive arguments.
a. Pam received the scholarship because of devious means.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

b. Jamaica’s education system is failing.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Create deductive arguments using each of following statements as

either premises or conclusions/claims.
a. Constructing houses on gully banks will lead to disaster.
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
b. Most of Jamaica’s female population is trying to access higher education.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3.5 How Writers and Speakers Present Arguments
Rhetorical Appeals/Strategies/Devices
Effective communication is not merely about having a topic and locating relevant
information. By now you should realize that effective message production
requires careful planning. Regardless of the type of message, (expository,
argumentative, reflective and so on), composers have to make strategic decisions
on how to construct their messages in order to accomplish their goals. These
methods that are used to organize and present the information can be referred to
as rhetorical strategies. Rhetoric according to Worldnet Search actually refers to

the “skill in using language effectively to please or persuade”. These strategies
include anything the writer uses to enhance the reception of his/her intended
message. The choices a composer makes are dependent on the purpose of the
message.
In argumentation, the goal is not merely to get the audience to understand; the
aim is to convince the reader or listener that the views being expressed make
sense and should be accepted. This involves appealing to the audience in such a
manner that s/he is moved to consider your views. Aristotle, the great
philosopher, in his writings on rhetoric, described three distinct types of appeals
to the audience. He declares that appeals are made to the mind (logos), to the
conscience, standards or morals (ethos) and to the heart, emotions or sentiments
(pathos).
A brief discussion of the three dominant rhetorical appeals will be discussed here,
but you need to do further reading on the topic and be prepared to practise,
practise, practise.
Logos
Logos points to the reasoning or logic within an argument. Logic may be defined
as a “formal system of analysis that helps writers invent, demonstrate and prove
arguments” (Weber & Brizee 2010, para. 2). This system of analysis requires the
creator of the argument to obtain relevant, credible evidence, then use the
appropriate process of reasoning, (that is induction, deduction or analogy as
discussed on pages 47-49 of this workbook), to arrive at effective conclusions.
Logic has to be built on the effective analysis of a number of premises or pieces of
evidence (ibid).
Claims can be supported through various types of evidence which include

• expert opinion

• facts (something that can be proven or disproved)
• examples/illustrations
• scientific research
• statistics
• allusion (references to seemingly similar events, place, literary work:

Biblical, historical)
• excerpts or quotations from documents, texts
• personal experience (cannot be used by itself as it does not carry

much weight as it is very subjective)
• commonly accepted ideas about standards (need further evidence)
Logos is seen as the most significant of the three types of appeals as it will
determine the validity of your claim. If what you are proposing makes no sense or
is not logical, then your audience will probably laugh at your attempt to persuade
them. Flaws related to the type of evidence or the conclusion drawn will lead to
illogical arguments or fallacies. Some of the most popular types of fallacies will
be discussed in unit three of the workbook.
Ethos
In this type of appeal, the speaker or writer seeks to convince the audience that
s/he is “fair, honest and well-informed” (Prody & O'Connor, 2001). The depth and
width of the sender’s knowledge on the topic will serve to show that s/he is
somewhat of an expert on the subject; therefore the audience can trust the
information given. The writer or speaker’s tone should not be arrogant, however.
There must also be an acknowledgement of the views of others as well as of the
rules of effective argumentation. The audience must not be made to feel that the
sender is intentionally seeking to deceive him or her.

Activity 19 Appealing to the Audience
Read the following arguments carefully, then identify the claim(s) and
type(s) of appeal being made.
Example 1
Roy did not study for his test. Neither did he attend classes regularly. He just asked
other students what was done in class. He had no textbooks or notes. On the day of the
test he arrived late and finished before everyone else. However, he scored an “A” on the
test. Roy could not be well acquainted with the material therefore he must have cheated.
Claim
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Type of Appeal ___________________________________________________________
Example 2
(Extract from “Greed” by Henley Morgan, October 2006, The Gleaner)
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is a problem as old as
the conduct of human affairs, which was summed up definitively by Lord Acton well over
a century ago. Greed is at the root of the corrupting influence of power. Management
psychologist Abraham Maslow put greed in its human context with his postulation: Man
is a wanting being. The more he gets, the more he wants.
Claim
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Type of Appeal ________________
Example 3

Here is a gem! "Manna fell on Earth once in the history of the world, and it did
not fall on Jamaica. This means, among other things, that our children must from
now become aware of their responsibilities to the nation. It means that no
magician is going to appear and strike with a magic wand the rock of Jamaica's
problems from which will gush rivers flowing full of milk and honey.
Claim
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Type of Appeal ________________________
Example 4
(Extract from Martin Henry, The Shame of ‘Shearer’ The Gleaner Sunday,
October 4, 2009)
The majority of Jamaicans are too young to know the currency changeover from
pound, shilling and pence to dollars and cents in September 1969, over which
Hugh Shearer presided as prime minister. I was there.
The bright new Jamaican dollar was valued 1:1 to the US dollar, and 2:1 to the
British pound. The largest bill was the $10 bill and 50 cents was a note not a coin.
The Jamaican dollar has since then, in the space of 40 years, suffered nearly a 90-
fold devaluation against the US dollar - most of this since 1989. The Gleaner's
'This Day in Our Past' for September 29, reports that on that day in 1989, the
Jamaican dollar was 5.93 to the US$1. Since then, the currency has lost 1,500 per
cent of its value. In the first 20 years, the loss was less than half that at just
under 600 per cent.
We have introduced the $20 bill, the $100 bill, then reversed to a $50 bill, then on
to the $500 bill and the 'Manley'. The United States' biggest bill is the $100 note,
for Britain it is the £50 note. I ran a Jamaican dollar exchange rate against

CARICOM currencies in preparation for this column and the results are:
Barbados 43.64, T&T 15, EC 32.33, and Cayman a whopping 102.
Not even his bitterest critics could say, "is Shearer fault". Hugh Shearer was
swept out of office in 1972 with the exchange rate at US1.30 for J$1!
Claim_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Type of Appeal ________________________
Pathos
Pathos refers to all attempts to persuade and/or manipulate the audience

emotionally. An argument may be very strong on reasoning, but if it lacks some
degree of emotional appeal it can be seen as dry, overly-academic and ultimately
unconvincing. Emotional appeals serve to add to the impact of the carefully
constructed evidence. It is not just the “what” (content), the “how” is also
extremely important in seeking to convince others. Pathos is an appeal that is
mainly conveyed through emotive use of language.
Language has always been a very powerful tool that can even bring people to
tears. Remember those taunts about your “mother”, your “looks”, your “abilities”.
Were you ever referred to as a “dunce bat” or “sissy”? Victims of a verbal
onslaught often voice the words: sticks and stones will break my bones, but
words can never hurt me. However, this saying is not true, some words can,
and do hurt.
But language can also make you feel special. Are you somebody’s “baby” or
“honey”? Can you add to the list of endearing terms? When someone wants
another person to do something for him/her, the ploy is very often, to first soften

the potential victim by saying something that will make this person feel special.
Words can be used to let the listener feel pride, shame, fear, loved/unloved among
others. Carefully choosing your words (or diction) will help in your effort to
present a complete and potent (powerful) argument.
Emotional appeal can also be achieved through the use of specific types of
evidence. Personal testimonies from participants of an event, whether positive or
negative, will have more emotional appeal than a news item merely describing
the event. In seeking to awaken the emotions, the writer or speaker may display
pictures of events, individuals or actual artefacts. Someone attempting to save
the environment, for example, may present pictures depicting areas of
devastation. On the other hand, if the aim is to evoke feelings of national pride
and love of one’s country, some of the most beautiful spots in the country may be
highlighted, along with the major accomplishments of the citizens of the country.
Look at what has happened with sports and music in Jamaica.
Application
Activity 20
Examine the following examples and say which of the two would have greater
appeal to the mind, conscience and emotions? Provide reasons for your answer?
Example 1
Jamaica does not do enough for our children. Over the past two years, 2012-2014,
58 children have been burnt, murdered and abused. More than 1,000 of our young
boys roam the streets without any form of care or supervision. We are not taking
care of the future generation. No wonder so many of them become involved in
crime and violence. We helped to make them what they are.

Example 2
One significant marker of a civilized, caring society is the nurturing given to the
young and defenceless. The Jamaican society can make no claim of being highly
civilized based on the fact that we have abandoned more than 1, 000 of our young
boys to the evil of the streets. They are sexually molested, beaten, starved and
exploited. Plus, more than 58 cases of murders and death by fire have been
reported between the years 2012-2014. Yet we wonder why so many of our boys
are involved in vicious crimes. We created the monsters that have been unleashed
on the society.
Place your response to Activity 20 here.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Example 2 does more than just offer facts. It presents the argument using
emotive words and phrases as well as the use of a metaphor. A much clearer
picture of the cruelties faced by the children is created. The reader is pushed
towards questioning Jamaica’s claim of being civilized due to the idea that we are
treating our children badly. Although the writer does not mention the word
barbarian, there is the suggestion that this is the correct description for the
society being created. Example 2 better allows for the possibility of introspection
(looking within the self).

Other Strategies
There are some general rhetorical strategies that can be used by all message
composers whether they are attempting to persuade, entertain or inform. In
seeking to appeal to the mind, conscience or emotion, skilful use of language
devices and other techniques will greatly enhance the chances of the goal being
accomplished. Some of you would have already met many of the following
strategies in former English Language and Literature classes. Some of the more
popular rhetorical strategies include:
Anecdote Personification
Flashback Presentation of counterclaims
Humour Repetition
Hyperbole Rhetorical question
Imagery Sarcasm
Irony Simile
Metaphor Special Diction/words
Oxymoron Symbolism
Paradox
Activity 21A Do You Remember?
Can you recall any other type of rhetorical strategies?

Write as many as you can here. Do not repeat any of the ones
listed above.
____________________________ ________________________________
________________________ ___________________________
________________________ ___________________________
_________________________ ___________________________

Activity 21B Test your knowledge or thinking
Skills!!
Can you match each of the strategies above with its correct
meaning? Select from the above list of strategies.
1. An implicit comparison between two unlike things that actually have

something in common ___________________________
2. A reference to something real or fiction ____________________________
3. A combination of contradictory terms _____________________________
4. A discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens.

___________________
5. An action that interrupts to highlight an event that has already passed.

___________________
6. Giving human qualities to inanimate objects __________________________
7. An exaggeration or overstatement __________________________
8. An ironic remark usually intended to hurt _________________________
9. The use of opposing arguments _____________________________
10. A question posed for persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply.
______________________________
The Jamaican culture makes great use of rhetorical strategies. Our music,
proverbs, stories and language are noted for their colour and vibrancy as far as
expression is concerned. Think of scandal bag, patchy-patchy clothes, mi
love you like dumpling and other related terms in our language. Examine
excerpts from songs such as Marley’s “ mi belly full, but mi hungry” for evidence
of the use of rhetorical strategies.

The Search Continues
Information given in this book is very limited. As a critical thinker, you must
examine relevant information from other trusted sources to ensure that you get a
better understanding and also to check that the information here is accurate. A
list of useful sites for this topic is given in the following section.

Useful sites for further exploration of rhetorical strategies
For more on rhetorical appeals/strategies, explore the following web-sites:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/04/
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/index.html
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~dem22/Rhetorical%20Appeals.doc.
http://www.miracosta.cc.ca.us/home/dperales/NEWRhetorical%20Strategies.htm
Remember also that there are English Language textbooks that may be of much
assistance.
Let’s Wrap Up
Varying types of evidence will have different appeals. Appeals to the mind may
cause the message composer to use more scientific research and statistics.
Appeals to the heart and emotions may involve the use of interviews and
personal experiences of individuals. Different composers may take the same set
of circumstances, yet accomplish varying results based on how the argument is
presented. Remember, it is not just what you said, how you said it is also
key. Having the information is a big part of the process, but it is just one
component. You then have to find the right words, organize them in an effective
pattern and use literary devices to enhance the meaning of the text. In other
words, success is not just having content, it is about using effective style as well.
One must be careful to ensure however, that the appeal to the mind is given the
highest place of importance. It is not recommended that ethos and pathos
appeals be the dominant strategies in the defence of one’s position.

