WRITTEN ARTICLE ANALYSIS

Topic: Contemporary issues

Text type: Argumentative in nature
Number of text: 1 text
Level: Higher Intermediate to Advanced
Marks: 25%

Assignment involves pair work/ 3 members to a group and must be approximately

600-800 words based on a selected text(s) assigned by the lecturer.

Students must not plagiarise.

Organisational Features:

(a) Point #1: Students are required to identify the issue in a text.
State the controversial issue being highlighted by the author
Guiding Question: “Is the author writing about a controversial issue?”

(b) Point #2: Students are required to identify the argument/ point of view in a
text.
Guiding Question: “What is the author’s position on the issue?”
By evaluating the author’s work – i.e. writing style, choice of words, and
evidence presented,
Decide if the author is:
• supporting or opposing a certain cause
• being fair and objective, or biased or prejudiced – how are these
being conveyed?
(Provide evidence [taken from the article])

(c) Point #3: Students are required to recognise the types of supporting details
in a text as well as any flaws in reasoning if any.
Describe the types of support the author uses to make his/her case or to back
up the argument.
Guiding Question: “What kind of support does the author present to back the
argument?”
• Strong support: Research Findings, Facts, statistics, Historical or
Geographical data, Examples, Legislation/Law, Expert’s Opinion/
Testimony.
• Weak support: Personal Experience/Observation, Non-expert’s
Opinion/Testimony
(Provide evidence [taken from the article])
(d) Point #4: Students are required to evaluate the supporting details used in a
text by determining:
i. relevance and/or consistency of the support
Decide if the support is directly related to the argument. If it is, that
means the support is relevant.
Unless the author is an expert, his/her opinion or personal experience may
not be particularly relevant.
Guiding Question: “Is the support directly related to the argument?”

ii. author’s objectivity

Decide if the support is objective or subjective.
Objective argument: Evidence from external sources and Strong support
consisting of facts and other clear evidence.
Subjective: Information is based on author’s opinion and observation & there
is emotional involvement (can be detected through the use of emotive
language).
Guiding Question: “Does the author present facts and clear evidence as
support?”

iii. Argument’s completeness

Decide if the argument is complete or incomplete.
Complete: The argument is complete if the author presents adequate
support and address opposing points/ refutations
Incomplete: There is no counter argument.
(Provide evidence [taken from the article])

iv. Argument’s validity and credibility

Decide if the argument is valid or lacks validity.
Guiding Question: “Is the argument logical (well-reasoned)?”
Valid arguments are ones that are strong, well-reasoned, logical and
verifiable. The arguments have relevant supports and logically conclusive
evidence.
Arguments that lack validity are ones that have little relevance, or weak,
or even fallacious, reasoning
(Provide evidence [taken from the article])

Decide if the argument is credible or logical.

Guiding Question: “Is the author’s argument believable?”
Credible: An argument has credibility if it is believable (convincing). The
premises come from credible sources and/or supported by relevant
authorities.
Validity and credibility are closely related since an argument that is not valid
will not be credible.
 Lack Credibility: The accuracy of the data/information is questionable, the
source has not been cited (correctly) and/or the evidence to support has
been taken out of context.

(e) Point #5: Students are required to make inferences and draw conclusions.

(f) Point #6: Students are required to identify the assumptions.

Identify the assumptions made by the author (max 3).
(Assumptions are things that are left unsaid/ not made explicitly –i.e.
things that the author has taken for granted)
Guiding Question: “What does the author take for granted?”

(g) Point #7: Students are required to identify instances of inductive and
deductive reasoning in a text.

(h) Point #8: Students are required to determine an author’s purpose.

Author’s Purpose: To Inform, To Instruct, To Persuade or To entertain

(i) Point #9: Students are required to determine the author’s tone.
• Author’s Tone – author’s choice of words and style of writing to
express his/her attitude/emotion towards a particular topic
• Positive Tone: For e.g. encouraging, enthusiastic, optimistic,
passionate, amused, sincere, sympathetic, urgent, passionate,
humorous, supportive
• Negative Tone: For e.g. disapproving, critical, angry, vindictive,
intolerant, mocking, pessimistic, sarcastic, skeptical, anxious,
condescending, fanatical
• Neutral Tone: For e.g. indifferent, fair, objective, fair

(j) Point #10: Students are required to determine the author’s intended
audience.
Decide whether the intended audience is the general public or a specific
group of people (such as scientists, doctors, law makers etc.)

Note:
Assignment must include items a, b, c, d and e and at least 3 items
from f, g, h, i and j.