3.6 The Writer’s Perspective
In order to accurately decipher the writer’s position, you also need to be able to
identify the perspective from which he/she views the issue. The critical thinker
knows that each situation is complex and there is no one way of viewing an issue;
individuals with varying experiences will look through different lenses. So in
seeking to understand the arguments being put forward, it is necessary to try to
become aware of the perspective from which the person speaks. Identifying the
writer’s perspective can assist in unveiling his/her purpose.
What is perspective?
Perspective has to do with the writer’s point of view. The writer’s perspective
shows his/her attitude to the subject or the distance between himself/herself and
the subject. It ranges from complete impartiality through to positive and
negative personal perspectives, and finally to bias, a particular attitude that
prevents a writer from taking an impartial view of a subject.
This bias, which can be conscious or unconscious, may lead the individual to
ignore other viewpoints and behave as if only his/her view is acceptable. In other
words, the close proximity to the subject may lead to blindness to the views of
others’. This could lead to the presentation of faulty arguments. One writer may
recognise and openly declare his/her bias, while another may attempt to be

impartial, but have this attempt undermined by his/her own attitude to the
subject. However, a personal perspective does not automatically lead to bias.
Application: Identifying Writers’ Perspectives
Activity 23A
Fascinating Benefits of Being Unmarried
Anonymous Through the Fog
1. I do not have anything against marriage. I am however, sick and tired of

people challenging my single status. For Africans, marriage is a big deal
and if I had a penny for each time I got asked the question, "When are you
getting married?" I'd be rich. What does it matter that I'm single if I'm
happy? Is it inconceivable that a 28 year old can be single and happy? I
am. So this paper is in celebration of being single.
1. What is this writer’s attitude to marriage?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. From what point-of – view is s/he speaking?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. How do you think this perspective will affect our interpretation of the
given views?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Activity 23B
Read the following and then answer the questions that follow.
From 'Poppy Day' to 'Violence Day'?
The Sunday Gleaner, October 29, 2000
THE EDITOR, Madam:
I AM concerned over the decline in the interest paid to our war veterans. When I was a
child I looked forward to "Poppy Day", because it was the means of assisting those who
fought in World Wars I & II and returned home blind or minus an arm or a leg, and also
to assist the families of those who failed to return.
At school we were taught the meaning of "Poppy Day", Remembrance Day or Armistice
Day. We knew that it was commemorated on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th
month of the year 1918 to mark the end of World War I. We also knew why it was
important to support the Poppy Day Fund and who benefited from it.
Poppies were sent to schools, churches, business establishments, Government offices

and leading individuals etc. We all bought poppies and wore them on Poppy Day.
During World War II, three of the male students at my school joined the army and went
into active service. I recall the day we were informed by our principal that one of the
boys was missing at sea. Some of us wept when we heard. Our teachers then held
assembly and prayed for our soldiers at war. We sang the hymn "For Those in Peril on
the Sea".
After leaving school I went abroad and it was years later that I heard that the young
man reported missing had returned home and was now married with a family. I was
overjoyed to hear the good news having thought of him as dead all those years. Having
been alive in World War II, and witnessed the return of our soldiers, I can sympathise
with the veterans and also with the families of those who failed to return.

Many of our war veterans have passed on and their families have outgrown aid.
However, we may have to consider continuing the fund to assist the families of our
"violence" victims as we are in the throes of a Jamaican war with 692 killed violently
from January 1, 2000 to October 13, 2000. We may need to re-name the day "Violence
Day" and wear purple violets instead of poppies. It seems to me that the violence will
always be with us.
Please buy a poppy and wear a poppy on Poppy Day.
Questions
1. What, in your opinion, is the writer’s purpose?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What is the writer’s perspective? How much distance does he have from his
subject matter? Give reasons for your answer.
Perspective
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Distance
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

How do your responses compare to the following? The
writer’s purpose appears to be both to inform and to arouse favourable emotions - to make
us aware of the meaning and significance of Poppy Day. He also hopes to arouse sympathy
for the war veterans.
The writer’s perspective is very personal and positive towards the subject matter. The writer
has made it clear that he feels very close to his subject matter.
How do you decide that a perspective is biased?
This is not an easy question to answer. Very often it is a matter of personal

interpretation. We expect to see bias in some instances, for example, from
political parties and their spokespersons and from special interest groups when
reporting about their particular causes. We can recognise these statements by
the language and the types of arguments they use.
• The article may be presenting only one side of an argument.
• There may be strong statements of support for a person or point of

view.
• There may be negative references to other points of view and people

who hold them.
• The message may consist of emotional rather than logical arguments

and conclusions.
• The message may contain arguments that are not supported by

evidence.
• Information that calls the writer’s claims into question may be

deliberately excluded.

Bias may be subtle and may occur in seemingly factual accounts and reports.
Omitting, and, or distorting information or facts to suit a particular point of view
are ways in which this can be done. Unless you are very knowledgeable in a
particular subject area, you may not be aware of the hidden bias contained in
messages based on such areas.
If someone is writing a report in order to persuade you to buy a particular

brand of photocopier, he/she may be more inclined to promote its good
features and not mention its bad features.
OR
If something negative is mentioned about the machine, then the rival

brands will be made to look even worse.
How can you decide on an author’s perspective?
It is an established writing custom, particularly in academic writing, that if a

writer is going to present a particular point of view on a topic that point of view
should be made clear to the audience as part of the introduction. If the writer’s
perspective is not stated clearly, you can detect it through:
• diction
• writing style
• tone
Diction
The use of simple denotative diction would suggest that the writer’s perspective
is emotionally distant form the subject being written about and that his or her
aim is more to inform than to emotionally sway. On the other hand, a biased
view at the extreme end may use very colourful connotative language with strong
emotive words intended less to inform than to persuade.

Writing Style
Writing style focuses on the voice that is used to reflect how personal or how
impartial the writer wants to be. English recognizes three voices: first, second
and third person. When writing from first-hand experience and expressing a
personal opinion, you will use personal pronouns such as I, me, my, we, us.
Writing from the third person perspective, using he, she, they, puts the writer at
a distance from the reader and makes the writer appear more impartial.
Tone
Tone refers to the attitude which the writer has towards his subject matter or
towards the audience for whom s/he writes or speaks. Whenever we think about
the tone that a writer is using it is useful to think about his or her “tone of voice”.
The “tone of voice” therefore. can be friendly or formal, angry or sad, playful or
sarcastic, serious or frivolous – the possibilities are endless. To determine a
writer’s tone you must consider his or her diction or the words which s/he uses.
Put another way, our words convey our attitude towards what we write about or
towards our intended audience.
Tone is an important consideration when you are trying to determine whether an

argument is biased. If the writer’s tone is sarcastic, overly critical,
condescending, failing to acknowledge the possibility of another perspective on
the topic which s/he writes about, or if the tone is simply dismissive or rude, then
the writer is biased in his presentation of the argument. On the other hand, if
the tone is objective, respective of views other than the writer’s own and
acknowledges other perspectives, then the writer may be said to be balanced and
fair in his presentation of the argument.

How Skilled Are You?
Now that you are familiar with the definition and structure of
arguments, let us turn our attention to identifying arguments in
larger messages than we have been using so far. It is not
enough to have knowledge of these concepts and skills. We now have to begin
using them. Remember that the argument or writer’s position may not always
be explicit (clearly stated). You have to use all the knowledge gained so far to
assist you. Following the process described below may prove useful.
The Process of Identifying the Writer’s Position
4. Identify the writer’s position

• Put together claims, premises,
purpose, attitude and tone
• Identify line of reasoning
3. Identify the writer’s perspective and

purpose
• Examine the methods used to present
the argument
• Examine the language used
• Examine the style and tone
2. Identify the claim/Conclusions

• Go through each section/paragraph
• Identify the main points
• Jot these down using your own words
1. Identify the issue or problem
• Examine the title if there is one

• Read through message at least twice
• Compare details with the title
You are now ready to test your skill!

Activity 24
Read this article carefully and answer the questions which follow.
SMOKERS GET A RAW DEAL

Stanley S. Scott, Dec 29, 1984, New York Times
The Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and a host of antidiscrimination laws
notwithstanding, millions of Americans are still forced to sit in the back of
planes, trains, and buses. Many more are subject to segregation in public places.
Some are even denied housing and employment: victims of alarming yet socially
acceptable- public hostility.
This new form of discrimination is based on smoking behaviour.
If you happen to enjoy a cigarette, you are the potential target of violent anti
smokers and overzealous public enforcers determined to force their beliefs on the
rest of society.
Ever since people began smoking, smokers and non-smokers have been able to
live with one another using common courtesy and common sense. Not anymore.
Today, smokers must put up with virtually unenforceable laws regulating when
and where they can smoke-- laws intended as much to discourage smoking itself
as to protect the rights of non-smokers. Much worse, supposedly responsible
organizations devoted to the “public interest” are encouraging the harassment of
those who smoke.
This year, for example, The American Cancer Society is promoting programs that
encourage people to attack smokers with canisters of gas, to blast them with
horns, to squirt them with oversized water guns, and burn them in effigy.
Harmless fun? Not quite. Consider the incidents that are appearing on police
blotters across America:
In a New York restaurant, a young man celebrating with friends was

zapped in the face by a man with an aerosol spray can. His offense:

lighting a cigarette. The aggressor was the head of a militant antismoker
organization whose goal is to mobilize an army of two million zealots to
spray smokers in the face.
In a suburban Seattle drugstore, a man puffing on a cigarette while he

waited for a prescription to be filled was ordered to stop by an elderly
customer who pulled a gun on him.
A 23- year- old lit up a cigarette on a Los Angeles bus. A passenger

objected. When the smoker objected to the objection, he was fatally stabbed.
A transit policeman, using his reserve gun, shot and fatally wounded a man
on a subway train in the Bronx in a shootout over smoking a cigarette.
The basic freedoms of more than 50 million American smokers are at risk today.
Tomorrow, who knows what personal behaviour will become socially
unacceptable, subject restrictive laws and public ridicule? Could travel by
private car make the social engineer’s hit list because it is less safe than public
transit? Could ice-cream, cake, and cookies become socially unacceptable
because their consumption cause obesity? What about sky diving, mountain
climbing, skiing and contact sports? How far will we allow this to spread?
The question all Americans must ask themselves is: Can a nation that has
struggled so valiantly to eliminate bias based on race, religion, and sex afford to
allow a fresh set of categories to encourage new forms of hostility between large
groups of citizens?
After all discrimination is discrimination no matter what it is based on.
Questions
1. What is the writer’s main message or thesis?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What type of reasoning does the writer employ?
___________________________________________________
3. Identify the methods the writer uses to support this line of

reasoning?
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________________
4. Summarize the writer’s argument. Use only the space provided and
remember to include the bibliographic details.
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Activity 25
Treat the nurses right

Devon Dick Thursday | April 1, 2010, The Gleaner
Our nurses should be treated properly. It is totally unacceptable that the

Government is reneging on a signed agreement to pay nurses salary increases
that were due from 2007 and delaying on a ruling of the Industrial Disputes
Tribunal (IDT).
The Government has signed a contract and this should be honoured. If we cannot
respect a contract with the Government, then we are on the road of anarchy. We
are devaluing the importance of contracts when we do not honour them or allow
a governor of a bank to operate without one for four months. Whose contract is
valid?
But where is the money to come from to pay the nurses? The expense should be
borne by the society and not the nurses. The concept of insurance is meant to
spread the costs of an individual's misfortune - illness, death, fire, floods - across
society. And likewise the cost of free health care, which is free government
insurance, should not be borne by nurses and other health professionals only.
The Golding administration's free health care has cost $5 billion and that money
could have been paid to the nurses and allow the Government to honour the
contract.
Recently, the wealthiest economy in the world, the United States of America
passed a bill for universal health care for its citizens and this law will be phased
in over a few years, not immediately, as was done in Jamaica. Furthermore, the
additional cost will be met primarily by taxes on insurance providers. However,
in Jamaica, few persons cared about who was going to fund our free health care.
But now we know that it is the nurses' wages and benefits that are funding the
free health care.
Extra respect
The nurses should be treated with extra respect from this Government in
relation to salary because, while in Opposition, Audley Shaw, now honourable
minister of finance, said that nurses' salaries should be doubled, claiming, “I
would like to give the commitment, that as minister of finance, that would be the
starting position. And sadly, the Government is doing a similar thing with
teachers in that the teachers are being asked to subsidise the Government's
policy on free education. The teachers' salary increases, as agreed, are
apparently being diverted to cover the cost of free tuition.

The Government in the upcoming Budget exercise ought to allow those who can
pay or contribute to the health and education fees, to do so. And those who
cannot afford the fees be helped by the State. And how could the Government
increase the allocation to members of parliament and increase the number of
constituencies when we cannot fulfil the legitimate claims of nurses, teachers
and the police?
The treatment of nurses borders on being callous and yet we expect them to
perform at their optimum. The health sector is having serious problems and with
the serious drought being experienced, and with the garbage not being collected
as per usual and health suppliers withdrawing services because of non-payment
of bills, it does not need a physician to perceive that the health sector is critically
ill and needs urgent life-saving surgery.
Crucifixion
And trade unionist Lambert Brown added to the bad treatment of nurses when
he raised the issue about the nurses not accepting the money from the original
date and opting to negotiate separately. That was a most unfortunate and
unnecessary comment. Even if the nurses made a strategic mistake, it does not
affect the price of bread. The nurses have a signed agreement with the
Government and it should be honoured.
I also saw a televised comedy show putting the Nurses Association of Jamaica
president to ridicule because of her many wigs. How come those comedians never
stigmatise well known men who dye their hair?
The nurses are experiencing a crucifixion; let's hope there will be a resurrection
for them next week.
Questions
1. Identify his line of reasoning.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. List the writer’s claims
a._________________________________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________________________________
c. _________________________________________________________________________

3. What kinds of evidence does he use?
a. ___________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
d.____________________________________________________________________
4. Identify other rhetorical strategies used by the writer.

a. __________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________
c. __________________________________________________________________
5. What is the writer’s position?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
NOTES
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Arguments Given Through Graphics
Communication can occur through a number of channels, such as the spoken

word, gestures and symbols. In today’s fast paced and technologized
world, symbols and images are becoming much more popular in
communication. It is now easy to just snap and send pictures using phones,
tablets and digital cameras, for example. Emoticons are also frequently
used to enhance messages. In the field of advertising and other areas that
seek to convince or persuade the audience, graphics are likely to play a
dominant role. One web site, bigbrandsystem.com, attempts to show the
impact of the use of images by presenting the following oral message in the
form of an image.
Images have diverse advantages. As suggested by the message on the web

site, a single image can capture quite a bit of information. They may also
have a much more lasting impact on the audience than a lengthy verbal
message, since they may be easier to recall. In addition, images are much
more attention- grabbing and may penetrate language barriers. Can you say
what message is being portrayed in the following picture although the
language being used is French.

J'ai fait il. Hourra! Le
Collège est finalement
plus. Pas plus longues
nuits de l'étude. Je suis
libre! Tout le travail a
finalement porté ses
fruits. Je peux maintenant
aller dans le monde et
trouver un emploi.
Many advocacy groups use images to defend their stance for or against an
issue. In order to understand these positions, individuals have to be
willing to use their experiences and knowledge of what the elements within
the image may represent to decipher the message. Examine the following
images and say what message they may be presenting. You must be able to
defend your response.
Activity 26 Identifying Arguments in Images
Only in Jamaica _________________________
http://jamaicamusicz.com/tag/how-two-men-and-cow-fit-one-small-
bike-exclusive/

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
https://vividunderground.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/lifebuoy-hand-
wash.jpg
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
No insects left
https://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/frog_7

Activity 27
Your Argumentative Message Creation Journey

A. Using one of the issues identified in Unit 2, Activity 9
identify and copy relevant information from at least two
different sources.
B. Justify your selection of these sources.
C. Summarize the information from each source.
D. Be prepared to share your issue, information and justification

with your tutor and classmates during the next class.
Remaining Steps in the Critical Thinking Process
We have only examined three of the steps in the process; the remaining ones
will be examined in units three and four. If you are not completely happy
with your understanding of the process so far, discuss your problems with
your tutor. Talk to your classmates as well. The critical thinker does not
know everything; he/she seeks to identify the problem and to identify the
relevant sources of information.
• Ask questions.
• Start consciously applying the skills to everyday life, they are not
just meant for the classroom.
Thumbs up to those of you who have been consciously

using critical thinking skills.

Summative Activities – Units 1 and 2
Activity 28
Critical Thinking Case Study: Exercise 1

Instructions: Read the following scenario and answer ALL the questions which
follow.
1. The usual placards read, “We Want Justice”, “Police Brutality” and
“Murder!!”. It was perhaps the one that proclaimed, “We Or On the Move”
that brought DSP Richards and his squad of men out on a Jamaican day to
the narrow garbage clogged inner city streets, burning barricades and
incendiary tempers. The confrontation was classic. The police were armed
with the law, riot gears and M16 riffles; the group of mainly women was
armed with their confidence, decibels and venomous words.
2. “You think Billy a dog? Him have family like everybody. Him have rights too”,
the woman who led the group shouted in rapid succession as DSP Richards
approached the knot of protesters. “Madam, all citizens have
rights….Citizens, I sympathize with your cause but you cannot block the
roads.
3. “It will stay block until we get justice. Billy never deserve to dead so. Dem
say he pull gun on the police, but is a lie! Where is the gun? Show me, where
it is? And how come you say Billy die in shoot out with the police when dem
shot him in his back…five times in him back. You think that right? Murder!
Murder! Murder!
4. “Madam control yourself. I know you are hurt but let us look at all the facts
without the emotions. If Billy did not fire at the police, how was the police
unit shot up? And why did it crash in the grocery shop injuring the owner
and three other citizens? There are other factors that have not been taken
into account by the community.”
5. “The police shoot it up themselves. My baby-father tell me that Billy and him
friends was on the corner smoking a spliff when the police van drive up and
tell dem not to move. Billy start to run and de police shoot him down. When
we start to protest and say it can’t go so, the police try to throw him body in
the van because they want to hide the evidence”.
6. “Madam, nothing you have told me explains the shots to the police unit or the
illegal gun they took from the body of the deceased…It just does not add….”
“Me don’t name so. Don’t call me no madam. Me name Princess”.
Miss Princess, I don’t mean to offend you but the facts just do not add….”
7. “Don’t tell me that! Let me finish. They shoot it up when my baby-father,

Banny and Sucko stop them from throwing him into the van like meat.
They were shooting after my baby-father and Sucko when dem shoot up
dem own van. As for the gun, a dem plant it on the body. A same thing dem
do to the youth down at Hill View”.
8. Miss Princess, I know you are a respected lady in the community and clearly
have the respect of the other citizens. That I why I caution you to weigh
your words carefully. I am asking for your cooperation to bring this volatile
situation under control. Throwing stones at the police and burning tyres
will not bring a solution. The police have a duty to perform in maintaining
law and order and you the citizens have a right to demand justice for one of
your own. We have to consider both sides of the coin and we all have to do
what is right in this situation”.
9. “You expect me to help you when you all kill Billy? A justice we want for
Billy. Him was somebody pickney too.”
“Miss Princess, more violence and bloodshed will not help your cause or
ours. Let us work together to ensure that justice is the winner today”.
“Nice words will not bring justice for Billy. Where is the justice in shooting
an unarmed youth in him back five times? Where is the justice in killing a
mother’s only son? You think it is justice that they kill him like dog three
months before him take him exams?”
10. “Miss Princess, I can assure you that the Independent Commission for
Investigation are on their way right now to take charge of matters and I
have given orders for the policemen involved to surrender their weapons

and be taken off frontline duties until there is a proper and fair
investigation of this matter…. All who saw what happened will have a
chance to give their statements to the Commission……. Are you satisfied
that those are the right steps to take in achieving justice for all? ….Can I
depend on your help to dismantle the roadblocks and disperse the citizens.
11. With some reluctance Princess walked back over to her people. She raised
her hands for silence then she declared: “The Superintendent say him a go
arrest the police dem for murder and dem a go get what dem deserve. Pull
down the roads block now.”
Across the road DSP Richards shook his head and muttered to himself, “A
what do this woman though God. I wonder if she know that everything is
not so blasted simple”.
Questions
SECTION A – 16 marks
1. State ONE feature each of the critical thinker which is stated or suggested by
both DSP Richards and Princess during their interaction. [1 Mark]
DSP Richards
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Princess
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. State ONE assumption that may be inferred from the words on the placards
that the protesters carried? [1 Mark]
_______________________________________________________________________

3. Reread Sections 3, 5 & 7, name the type of argument and construct the
argument that Princess uses below. [2 Mark]
Type of Argument: __________________________________________________

Argument
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4. Reread Sections 9 & 10 and construct a deductive argument from DSP

Richards’ perspective to convince Princess that justice will be done for all
concerned. [3 marks]
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Identify by name the person in the exchange between DSP Richards and
Princess who uses pathos appeal. List TWO pieces of evidence to support
your answer. [2 Marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Identify by name the speaker who uses logos appeal in the passage and list
TWO pieces of evidence of the use of this appeal. [2 Marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

7. Why would Princess be considered to have little ethos appeal? List TWO
things she could have said to increase her ethos appeal. [2 Marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8. Construct an argument by analogy that DSP Richards could have given

the angry crowd to convince them that justice would be done in the
investigation. [2 Marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9. List ONE fact given in the passage by DSP Richards. [1/2 Mark]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
10. List ONE opinion given in the passage by Princess. [1/2 Mark]
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

SECTION B – 4 marks
Examine the image below and in no more than 100 words write a response in
which you:
(a) Clearly construct the argument being presented in the image

(b) Comment on the effectiveness of the image in making the argument
you constructed in (a)
http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/conceptual-print-ads/
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Activity 29
Instructions: Read the fiollowing scenario and answer ALL the
questions that follow
1. Milicent sighed in frustration and plopped onto the living room couch. She turned
on the TV and began flipping mindlessly through the cable channels; she was
doing this as a diversion really, knowing that Jerry would soon be in full attack
mode. She had been preparing herself since she got home from work and found him
brooding and withdrawn. The arguments between them had intensified over the
past two weeks and she knew tonight would be no different. As he stormed into the
living room she steeled herself for the battle.
“Milicent, Milicent, we need to talk” his voice was menacing.
2. “I cannot keep going over this foolishness with you Jerry” Milicent tried to remain
unyielding as she spoke. “Every day you accuse me of having an affair with this
man. I have told you that it’s not true, but you have already made up your mind
and I am tired of the fighting”
“You take me for a fool you know Milicent” Jerry’s eyes were wild with anger as he
paced back and forth across the living room. “Is three different people see you with
the man. You were seen in his car after work just two weeks ago, and you weren’t
heading in this direction. Where you an the man go?”
3. Rolling her eyes, Milicent turned towards the TV. “Why badmind people won’t
mind their own business and stop telling lies on me. Is pure jealousy and envy
these people in this community have for me, all because I’m progressive and not
having a lot of pikni like the rest of them”.
“Is just because I was raised well why I don’t mash you up, you know Milicent! You
make the entire community have me as a laughing stock! Why would you do this? I
thought we were trying to build a life together.
Why would you disgrace yourself and me by carrying on with this man?” Jerry’s
fight was leaving him. His face and shoulders began to sag as if he was resigned to
his fate.

4. “This is all your fault, everything people tell you, you believe” she covered her face
as she started to sniffle”, “you prefer to listen to them than me, your woman”.
“Don’t bother with the crocodile tears this time. It won’t work. You can’t give me a
straight answer and expect me to just accept everything you say like a big head
bud! You telling me that it’s a coincidence that the same day you come home more
than five hours late, is when you were seen in the man’s car? And why couldn’t I
reach you on your cell phone? Why your office phone rang over and over without an
answer?”
5. “Jerry please! Chester and I are not in anything, we work together and that is all.
I swear to you that I was at work. I was in my manager’s office for hours working
on a proposal that we had to finish that day. I left my phone in my office and was
so caught up that I didn’t even remember it. And didn’t I call you back? Chester is
just a colleague, and the only time I ever drive in his car is when all of us from
work go out for lunch.” She decides to push further, maybe after noticing that
Jerry was beginning to doubt himself. “When I heard that you were at a club
dancing with your ex I didn’t accuse you of cheating. I accepted your explanation.
How is this situation different?”
6. “Don’t you dare try that cheap psychology on me Milicent! You damn well know
that this is not the same thing”. Your big mouth friend knew full well that nothing
was going on between me and Karen. Why she didn’t tell you that she was trying
to get her hands all over me for the whole time I was there. You need to figure out
her motive for running her mouth. I have three very reliable people that let me
know what you going on with behind my back”.
7. “Who? Huh! Who? Why won’t you say who feeding you with these lies? Who are
these cowards? Why you don’t call them name or let them come and tell me to me
face?”
“So Reverend Bennett is a liar then? You never bring the man here into our home?
Rev. is an honest, god fearing man and he saw you do it. Milicent, I don’t see how
we can continue. I will not continue to be laughed at in this community. I will not
lose the respect of my peers and especially these young people that I am trying to
guide.” He seemed to have more to say, but looked at Milicent with sadness
instead. Turning, Jerry began to walk out of the living room.
8. “That man is no man of god. I wonder if Mrs. Bennett knows that he is carrying on
with Sister Patsy” No response “Jerry, you can’t leave me” she finally gets up and
moves towards the bedroom “Jerry please!”

QUESTIONS – 16 marks
1. State TWO features of the critical thinker which are stated or suggested by
Jerry in his interaction with Milicent.[1 Mark]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main issue that is apparent in the conversation between

Milicent and Jerry in the passage? [1 Mark]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Identify ONE assumption that is implied by Jerry’s statement towards the
end of section 6 of the passage? [1 Mark]
____________________________________________________________________
4. Reread sections 2, 4 and 7; name the type of argument given from Jerry’s
perspective as to why he believes that Milicent is cheating and construct
the argument below. [2 Marks]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. What type of reasoning does Milicent use towards the end of section 5 of the
passage? [1 Mark]
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Should Reverend Bennett be trusted as a source of information? Why or why

not? [1 Mark]
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

7. Identify by name the speaker who uses logos appeal in the passage and
list TWO pieces of evidence of the use of this appeal. [2 Marks]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
8. Identify by name the speaker who uses ethos appeal in the passage and
list TWO pieces of evidence of the use of this appeal. [2 Marks]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
9. List TWO facts given in the passage by Jerry. [1 Mark]
i.______________________________________________________________________
ii._____________________________________________________________________
10. List TWO opinions given in the passage by Milicent [1 Mark]
i.______________________________________________________________________
ii. _____________________________________________________________________
11. Construct a deductive argument supporting the position that Milicent is

cheating on Jerry with Chester. [3 Marks]
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Examine the image below and in no more than 100 words write a response in which you:
(b) Comment on the effectiveness of the image in making the argument you
constructed in (a)
http://www.10ad.org/silence-hurts/
Silence Hurts!
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Activity 30
Instructions: Read the following scenario and answer ALL the questions
that follow.
1. The X6 purred to a halt in the FELS parking lot. It remained motionless for a while
and as the air condition shifted cycle, the faintly audible hum made it seem like a
majestic beast pondering its next move just before it pounces. Inside the deeply
tinted windows sat the pensive Breanna, a nineteen year old girl with sad eyes.
Beside her, a man she called Uncle Francis whose interest in her did not stop at
her progress in school but of late had exploded in a fervent desire for her. Without
looking at her benefactor she reached for the handle to leave.
2. “You will give me an answer on what we talked about?”. Pause. “You promised to
give me your answer this week”. He made to touch her on the shoulder but did not.
He did not wish to seem anxious. Still no response. Her hand hesitated on the door
handle. “Bree, I know this looks like a big move but it is for the best…” Encouraged
by the fact that she did not leave he continued. “I don’t want you to feel rushed
Bree, but people who care for each other will do anything to make them happy and
succeed. If you come to live with me you would not have to suffer everyday on the
bus from St. Thomas. You know you would not have to worry about a thing…I will
do whatever it takes to make you happy and successful…Do you doubt that? I
really, really care for you. Am I going to get your answer today?”
“Uncle Francis”, She spoke quietly, “I am still thinking about it….”
3. “You seem to be taking a very long time”. He could not help sounding anxious and he
did not care. “You have been telling me that for the last four months since you
started Utech…I just don’t understand you. It seems you like suffering…and
poverty.”
4. “Uncle Francis, I don’t want you to be upset. Don’t think that I am not grateful for
all the help you have given me. You paid my school fee when I did not get through
with the Student Loan and you have been good to me.

I just don’t know if Mama would agree for me to come live with you. After the
problem with Andrea, I am not sure that moving to Jack’s Hill is the best move to
make right now”.
5. “Your Mom has no problem with the move. I spoke with her and she thanked me for
offering to help you just like I tried to help your sister Andrea. I am willing to do
the same for you. Remember how when she moved in with me she was doing so
well in school, she was no longer shy and backward and even her appearance
improved. Tell me, do you think you can continue dressing and looking this way if
you stay in St. Thomas?”
6. Uncle Francis, Andrea told me there were problems,… that you used to come…”
“Lies! All lies!! Look how much I did for her to lift her up and this is the thanks I
get? I told your mother that I am willing to help you even after your sister behaved
so disgracefully. She was doing so well in school until her final year until she took
up with that no good boy. What did he have to give her? A head full of rubbish
about love, that’s all. Can that be compared to school fees paid in full and on time?
A five bedroom mansion with all the modern amenities in one of the most sought
after neighbourhood in the city? Spending money and a car? Where in St. Thomas
could she get any of these things?”
7. “Uncle Francis, I am just confused and unsure about everything…about Andrea.

After she left your house she ran away to America. She tells me that she is OK but
she will not talk about it at all. I don’t want end up like her .…Is it true what she
said that you tried to hurt her?”.
8. “So that is it! More slander on my name. Do you expect me to sit still and have her
destroy my name and reputation? I have my image to uphold…I am a respectable
member of my profession. You can take the pi…”. He stopped short, perhaps
realizing that he had revealed more than he intended. The silence was pregnant.
9. The door of the X6 swung noiselessly open and a sadder but wiser nineteen year old
made to leave. “ Well…?” No answer. “Bree, I won’t ask you again. What do you
have to say to me?”
“I am going to my Academic Writing class”.

QUESTIONS – 16 marks
1. State TWO features of the critical thinker which are stated or suggested by Breanna in her
interaction with Uncle Francis. [1 Mark]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the main issue that is apparent in the conversation between Breanna and Uncle
Francis in the passage? [1 Mark]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. What other issue does Breanna suggest exists between her and Uncle Francis in section 7
of the passage? [1 Mark]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Identify ONE assumption that is implied by Uncle Francis’ final statement in section 3 of
the passage? [1 Mark]
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. Reread sections 4 to 8; name the type of argument given from Breanna’s perspective as
to why she should not live with Uncle Francis and construct the argument below. [2
Marks]
Type of Argument:
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
6. What type of reasoning does Uncle Francis use in section 2 of the passage to persuade
Brianna to live with him? [1 Mark] ______________________________________
7. What type of reasoning does Uncle Francis use in section 6 of the passage to persuade
Brianna to live with him? [1 Mark] ______________________________________

8. Identify by name the speaker who uses logos appeal in the passage and list TWO pieces of
evidence of the use of this appeal. [2 Marks]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
9. Identify by name the speaker who uses ethos appeal in the passage and list TWO pieces
of evidence of the use of this appeal. [2 Marks]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
10. List TWO facts given in the passage by Breanna. [1 Mark]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
11. List TWO opinions given in the passage by Uncle Francis. [1 Mark]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
12. Construct a deductive argument supporting the position that Breanna should go to live
with her Uncle Francis. [2 Marks]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Examine the image below and in no more than 100 words write a response in which you:
(b) Comment on the effectiveness of the image in making the argument you constructed in (a)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HbJKePcE6Vw/S_Cuw47WZ1/AAAAAAAAAh8/ourB2n7R4p4/s1600/+National +Dish.JPG
National Dish
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT THREE
Evaluating Arguments
In the previous section, you were introduced to the argument. You also met the
idea that some claims or conclusions are not explicitly stated. Some writers tell
the reader exactly what they want to say; others leave it to the reader to draw
conclusions. Whether implicitly or explicitly stated, you have to be able to
identify the arguments in order to appropriately react to them. But your work
does not stop there; you then have to be able to objectively judge the worth of the
argument.
About this Unit
This unit attempts to provide information as well as activities that will

strengthen your skills in the evaluation of arguments. The unit supplies
information on how to evaluate the three types of arguments discussed in Unit
Two. There are explanations and examples of common errors senders make
when formulating arguments. The following questions are a guide to the skills
involved in evaluating arguments.
Guiding Questions
1. What are the features of a logical argument?
2. What are some of the features of an illogical argument?
3. What are some of the most common types of fallacies?
4. What is involved in writing a critical review?
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, August 2014 Page 95

Features of a Logical Argument
While there are different types of arguments (deductive, inductive, analogy),

they all have essential similarities. That is, they must have certain features in
order to ensure that they are indeed effective arguments. These key traits are
listed below.
1. Logical
This means that it is clear to see that the conclusions drawn follow
from the premises or reasons that are laid out. Whatever type of
argument it is, the logic should be sound.
2. True: Based on Factual Evidence

It is unethical to manufacture evidence or sources to boost your
argument. It is important to remember that in your quest to be
convincing all relevant details should be above board at all times.
3. Fair
Remember in critical thinking, decisions are arrived at after information
has been gathered and assessed. Therefore, a logical argument will
not seek to omit, modify, exaggerate or sidestep any relevant
information that may seem to skew the argument in one direction or the
other. In addition, you should always be fair to your opposition in your
arguments.
4. Thoroughness
A good argument will demonstrate that the writer has done all the
necessary preparations, reading and thinking that is required in a
particular context. Never short-change your readers or hearers by being
lazy or sloppy in your preparation.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, August 2014 Page 96
Activity 31 Identifying Effective Arguments
After the brief description of the features of an effective argument, let us now
consider the opposite. Based on your knowledge of arguments, make a list of
what you think will make an argument ineffective or illogical.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Faulty Arguments
An argument can be faulty in many ways. There could be a problem with
the
o evidence,
o conclusion drawn from the evidence presented,
o over-bearing and empty emotional elements within the
argument
clarity of the argument.
A faulty argument is generally said to contain fallacies. A fallacy is an

invalid argument or an argument that is misleading or unsound. It is
important that we are able to identify fallacies in the arguments of others
and also avoid them when constructing our own arguments. A list of
someofcommon
School Humanitiesfallacies is provided
and Social Sciences, in2014
August the following section. Page 97
• Suppressed alternatives
A form of oversimplification in which opposing possibilities are presented

as though they were exclusive and exhaustive.
Example: Tara told the class to either choose her for class president or be
stuck forever with unwanted canteen food.
• Poisoning the well
This is shifting attention from the merits of the argument to the source of
the ideas.
Example: Gary announced to his friends that it is foolish to listen to Dr.

Frazer‘s programme on radio, How to Lose Weight, since his
(Dr. Frazer’s) daughter, Rihanna, is obese.
• Ad Hominen
This refers to the attacking of an argument by discrediting its advocate.
Example: Discrediting the idea of de-criminalising prostitution since one of

its strongest lobby groups is the prostitutes themselves
• The Slippery Slope
Arguing that one act is the first step that will inevitably lead to
increasingly more dire consequences.
Example: Lying will lead to stealing, which will inevitably lead to murder.
• Circular Thinking
This is the stating of the conclusion as evidence.

Example: Wealthy persons are smart because rich people are intelligent.
• The Appeal to Ignorance

To base an argument on a premise that is true, but is formulated on
what is not known, rather than what is known.
Example: We do not know the effects of all the chemical components of

marijuana; therefore, we cannot ban its use based on the argument that
it is detrimental to health.
• False Analogy
Legitimate analogies are an effective strategy for arguing. However, the
analogy becomes false when the similarities between the two things being
compared are not significant.
Example: Homosexuals are being ill-treated in the same way blacks were
at the height of racism.
• Post Ergo Propter Hoc
A false causal relationship. To attribute the cause of one thing (B)

to another (A) because one follows the other or occur together.
Example: You had a patty for lunch. You developed a headache in the
class after lunch. You conclude that your headache resulted
from eating the patty.
• Non Sequitur (It does not follow)
The conclusion is not necessarily a result of the facts presented.
Example: She is a good singer, so she must be a good dancer.

• Begging the Question
This fallacy is present when one presents as truth that which is to be

proven by the argument.
Example: We obviously need a change of leadership since the incumbent

needs to go.
• Band wagon appeal
To validate a point by implying that everyone else believes it.
Example: Marijuana should be de-criminalized in Jamaica because so

many other countries are doing just that.
• Red Herring
Introducing an irrelevant point to divert attention from the main issue.
Example: In a discussion about the fairness of the grade you have been
given for an assignment, you introduce the cost of tuition.
• Straw Man
Choosing the opponent’s weakest or most insignificant point to argue

against as a way of diverting attention from the real issue.
• Ad Populum
Avoiding the issue by appealing to popular sentiments.
Example: In a debate about whether or not capital punishment reduces crime,

the speaker quotes statistics to show that 90% of Jamaicans
support this type of punishment.

Activity 32 Evaluating Arguments
Watch the video – Love is a Fallacy (short story by Max Shulman) on

YouTube at http://youtu.be/7_81fz6kUJI and/or read the story online by
typing in the name of the story (“Love is a Fallacy”) in the search bar.
Consider the following questions and come prepared to discuss the story and
your answers in class.
1. What is the claim being suggested by the title?
2. How effective was the story in supporting this claim?
Place your notes here for discussion.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Activity 33
Identify the problem with the reasoning in each of the

following. Provide explanations for each.
1. I fail to see why hunting should be considered cruel when it gives

tremendous pleasure to many people and employment to even more.
2. All these knuckleheads are running around protesting the war against
marijuana. These people are just pretentious morons.
3. I do not think that teenagers under the age of 18 should be allowed to drive as
next they will want to be allowed to drink, and eventually there will be a total
disregard for authority of any kind.

4. Either you believe in reincarnation or you don’t. Now, which is it?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The picture on Sammy’s old TV set goes out of focus. He goes over
and strikes the TV soundly on the side and the picture goes back into
focus. Jim tells his friend that hitting the TV is definitely the way to
fix it.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Minds, like rivers, can be broad. The broader the river, the
shallower it is. Therefore, the broader the mind, the shallower it is.

Activity 34 Evaluating Arguments Continued
Go through the passages on pages 21 and 72-3, Sanctimonious Religious

Hypocrites and Treat the Nurses Right, respectively. See if you can
identify any fallacies in each of the passages. Come prepared to share
your results with the class. List the fallacies found below.
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
NOTE Further Reading and Practice
Check out the following links for more information on fallacies.
1. http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/0073513474/student_view0/appendix_three/recognizing_fallacie
s_exercises__set_1.html
2. https://people.creighton.edu/~ees33175/Intro-phil_WebSite/Intro-
phl_PDF_logic-exercises/Logic_exercise4-1.pdf
3. http://writing.engr.psu.edu/exercises/fallacies.html(Youtube video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_nfmo5Z0w
4. (Youtube video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_nfmo5Z0w

Bias
Another important element that we have to look out for in evaluating arguments
is the element of bias. Bias occurs when a statement reflects a partiality,
preference, or prejudice for or against a person, object, or idea. Much of what
you read and hear expresses a bias. Bias is when a writer or speaker uses a
specific selection of facts, choice of words, and the quality and tone of description,
to convey a particular feeling or attitude. Its purpose is to convey a certain
attitude or point of view toward the subject. As you read or listen to biased
materials, keep the following questions in mind.
• What facts has the author omitted?

• What additional information is necessary?
• What words create positive or negative impressions?
• What impression would I have if different words had been used?
Biased information tries to change your mind or how you think. Being aware of
bias and knowing how to identify, analyze, and assimilate biased information
properly is a skill to be treasured. It puts you in charge of how you think instead
of being influenced solely by the world of print and media.
What are some indicators of bias?
• The language of the document is often extreme; statements have all or

nothing but connotations (underlined suggestions).
• The argument appeals more to the emotions than to logic.
• Things are worded with the intent to oversimplify or over generalize.
• The author wishes to present a limited view of the topic.

Questions to keep in mind as you seek indicators of bias
• What is the author's political point of view?

• What does the author stand to gain?
• Who is paying for the dissemination of the information?
• Does the author present alternative points of view? If so, are those views
presented objectively, or with scorn?
(Adapted from http://21cif.com/tutorials/micro/mm/bias/)
Evaluating Sources
In addition, another important skill we have to develop when evaluating

arguments is the skill of evaluating the information that the writer uses. In
other words you want to make a judgement on the sources used in the argument.
Go back to Unit 2 and re-read this information; you need to read other sources as
well.
Activity 35
Do some reading on evaluating sources. Make a list of at least four things that
need to be assessed. Come prepared to share with the class.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

THE CRITICAL REVIEW
Now that you are aware of the characteristics of an effective argument as well as
how to spot faulty or illogical arguments you can move on to writing a critical
review. As the name suggests, the critical review is an analysis of an argument,
written or spoken. In the case of AW2, the review is based on a written
argument. The review seeks to determine, among other things, whether the
writer’s position is logical. For an argument to be logical it must meet the criteria
of an effective argument discussed earlier.
Steps in Planning the Critical Review
1. Read the passage carefully at least three times

• In the first reading, just read for a sense of the writer’s meaning.
• Subsequent readings will allow for the analysis and evaluation.
2. Summarize the writer’s argument

• Once you have an understanding of the writer’s message, write down
your first impression of the thesis (overall position being defended)
and the claims to support the thesis.
• Reread to ensure that you have correctly interpreted the writer’s

central message.
• When asked to write the summary, include the
o bibliographic information - the title, name of author(s) , date

and publication details, if available,
o thesis (whether it was stated or only implied)
o main points only

3. Analyze the evidence
• Identify the type of evidence the writer/speaker uses to support each
claim or conclusion made. Look for the various strategies and
techniques that the writer/speaker has used in presenting his
argument or cause, such as illustrations, statistics, appeals to
authorities or experts, documented sources and so on.
• Consider the advantages of using each type.
4. Evaluate the Evidence
• Form a judgment as to whether the evidence presented in support of

each claim is reliable (can be depended on), credible (can be
believed), relevant (pertains to the matter under discussion) and
valid (is true of the claims made).
• Remember that an argument may satisfy some, but not all of the
criteria listed above. For example, the evidence may be relevant in
that it speaks to the issue, but it may be insufficient.
5. Identify and comment on the effectiveness of the style and tone of

the passage.
• Stylistic strategies may include literary devices, the writer’s use of

particular diction (words), the use of dialogue, and others. In
addition, consider the overall register of the language and assess if
it is appropriate for the intended audience.

• The tone should also be considered. Evaluate if the voice in the
article is calm, concerned, angry, urgent, etc. Comment on how the
tone contributes to the effectiveness of the article.
6. Look for Bias

Consider if the article contains bias or not.
• Look out for information that is glaringly missing or information

that is over-worked in the argument.
• See if there are stereotypes of particular sets of people or places.
• The use of dogmatic expressions should also give you a clue as to

whether the article contains bias?
Remember
• Don’t be guilty of bias

o The review examines both the strengths and weaknesses of the
writer’s attempt to defend a position.
o Clearly support any assessment you make.
• Organize information effectively

o Remember that effective organization is important.
o Provide only the information required to answer each question.

Activity 36
Test your knowledge and skills on the following critical review past paper.
Assignment 2 - Critical Review Test 2A (30%)

AY2016/17 Summer Semester 3
Date: July 2017 Duration: 1hr. 30mins
INSTRUCTIONS: Read the following article carefully and answer ALL the questions
that follow. Please be reminded that the examiners shall take into account the correct
use of the English Language in determining the mark for your responses.
Adapted from George Davis | Dancehall and crime: is there really a link?
Published: The Gleaner, Wednesday | July 13, 2016 |
Since the start of the 1990s when Jamaica's murder rate began to spiral, through to the
2000s when we achieved the dubious honour of being the most murderous nation on the
planet per capita, dancehall music has always walked in lockstep with the violence and
carnage wreaked on society by gunmen.
That is until now.
For the first time post-1980, a year in which a record number of homicides was
motivated by the politics of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People's National Party
(PNP), dancehall music seems to have lost its influence as a medium that glorifies the
deeds of the gunman or tells an aspiring 'shotta' how to conduct himself as he leads a life
of crime.
The deejays who have made their names singing about the constituent parts of various
makes and models of guns and how they should be used to slaughter men, women, and
babies always say they are mirroring reality when confronted about the violent nature of
their lyrics. Deejays always say they are just reflecting the narrative of the streets when
they sing about using a "gun in a (wheel) barrow, blow di pus*** marrow", rather than
advocating that kind of approach in dispute resolution or in furtherance of a robbery.
When Vybz Kartel sang in 2006 about "bad man like me mek blood run like taxi, call me
Genghis, Hitler the Nazi", he argued that he was speaking vicariously through the eyes
of criminals hardened by some oppressive experience from the ghetto.
The same argument was fronted by Mad Cobra when in 1994, he sang "have me gun inna me
hand me no joke me naa play, a will shot yuh, then come yuh nine-night come deejay".
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Page 110

Both Cobra and Kartel have mounted stout defences. Cobra has retorted, “I ain’t no gunman.
You can’t criticize me for telling the levity of the streets and inner cities”. And when they
were accused of using such lyrics to glorify and glamorise gunplay and murder, Kartel has
shot back, “Nonsense…I is a artiste and social commentators”. But as they and other deejays
sang about murder, so the homicide rate galloped, giving anthropologists and criminologists
grist for their mill in producing studies showing a link between dancehall music and violent
criminality.
DANCEHALL AFTER DUDUS's CAPTURE
Those of us who follow dancehall music closely will note that a change swept through the
industry after the security forces led an operation to capture Dudus. Before the Dudus
operation, almost every major dancehall act had, if not a string, certainly enough songs about
guns and killing to underscore their own ruthlessness. Numerous careers were either
established or burnished on the back of songs about the most ghastly kind of murders,
including of women, children, government officials, soldiers, and the police.
But post-Dudus, when the capabilities of the security forces, especially the soldiers, were
displayed briefly, songs about 'boxing' police inside police stations and shooting soldiers on
the grounds of Up Park Camp have disappeared from the radar. Yes, there are a few 'gun
tunes' here and there, but not from too many of the popular artistes. Indeed, the six years
since the Dudus operation have been arguably the most fallow period for gun lyrics over the
period 1992 to 2010.
So, for those who say there is a strong link - umbilical or otherwise - between dancehall lyrics
glorifying the gun and our atrocious murder rate, it may be necessary to take fresh stock of
the situation. The question must be asked, at a time when the overwhelming number of
dancehall songs are about sex, money, dancing and new dance moves, skin bleaching, and of
course, the old favourite, badmind, why are we still murdering so many of our people, and to
parlay Vybz Kartel, doing so in ways that would, "mek the devil disapprove"?
Is it that the same story is being told in the streets today as were being related in the glory
days of gun lyrics, but now for some reason, dancehall acts are afraid to put into song what's
happening in the streets? Does the current situation prove dancehall defenders who've always
said that with or without violent song lyrics, Jamaica would still be a murderous paradise,
right?
Just who's right?
Selah.
**George Davis is a broadcast executive producer and talk-show host on Nation Wide FM.

Questions
[All answers must be written in complete sentences or paragraphs as

marks will be awarded for organization and expression. You are
required to skip a line between each answer.
1. Identify the main type of reasoning deployed in the passage and list
THREE characteristic features of this argument to explain your answer. (4
Marks)
2. In ONE paragraph of no more than 60 words comment on the credibility of

the evidence (2 Marks) and reliability of the sources of information (2
marks). (Total - 4 Marks)
3. Identify with appropriate examples TWO types of evidence presented in

the passage. (4 Marks)
4. In ONE paragraph of no more than 80 words comment on TWO language

strategies or devices which the writer uses to make his argument more
effective. (5 Marks)
5. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, comment with appropriate

examples on the use of TWO rhetorical appeal used in the passage. (5
Marks).
End of Test
Total Marks: 30
26 (Content) 2 (Organization) 2 (Grammar/Expression
How well did you do! Check answers on page 137

Activity 37 See how well you do on this second critical review
sample!!
Peter Espeut | adopted from “Expropriating church schools”

Published: The Gleaner Friday | July 15, 2016 | 12:00 AM
A Facebook post by Minister of Education Ruel Reid that went the rounds last weekend has
caused some disquiet in church circles. In the Facebook post, the minister issued a warning
and a threat.
The warning: "Now that High Schools have been given their new funding allocations, I am
warning that I will be taking drastic sanctions against School Boards that do not ensure that
school administrators comply with the new government-funding policy. Schools by nature
must be moral and ethical standard-bearers. They must follow guidelines as they expect
students and parents to observe school rules.
"Now the threat: "The Minister reserves the right, therefore, to take over schools that continue
to breach policy.
"The minister is stating that his ministerial guidelines are absolute and must be obeyed. Is this
true? What immense power does the minister claim for himself! And over half-baked, poorly
thought-out policies!
In early 1976, I visited Guyana for the first time (teaching church music), and while there, I
toured St Stanislaus College (run, like our St George's College, by the Jesuits) and St Rose's
High School (run by the Ursuline Sisters). Later that year, the repressive Forbes Burnham
regime expropriated all the church schools in the country (including St Stanislaus and St
Rose's), putting them under direct government management.
Then followed years of church-state antagonism, including the persecution of clergymen, and
attacks upon press freedom. Fr Bernard Darke, SJ, mathematics teacher at St Stanislaus, was
murdered while taking photographs for the Catholic Standard newspaper, which took a
strong anti-corruption posture. It got to the point where the Catholic Standard had to be
printed overseas and shipped in each week.
Take over
These memories are fresh in my mind as I read the threat coming directly from the hand of
the minister of education to "take over schools" that continue to breach his policies.

Jamaican governments (including the colonial government) have built few top-quality high
schools and have shown little interest in doing so. Almost all were built and operated by
trusts and various denominations, charging fees payable by the parents. Yet there was a
tremendous shortage of high-school places, especially for children of the poor.
As a result of the 1943 Kandel Committee Report, the Government decided to offer
subventions(grants-in-aid) to trust and church schools and to incorporate them into the
government system. The churches and trusts would continue to own and operate their
schools, but would cede some of their power over their schools to the Government.
This arrangement, negotiated many decades ago, was mutually beneficial - maybe all parties
would have described it as a win-win situation. Without spending hundreds of millions to
construct high schools, the Government could send worthy students to already existing top-
quality schools. The Church kept ownership of its schools, and since the Government
approved their recommendations for school board members and principal staff, they retained
control of their schools and could run them as religious institutions.
Partnership
But there are signs that this partnership arrangement is coming apart at the seams. The
government grants-in-aid of school operations were never enough to offer top-quality
education, requiring school owners to raise funds to make up the difference. At the same
time, the Government wants more control over church and trust schools and their finances.
A few years ago, the ministry issued a directive that any funds raised in the name of the
school belonged to the Government. This, of course, is nonsense! The schools do not belong
to the Government, and the 'name of the school' inheres in the church or trust and not the
Government.
The threat by the minister of education to "take over schools" that continue to breach his
policies must be taken seriously. Under the Education Act 1965, the minister can dismiss the
school board recommended by the church or trust and appoint his own people. He can also
appoint his own principal - and it would all be quite legal. The Government has enacted laws
enabling it to expropriate the property upon which the school is built - all quite legally. The
legal framework for a Guyana-like takeover of church schools is in place.
• Peter Espeut is a sociologist and Roman Catholic deacon. Email feedback to

columns@gleanerjm.com.

Questions
All answers must be written in complete sentences or paragraphs as

required to skip a line between each answer.
1. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, identify the writer’s main claim and the
premises which support this claim. (4 Marks)
2. Identify the main type of reasoning deployed in the passage and list THREE characteristic
features of this argument to explain your answer. (4 Marks)
3. In ONE paragraph of no more than 60 words comment on the credibility of the evidence
(2 Marks) and reliability of the sources of information (2 marks). (Total - 4 Marks)
4. Identify with appropriate examples TWO types of evidence presented in the passage. (4
Marks)
5. In ONE paragraph of no more than 80 words comment on whether the writer is biased. (5
Marks)
6. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, comment with appropriate examples on
the use of TWO rhetorical appeal used in the passage. (5 Marks).
Total Marks: 30
26 (Content) 2 (Organization) 2 (Grammar/Expression
How well did you do! Check answers on page 142

UNIT FOUR
Producing Arguments
Introduction
“It easy fi seh, but hard fi do”
Most persons may be familiar with the above quotation. It is very easy to tell
others what to do, but frequently extremely difficult to follow our own
instructions, especially when it comes to making decisions. Persons also find
it relatively easy to negatively criticize others. We will quickly point out
what they did wrong or make pronouncements that something will not work.
But when it comes to producing workable ideas of our own, it is sometimes
not so thrilling.
The wonderful news is that when it comes to producing messages, there are
procedures that can guide us. While completing Academic Writing 1, you
were introduced to some of these steps. You followed those steps in order to
produce expository messages. In this case, you will be seeking to create and
express ideas that seek to convince your audience of the worth of your views
on an issue. You will be producing arguments of your own. You will need to
pull on information and skills gained in Academic Writing 1 as well as from
all that have been done, so far, in this module.
About this Unit

It is often said that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” and you are
now about to prove that you have developed crucial critical thinking skills.
This unit will assist you in showing-off your skills. It will help you to
convince your reader that you are not just able to download information
from the internet or copy from books. You can use information and data

to produce logical thoughts. The unit highlights the differences between
expository and argumentative messages, and takes you through the required
steps in the production process. The trend of active involvement is even
more crucial in this unit, as your lecturer can assist you along your journey
only if you perform all the required tasks on time.
Guiding Questions
1. What are the differences between expository and argumentative
messages?
2. What are the features of the argumentative topic and thesis?
3. How do we use information and data to produce arguments?
4. What is the structure of the argumentative outline?
5. What is the structure of the argumentative essay?
You should recognize the fact that you have already been introduced to some
of the concepts seen in the questions above in the earlier units. You should
have also already begun your message production: you have your topic, a
tentative thesis/position statement, most of your information and a
draft outline. The information and activities in this unit will serve to assist
you to put the finishing touches to your message, and ensure that you are on
the path to producing an effective argumentative essay.
Expository vs. Argumentative Messages

Senders produce messages for a variety of purposes. They may wish to:
a. inform/educate
b. entertain
c. persuade/convince
d. establish a relationship
e. give a command

It is the purpose of the message that determines its content and structure.
You could take the same broad topic and produce messages with varying
purposes. Notice, we said general topic, not a specific topic. This is because
for each purpose the topic may have to be framed differently. Note also, that
the topic is different from the title; four essays may have different purposes
even if the title is the same. The topic is what you will be discussing in
the message. It must be clearly articulated at the beginning of the
production process so that you can use it as a guide. The title on the other
hand is the name given to your particular message, it is usually very
brief and is used to capture the attention of the audience.
Our aim in this module is to be able to recognize and create valid arguments.
So we shall now turn our attention to the comparison between expository and
argumentative messages.
Expository Argumentative
Seeks to educate or inform Seeks to convince
Is objective: explains, illustrates or Is subjective: takes a stand and

describes passes judgment on an issue
Presents information so the audience Uses information to form reasons for

can know claims
Some attention given to quality of Great amount of attention given to

information the quality of the information chosen
Does not necessarily have to pay Must be aware of the conflicting
attention to different views on the views on the issue
same topic

Argumentative message production is a much more engaging process than
expository message creation. It requires the producer to interact to a greater
extent with the information. You have to scrutinize the information carefully
for statements that could act as evidence to justify your position; then you
have to examine this evidence to ensure that it is valid, and can logically lead
to your conclusion. You also have to carefully select the other rhetorical
strategies that will best assist you to achieve your purpose.
Writing the Argumentative Essay

By now, you should understand what is meant by the phrase: writing is a
process. The critical thinking process is a demanding one; you have to ensure
that you factor in some of the tasks you have to perform, into your busy
schedule. Let us now formally examine the requirements for the
argumentative essay.
Requirements
a. The argumentative topic
b. The argumentative thesis
c. The search for relevant, credible evidence
d. The argumentative outline developed based on evidence found
e. Careful documentation using the APA referencing system
The Argumentative Topic

In the previous unit on Evaluating Arguments, you critically evaluated the
arguments of others. Your essay will be assessed by two or more lecturers
using the same criteria. Your attempt at presenting a credible argument starts
with the selection of an argumentative issue. The issue selected must be
controversial. You cannot argue about something that is true or on which
there is common agreement. Look at your topic again. Is it controversial?

From the issue selected, you need to formulate a preliminary position. This is
preliminary as very often after interacting with the evidence, there may
sometimes be changes. Remember, argumentation is not about proving your
point at all cost. You have to open-mindedly explore the issue. It is the
evidence that determines your final views. Frequently asking: “what does the
evidence show?” can be helpful. However, your topic cannot be a question.
Example
Suppose the issue is “the handing over of alleged criminals to the USA
whenever they make a request”. This is a controversial issue in Jamaica, but
it is not yet an argumentative topic. To arrive at a topic, you have to take a
side on one of the arguable aspects of the issue. What are some of the issues
involved in the USA’s extradition requests? Some of these questions are:
• Should Jamaicans just be handed over when requested?
• Can and should Jamaica try to stand up to the US?
• Who should intervene on behalf of the accused?
Your job will then involve taking a side on one of these issues. Remember,
your topic cannot be a question. The argumentative topic shows your position
on the issue.
A possible argumentative topic may be:

Only the courts should decide when to extradite a Jamaican citizen.
Agree or disagree?
School of Humanities and Social Sciences

120
The Argumentative Thesis
The thesis gives a clear indication of why you hold the particular view on the
issue. It is the central message of your essay and is the position that you will
be seeking to justify. The thesis must be carefully constructed.
Apart from the fact that it must be a statement to which someone can oppose,
the thesis has a strict requirement that it should be clearly articulated in a
single sentence. Outside of the academic world, arguments may be explicit
or implicit. This setting demands that you make your position clear. You will
benefit from clearly articulating your position, but it is also of great benefit to
your audience. When you tell the audience what you are trying to prove, it
may serve to prevent misunderstandings and will give them something to
anticipate.
Like the topic, the thesis cannot be a question. However, the thesis should not
be structured like a topic. A topic does not require a subject and verb, nor does
it always express a complete thought. These are topics:
• The carelessness of the government.

• What can we do to prevent child abuse?
The argumentative thesis, just like the argumentative topic, must be

defending a position. However, the thesis is different from the topic in that it
gives a reason for the position described in the topic. Examine these
examples:
A. Topic: SUVs necessary for most Jamaicans or not?
Thesis: SUVs are predominantly status symbols for most

Jamaicans and are uneconomical

121
B. Topic: The imposition of a state of emergency: solution to
Jamaica’s crime woes or not?
Thesis: The state of Emergency merely reinforces the notion that

only restrictions on our behaviour as well as the constant
watch of the police and military will solve Jamaica’s crime
problems.
Initially, your thesis will be tentative as this position may change as you
examine the evidence.
The Search for Relevant, Credible Evidence

You will need to use the information outlined in Unit Two to assist you in your
search for credible sources. Remember that although you need to find
evidence to support your chosen position, you also want to collect information
regarding those views that seem to counter your thesis. These counterclaims
are very useful in helping you to strengthen your argument.
As soon as you locate a source that shows potential, write down the necessary
referencing information immediately. Review the section on documenting
sources using the APA format in the Academic Writing 1 Workbook or look
it up elsewhere. You do not want to be searching for referencing information
weeks after using a source.
Search for information that will appeal to the receiver’s mind, and not just the
emotion. Aim for facts, scientific reports, statistics from reputable sources and
expert opinion. Other types of evidence may be useful as well, but you must
have the stronger types to support your views. Because each type of source
has its strengths and weaknesses, you should ensure that you have
information from at least three different types of sources. Go back to Unit
Two to find information on the types of sources.
122
Review the section of Unit Two that focuses on Interpreting Information. Use
the information on what is an argument and types of reasoning to assist you in
pulling together the premises that will lead to reasonable claims. Test your
claims using diagramming. Watch out for fallacies in your arguments.
The Counter-claim and Refutation
As outlined before, your argumentative essay will strive to be fair. One way of
ensuring this is to let your readers know that you have arrived at your
position on the issue, after careful consideration of not only the facts, but also
the arguments of the opposition. To reflect this in your essay, you need to
include at least one counterclaim. The counterclaim is an argument against
your position. For example, if you are arguing that governments should be
responsible for paying students’ tuition at the tertiary level and not the
students themselves, then the counterclaim would argue that it is the
students who ought to pay the tuition and not the government.
However, it does not stop there. After you have discussed the counter-claim, it
is important that you refute it. This refers to your answer to, or rebuttal of
the counterclaim. In other words, you need to provide evidence as to why the
opposing argument(s) to your thesis is flawed, or why there are further
considerations to be made. The aim of the refutation is to defend your thesis
against the attack of the counter. Take note as well, that the refutation
should address the counter in a direct, sufficient and logical way. You cannot
use as your refutation any arbitrary (just pulled by chance) point. You have to
ensure that it answers the exact points made in the counter, and provide
alternatives for the point of view made.
Therefore, in your research, apart from the supporting points and evidence for
your thesis, you should also identify at least one counter-claim and the
supporting evidence for that counterpoint and take note of it for inclusion in
123
your essay. In addition, you also need to identify an appropriate refutation
and attendant evidence as well.
The Thesis with Counter Argument Suggested

Some writers, in aiming to set their opposition straight from the very
beginning, will include the counter position in the thesis statement. This
means that the thesis will provide claims that will support the writer’s
position, as well as identify the other side of that stance. The following are
examples of thesis statements with counter position included.
• Although it may be argued that the Grade Six Achievement Test

(GSAT) provides a better way of assessing students’ ability when
compared to the former Common Entrance Examination, it should be
abolished because it does not accurately determine their ability and is
an inefficient way of measuring Jamaica’s quality of primary education.
(Modified version of thesis written by Nastassia Rowe, 2013/4)
• While some may argue that giving high school students maternity leave
will lessen the rate of high school dropouts, this action could lead to the
belief that society is condoning teenage pregnancy as well as act as an
irresponsible social initiation into adulthood.
(Modified version of thesis written by Kenya Cummings, 2012/3)
Argumentative Essay Outline

The outlining of your essay is another important step in the process. The
outline is the framework for your essay. It gives an indication of the path the
essay will take. As you learnt in Academic Writing 1, there are two main
types of outlines: topic and sentence. The topic outline is useful during the
initial planning stages, and is meant only for the composer. As you move
towards finalizing your argument, the sentence outline is required. You need

124
to use the standard sentence outline format learnt in Academic Writing 1.
Remember you are now being trained to operate as a professional, so use the
formal means of communicating your ideas when required.
The argumentative sentence outline lists the
• argumentative topic, purpose;

• the intended audience;
• thesis in sentence format;
• the claims and premises/grounds/evidence in sentence format;
• at least one counterclaim, and the accompanying refutation in
sentence format.
The writer will decide on the number of claims and counterclaims, depending
on the demands of the writing task.
The Reference List

A properly formatted reference list, using APA (6th edition) style, accompanies
the outline. This document provides detailed information that allows the
reader to access the sources referred to in the essay. The information for
citations within the essay must be acknowledged on the reference list.
The outline and reference list will be attached to the essay. Both documents
will be typed using size 12 font with Courier, Arial or Times New Roman
typeface. Your outline should be double-spaced. Please ensure that you follow
the given directions.
(Remember that the reference list always starts on a new page)

125
The Argumentative Essay
The essay demands that you present a coherent argument on a chosen topical
issue. It asks that you use relevant and credible information to present logical
claims. All sources of information used must be acknowledged within the
essay. The argumentative essay follows the same pattern for the general
academic essay. The difference will be in the way the content is organized and
the style of writing. All academic essays should have the following sections.
A. Introduction
The introduction serves the purpose of catching the receivers’ attention and
luring them into wanting to read the essay. An appropriate strategy such as a
quotation, startling information, an anecdote or an extract form a song, poem,
proverb or other type of text could be used. In addition, the introduction
identifies the issue through the provision of background information and
states the position in the form of the thesis. Therefore, the introduction
cannot be a single sentence.
Note: do not begin any defence of the position.
B. Body
The body consists of at least three or four paragraphs, two of which present a
conclusion/claim in defence of your position, along with the required
supporting evidence. One paragraph will present the selected counter claim,
along with its evidence. The refutation will then follow, in the subsequent
paragraph.
C. Conclusion
Each section of the essay plays a crucial role in ensuring that you achieve your
purpose of convincing the intended audience that your position is reasonable

126
or valid. The conclusion is your final word to the reader. It serves to wrap up
your argument. Therefore, it should:
• restate your overall message;

(No new evidence/argument should be introduced here)
• leave the audience with something to think about;

(Your attempt to get the audience to reflect on the issues raised in the
essay should not end once you stop writing). Leave the audience with a
quotation from a book, article, song, poem or proverb. Use a rhetorical
question, or some other rhetorical devise to keep the reader thinking
about the issue;
• contain at least three sentences.
The conclusion is a paragraph; it must fulfil the requirement for all
paragraphs. You must introduce the conclusion, build on this
introduction, and then close.
Language Issues
Finally, remember that no matter how diligently you searched for information
or how well-developed your arguments are, if you cannot effectively express
these ideas in clear, acceptable Standard English, you may not achieve your
goal. You must proofread your essay for grammatical errors. Watch out for
errors you normally make, and check to see whether there are any in the
essay. Remember, it is not just what you say, that is important, but how you
say it.

127
Sample Outline 1 Kenya Cummings (2012/3)
Topic: High School Students should be granted Maternity Leave:

Agree or Disagree
Audience: High School students, Ministry of Education, the general

public
Purpose: To convince the audience that high school students should

not be granted maternity leave
Thesis: While some may argue that giving high school students
maternity leave will lessen the rate of high school
dropouts, this action could lead to the belief that society is
condoning teenage pregnancy as well as act as an
I. Granting maternity leave may appear as though society is rewarding

teenage pregnancy and as such the occurrence of teenage pregnancy
may increase.
A. A reinforces is something that, when presented after a
behavior, causes the probability of that behaviour’s
occurrence to increase (Lefton & Brannon, 2003).
B. If a teenager is able to take maternity leave and then

return to school, the prospects of pregnancy may become
even more appealing to other teens and be seen as a way to
be an adult (Colb, 2008).
C. In the statement, “Do not have sex, but if you do, here’s a
condom”, the first part is often muted by the second;
similarly, with maternity leave in place, teenage
pregnancy may increase (Colb, 2008).
II. Teenagers are not at the level of maturity to balance the challenges
of caring for a newborn in conjunction with staying abreast of
material covered in class.

128
A. The aftermath of pregnancy is a very stressful and chaotic
time as sleepless nights and uninterrupted attention
immediately follow after the child is born (Neilsen, 2008).
B. Teenage mothers can experience a variety of psychological

effects including postpartum depression, the symptoms of
which include sadness, irritability, crying, inability to
concentrate, anxiety and mood swings (Zehr, 2012).
C. Caring for a new-born will compete with academic

demands to the extent where the new-born must
undoubtedly be given first priority (Frost, 2008).
Counterclaim:
III. Despite evidence to the contrary, some have argued that giving
teenage mothers maternity leave will result in less life altering
disruption to their lives and careers.
A. Less teen mothers will drop out as a result and more will
complete their education.
B. Maternity leave will help them to overcome the stigma of

failure and be able to continue normal lives after the event.
C. It will teach them and the nation the values of forgiveness

and compassion which will lead to a kinder and gentler
society.
Refutation:
IV. The view that simply allowing a teen mother maternity leave will
solve all the complex problems associated with their condition is
simplistic and impractical for the following reasons:
A. Maternity leave will not reduce or eliminate the drop-out

rate because many teens will be too embarrassed to return
to their old schools and many do not have the social
support systems to continue their education.

129
B. Many teen mothers are not able to continue normal after a
pregnancy as the stigma of failure can have fare reaching
psychological consequences (Gordon, 2007)
C. Maternity leave for teen mothers is not the only way to

promote the values of forgiveness and compassion for more
can be achieved by offering them support and post-delivery
care than a simple act of maternity leave.
Application
Activity 38 A
Critically Examine this Sentence Outline and document the following:
Strengths
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
For Improvement
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

130
Sample Argumentative Essay Kenya Cummings (2012/3)
High School Students should be granted Maternity Leave. Agree or

Disagree?
“I’m pregnant”. These words echoed through her entire being as suddenly the
reality dawned on her. Mommy’s tender thirteen, a mommy to be. The rising
rates of teenage pregnancy has become a topical issue in Jamaica such that
educators are proposing that maternity leave be granted as a remedial action.
Maternity leave, as defined by the Collins English Dictionary, is a period of
paid absence from work to which a woman is legally entitled during the
months immediately before and after childbirth. Clearly, this does not
incorporate high school students and thus an amendment to the maternity
leave law would be required to grant students six weeks if excused absence
from school. The controversy arises as to whether maternity leave should be
granted such that some have argued that it would ne humane, offering the
teens the opportunity to make a better life in the future. In spite of the
controversy, high school students should not be granted maternity leave as it
may seem as if society is condoning teenage pregnancy and it could act as an
Granting maternity leave may appear as though society is rewarding teenage

pregnancy and as though the occurrence of teenage pregnancy may be
increased. According to psychologists L. Letton and L. Brannon, a reinforcer is
something that, when presented after a behaviour, causes the probability of
that behaviour’s occurrence to increase. Naturally, if teenager are able to take
maternity leave and then return to school, the prospects of pregnancy may
become even more appealing to teens and be seen as a way to be an adult
(Colb, 208). Do you think contemporary teens are cognisant that pregnancy is
not a bed of roses? Quite inevitably, in the statement, “Do not have sex, but if

131
you do, here’s a condom”, the first part is often muted by the second;
similarly, with maternity leave in place teenage pregnancy may increase
(Colb, 2008). Certainly, if you give them an inch, they will take a mile.
Teenagers are not at the level of maturity to balance the challenges of caring
for a new-born in conjunction with staying abreast of material covered in class.
According to A. Neilsen in his article entitled “Maternal Leave inappropriate
for high school students”, the after math of pregnancy is a very stressful and
chaotic time as sleepless nights and uninterrupted attention immediately
follows after the child is born. Have you considered the time management
skills of the average teenage? Can you assuredly say that they are equipped to
handle challenges of this magnitude? In addition, Zehr (2012) posits that
teenage mothers can experience a variety of psychological effects including
postpartum depression, the symptoms of which include sadness, irritability,
crying, inability to concentrate, anxiety, and mood swings. Six weeks
maternity leave will not be effective enough for the teen to recover in mind
and body, giving that her body was not fully developed to properly
accommodate pregnancy to begin with. Also, Frost (2008) in his article
“Problems for Teen Mothers”, eluded to the fact that caring for a newborn will
compete with academic demands to the extent where the newborn must
undoubtedly be given first priority. Need I say more?
Despite the evidence to the contrary, some have argued that giving teenage
mothers maternity leave will lessen the rate of high school dropouts in
addition to providing the teen with the opportunity to have a promising future
and make a better life. As valid as that may sound, does giving maternity
leave guarantee that the teen will not drop out anyway or fail to successfully
complete high school? The Women Centres in Jamaica are specifically
designed for teens but the babies also, whilst allowing them the opportunity to

132
achieve the relevant qualifications required at the secondary level. Isn’t this
the kind of environment that they need? If maternity leave is in place, it is
more likely that there will be an increase in high school drop outs as more
teenagers will become pregnant and due to different underlying circumstances
around each individual pregnancy, there will be a greater likelihood that the
majority will not be able to return to school anyway. Is it logical to grant
maternity leave knowing it will create a greater problem amidst the one we
are trying to fix?
Regardless of what educators are made to think, the reality of the issue is
simply this. If maternity leave if granted, teen pregnancy may be increased
and inevitably turn our school into baby factories. In the best interest of
pregnant teens, they should temporarily “drop out” of school to recover
physically and psychologically then enrol in one of the many women centres
available that possess the environment conducive to their learning. Makes
sense, doesn’t it?
References
Colb, S.F. (2008). Should Pregnant High School Students receive maternity
leave? The complexity of accommodating a less than ideal status.
Retrieved from http://www.writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20080123.html
Frost, S. (2008) Problems for teen mothers. Retrieved from

http://www.ehow.com/info_7862726_problems-teen-mothers.html
Lefton, L. A. & Brannon, I. (2013). Psychology (Eight Edition). Pearson

Education Inc. p. 428.
Neilsen, A. (2008). Maternity leave inappropriate for high schools students.

Harapahoe Herald. Volume 48, Issue 6.
Zehr, M. (2012). Psychological effects on teen mothers. Retrieved from

http://www.ehow.con/info_8031087_psychological-effects-teen-
mothers.html

133
Activity 38B
Critically Examine the essay, based on the Sentence Outline in 38A
and document the following:
Strengths
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
For Improvement
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

134
Activity 39
Use the provided rubric that will guide the marking of your essay to
evaluate the sample essay
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY RUBRIC
Introduction There is a well-developed introductory paragraph that

contains a clear thesis spelling out a compelling position.
Total marks: 3
The attention-grabber is clear and interesting and
adequate context is created for the issue under discussion.
Conclusion The conclusion effectively wraps up the main points with a

compelling closure of the issue without repeating the
Total marks: 2
introduction.
Main Points The two main points are well-developed with supporting
details. There is a direct relation to the thesis. The claims
Total marks: 10
are supported with concrete and specific evidence. In
addition, it is evident that the writer understands the
principles of argumentation.
Counter-point There is a clear opposing view with adequate rebuttal

and refutation evidence. The refutation addresses the counter directly,
Total marks: 6 relevantly, logically and sufficiently.
Use of sources The essay contains material from at least four sources.
and referencing They are smoothly integrated into the text and are
accurately documented. All the sources are relevant,
Total marks: 6
reliable and establish evidence for the argument.
Grammar The essay expresses ideas freshly and vividly and is free of
major grammatical, mechanical and spelling errors.

135
Total marks: 8 Major grammar errors include: run-ons, fragments, errors
in noun/verb agreement and; noun/pronoun agreement.
Organization and A lively and persuasive voice is present. Words are used
style appropriately composing unambiguous and sophisticated
sentences. Paragraphing is clear and logical with effective
Total marks: 5
use of transitions and rhetorical devices. In addition,
there is consistent use of the appropriate register and
format and the paper exhibits a sense of sophistication
and maturity in the expression.
TOTAL: 40
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING THE SENTENCE OUTLINE
The thesis is a single sentence setting out clearly the argument of the
writer.
There should be two (2) claims which should be properly constructed and
clear. The supporting points and evidence should be suitable for the claims
made.
There should be a clear opposing view and an answer to it in the format of

the supporting claims above.
The global format of the outline and the formatting of specific areas should
look like a proper outline, and it should use a numbering system which
makes the structure of the paper clear. The punctuations used are clear and
appropriate and all relevant sections are present.
Referencing throughout the outline should follow the current Publication

Manual of the American Psychological Association. There should be clear
and properly formatted in-text references along with the reference list.

136
Answers for Critical Review Past Papers
Activity 36, page 110

Adapted from George Davis | Dancehall and crime: is there really a link?
Published: The Gleaner, Wednesday | July 13, 2016 |
1. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, identify the

writer’s main claim and the premises which support this claim.
(4 Marks)
George Davis’ article “Dancehall and crime: is there really a link?”

published on July 13, 2016 in The Gleaner claims there has been a
change in violent and gun lyrics in the dancehall since the security
forces led an operation to capture Dudus. To support his claim, he
opines that there are a few 'gun tunes' but not from too many of the
popular artistes and that the overwhelming number of dancehall songs
are now about sex, money, dancing and new dance moves, skin
bleaching, and badmind. He further questions the link between dance
hall lyrics and crime. [100 words]
2. Identify the type of reasoning deployed in the passage and list

THREE characteristic features of this argument to explain your
answer. (4 Marks)
Inductive argument or reasoning
The argument deployed is an inductive argument because

(i) the premises are loosely linked to the conclusion;
(ii) while the premises offered might be true there is no guarantee of
truth in the conclusion;
(iii) evidence leads to the possibility not certainty of the conclusion;
(iv) there is no generalization linked to a minor premise on which the
conclusion is based / structure;
(v) conclusion is arrived at by observation or extrapolation from
observation; the evidence presented is observation and opinion;
(vi) an inductive leap is required to move from evidence to
conclusion;
(vii) conclusion is based on appeal to authority and not logical truth;
(viii) conclusion based on assumption that observed cases can provide
explanation for unobserved cases;
(ix) the conclusion is inferred not demonstrated logically.
137
3. In ONE paragraph of no more than 60 words comment on the credibility
of the evidence (2 Marks) and reliability of the sources of information (2
marks). (Total - 4 Marks)
The evidence presented may be considered credible or somewhat

credible because:
(i) anecdotally it agrees or accord with the generally public

perception that there was a decline in gun and violent lyrics after
the police/military incursion into Tivoli Gardens
(ii) the writer provides samples of gun and violent lyrics before the
Tivoli incursion but provides no real proof the change in lyrics
after the police/military action
The source of information has institutional credibility and is generally

reliable as it is presented in The Gleaner which is a national/
international publication with an editorial board that checks and
verifies information before publication. Also, George Davis is a
broadcast producer and journalist/ talk show host on one of the leading
radio stations with a reputation for public affairs analysis which might
lead some to trust and believe his work.
4. Identify with appropriate examples TWO types of evidence presented in

the passage. (4 Marks)
• Anecdotal evidence – offered by the author such as : “Since the

start of the 1990s when Jamaica's murder rate began to spiral” or
“Yes, there are a few 'gun tunes' here and there, but not from too
many of the popular artistes” or any other statement by the
author which is not empirical.
• Testimonial evidence – from Vybes Kartel: ““Nonsense…I is a

artiste and social commentators”.
From Mad Cobra: “, “I ain’t no gunman. You can’t criticize me for

telling the levity of the streets and inner cities”.

138
5. In ONE paragraph of no more than 80 words comment on TWO
language strategies or devices which the writer uses to make his
argument more effective. (5 Marks)
• “Jamaica's murder rate began to spiral” – metaphor suggesting

that the rate has moved out of any control
• “dancehall music has always walked in lockstep with the violence
and carnage” – metaphor suggesting the close connection between
the music and violence and destruction
• “so the homicide rate galloped” – metaphor suggesting the quick
pace at which the killing rate has increased
• “giving anthropologists and criminologists grist for their mill” –
metaphor that is is fertile ground for scholars to speculate and
theorize
• “careers were either established or burnished on the back of
songs” –metaphor suggesting that artistes have obtained glowing
reputation/fame from producing certain songs
• “have disappeared from the radar” – metaphor suggesting that it
has moved from public notice
• “the most fallow period for gun lyrics” – metaphor suggesting a
period characterized by the absence of gun lyrics
• “a strong link - umbilical or otherwise - between dancehall lyrics
glorifying the gun” – metaphor suggesting the causal/generative
relationship between dancehall lyrics and violence
• “Jamaica would still be a murderous paradise” – an oxymoron
suggesting the irony of Jamaica being both a beautiful but deadly
place
[Award half a mark for identifying each of 2 devices/strategies, 1

mark each for 2 examples and 1mark for each of 2 related
explanations.
6. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, comment with

appropriate examples on the use of TWO rhetorical appeal used in the
passage. (5 Marks).
Logos Appeal:
Specific quotations/reference/allusion from/to songs produce by
the artistes Vybes Kartel and Mad Cobra
• Vybz Kartel sang in 2006 about "bad man like me mek blood run
like taxi, call me Genghis, Hitler the Nazi",

139
• Mad Cobra when in 1994, he sang "have me gun inna me hand
me no joke me naa play, a will shot yuh, then come yuh nine-night
come deejay".
• Vybz Kartel, doing so in ways that would, "mek the devil
disapprove"?
• when they sing about using a "gun in a (wheel) barrow, blow di
pus*** marrow"
Testimonial evidence from the artistes as they explain/defend

their work
• From Vybes Kartel: ““Nonsense…I is a artiste and social
commentators”.
• From Mad Cobra: “, “I ain’t no gunman. You can’t criticize me for

telling the levity of the streets and inner cities”.
Pathos Appeal:
• Use of rhetorical questions - Is it that the same story is being
…what's happening in the streets? – to create awareness that the
violence and mayhem may not be uniquely caused by dancehall
lyrics.
• Use of Emotive words in the lyrics of the song associated with the
artistes
• Vybz Kartel sang in 2006 about "bad man like me mek blood run
like taxi, call me Genghis, Hitler the Nazi",
• Mad Cobra when in 1994, he sang "have me gun inna me hand
me no joke me naa play, a will shot yuh, then come yuh nine-night
come deejay".
• Vybz Kartel, doing so in ways that would, "mek the devil
disapprove"?
• when they sing about using a "gun in a (wheel) barrow, blow di
pus*** marrow"
Use of emotive words used by the writer in his numerous

metaphors the link between violent lyrics and crime/homicide
and the deleterious impact that violence is having on the society.
Ethos Appeal:
The writer has some ethos/credibility appeal as a social
commentator because he is a broadcast produce for a leading
radio station and a talk show host. He also has ethos appeal since
he is a columnist for the Gleaner, an international publication
140
with an editorial board which can check facts and make
correction before publication.
TOTAL: 26 Marks (Content), 2 Mark (Organization) and 2 Marks

(Expression/Grammar)
ORGANIZATION EXPRESSION
Award 2 marks for excellent use of Award 2 marks for error-free and
complete sentences and concise use of language.
paragraphs which have a clearly
stated topic sentence, appropriate
supporting details, and are within
the specified word limit.
Award 1.5 marks for good use of Award 1.5 marks for use of
complete sentences and language which may contain one
paragraphs which have a clearly or two error.
supporting details though there
may be one or two errors and slight
overrun of the specified word limit.
Award 1 mark for fair use of Award 1 mark for fair use of
complete sentences and language which contains some
paragraphs which have a clearly errors.
supporting details though there
may be some errors and significant
over run of the specified word
limit.
Award half a mark where there are Award half a mark where there
multiple errors of organization. are multiple errors of expression.

141
Activity 37, page 113
Questions
[All answers must be written in complete sentences or paragraphs as

required to skip a line between each answer.]
1. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, identify the

writer’s main claim and the premises which support this claim.
(4 Marks)
Award 1 mark for relevant bibliographical details.
Award 1 mark for a thesis amounting to the fact that, “Church school
are in danger of being taken over by the government because the legal
framework to do so already exists under/ in the law.”
Award 2 marks for any 2 supporting details which include (i) reference
to the Education Act 1965 as support (ii) The Government has enacted
laws enabling it to expropriate the property upon which the school is
built - all quite legally (iii) The partnership between Church and
government is coming apart at the seams
2. Identify the main type of reasoning deployed in the passage and

list THREE characteristic features of this argument to explain
your answer. (4 Marks)
Award 1 mark for inductive argument and I mark each for any THREE
of the following characteristic features.
The argument deployed is an inductive argument because

(x) the premises are loosely linked to the conclusion;
(xi) while the premises offered might be true there is no guarantee of
truth in the conclusion;
(xii) evidence leads to the possibility not certainty of the conclusion;
(xiii) there is no generalization linked to a minor premise on which the
conclusion is based / structure;

142
(xiv) conclusion is arrived at by observation or extrapolation from
observation; the evidence presented is observation and opinion;
(xv) an inductive leap is required to move from evidence to
conclusion;
(xvi) conclusion is based on appeal to authority and not logical truth;
(xvii) conclusion based on assumption that observed cases can provide
explanation for unobserved cases;
(xviii) the conclusion is inferred not demonstrated logically.
OR
Award I mark for inductive analogy and I mark each for any THREE of
the following characteristic features.
(i) Conclusion is drawn based on the similarity between two things
(ii) It is assumed that what applies to one case also applies to the
other case based on the similarities they share
(iii) an inductive leap is required to move from evidence to conclusion

in both cases;
(iv) conclusion is arrived at by observation or extrapolation from
observation in both cases; the evidence presented is observation
and opinion;
(v) conclusion based on the assumption that what can be observed as
similarities between both cases can provide explanation for what
is unobserved in both cases.
3. In ONE paragraph of no more than 60 words comment on the

credibility of the evidence (2 Marks) and reliability of the
sources of information (2 marks). (Total - 4 Marks)
• Information is somewhat credible based in current public

discussion of this issue in Jamaica; also based on knowledge of
Government participation in the public education sector.
• The writer, Peter Espute, has some credibility as sociologist and

columnist for the Gleaner

143
4. Identify with appropriate examples TWO types of evidence
presented in the passage. (4 Marks)
• Analogical evidence – comparison of the appropriation of church

school in Guyana and its repercussions compared to the proposed take-
over of church school by the Ministry of Education, Jamaica: “The legal
framework for a Guyana-like takeover of church schools is in place.”
Anecdotal evidence – The writer’s claim about the persecution of the

church in Guyana; the history of the partnership between Church and
government regarding the delivery of education in Jamaica
Testimonial evidence by the writer – “In early 1976, I visited

Guyana for the first time (teaching church music), and while there, I
toured St Stanislaus College (run, like our St George's College, by the
Jesuits) and St Rose's High School (run by the Ursuline Sisters).”
5. In ONE paragraph of no more than 80 words comment on

whether the writer is biased. (5 Marks)
• The writer’s caustic tone in denouncing the proposed action of the

Minister show he is biased towards the position of the church of
which he is a leader – ““This, of course, is nonsense” and “And
over half-baked, poorly thought-out policies!”
• The writer does not give the government position a balanced and
fair airing or offer a counterclaim as to why the Minister might
have adopted that policy.
6. In ONE paragraph of no more than 100 words, comment with

appropriate examples on the use of TWO rhetorical appeal used
in the passage. (5 Marks)
Logos or logical appeal:
• Reference to a Facebook post by Minister of Education, Ruel Reid.
• Reference to the 1943 Kandel Committee Report, by which the

Government decided to offer subventions (grants-in-aid) to trust
and church schools and to incorporate them into the government
system.
144
• Reference to historical data of the persecution of the Church in
Guyana - Fr Bernard Darke, SJ, mathematics teacher at St
Stanislaus, was murdered while taking photographs for the
Catholic Standard newspaper, which took a strong anti-
corruption posture. It got to the point where the Catholic
Standard had to be printed overseas and shipped in each week.
Pathos or emotional appeal:
• Use of emotive words to show displeasure/disagreement – “This,

of course, is nonsense”
• Use of emotive words to show disapproval of the minister’s stated

intent – “And over half-baked, poorly thought-out policies!”
Ethos or Credibility Appeal:
• The writer has some ethos appear as a columnist of a national

publication, the Gleaner and a sociologist by profession
• The critical and biased tone of the writer does detract from his
ethos appeal.
TOTAL: 26 Marks (Content), 2 Mark (Organization) and 2 Marks

(Expression/Grammar)

145
Works Consulted
Barnet, S. & Bedau, H. (2007). Current issues and enduring

questions: A guide to critical thinking and argument. Boston,
MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Clement, J. & Lochhead, J. (1979). Cognitive process instruction:

Research on teaching thinking skills. Philadelphia, PA: Franklin
Institute Press.
Feldman, R. (1998). Reason and argument (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle

River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Krishna Rao, M. R. K. (2005). Infusing critical thinking skills into content

of AI course. New York, NY: ACM Special Interest Group on
Computer Science Education.
Machina, K. (2000). The foundations book (2nd ed.). Illinois State

University: Pearson Custom.
McDermott, H. (2008). Cape communication studies. La Romaine,

Trinidad: Caribbean Educational.
Norman, D. A. (1980). Cognitive engineering and education. In D. T.

Tuma & F. Reif (Eds.), Problem solving and education: Issues in
teaching and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2005). The miniature guide to critical thinking

concepts and tools. The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Retrieved from
http://www.criticalthinking.org/files/Concepts_Tools.pdf
Ruggiero, V. R. (2002). Becoming a critical thinker. Boston, MA: Houghton

Mifflin.
Weber, R. & Brizee, A. (2010). Logic in argumentative writing.

Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/01/

146

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CRITICAL THINKING, READING AND WRITING

Enhancing Problem Solving and Decision Making Skills

© Clover Jones McKenzie, Harold McDermott

Edited by Judith Orogun

2nd Edition Revised by Nicole Cameron

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

Printed in Kingston, Jamaica, 2017

The completion of this Workbook at a time when there were so many

We wish to thank everyone who helped in various ways; however

• family members who supported us in whatever way they could;

Thank you all!

Clover Jones McKenzie & Harold McDermott

UNIT TWO The Critical Thinking Process

UNIT THREE Evaluating Arguments

School of Humanities & Social Science ii

“Congratulations Ms. Troy, you have won ten million

“The interest on deposit at the regular banks is way too small.

Thousands of persons, both locally and internationally, who were caught

What does all this have to do with language and communication?

Well, the thought processes are closely related to language skills. In

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Come on! Let’s start our journey towards becoming

Clover Jones McKenzie

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Nevertheless questions, problems and controversies do not just arise in stories or

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1) What is critical thinking?

An understanding of the characteristics of the critical thinker will allow you to

About this Unit

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What is Critical Thinking?

As human beings we all engage in some form of thinking in order to perform

Critical thinking, on the other hand, involves more in-depth reasoning. It

The Nature of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is neither natural nor automatic; it is a skill that has to be

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Questions Related to the Critical Thinking Process

Characteristics of the Critical Thinker

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• accepts that all problems, issues and questions are complex;

• does not jump to conclusions, but is prepared to put aside making a

• attempts to gather all the available evidence on the issue;

• accurately differentiates between facts and opinion;

• impartially assesses and evaluates the evidence in order to determine if the

• is prepared to change, modify or have beliefs confirmed on the basis of new

• is able to efficiently communicate with others within a problem solving

• is prepared to apply the process of critical thinking and problem solving to

(Characteristics adapted from Paul and Elder, 2005)

The Value Of Critical Thinking

The purpose of seeking to facilitate the development of critical

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• If your score is 11-15, you practise critical thinking in sometimes.

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Read the following scenarios, then identify practical solutions to the

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1. In your own words identify three characteristics of the critical thinker.