4.10: Common Assessment Phrases

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Here are the common phrases discussed in Chapter 4 for writing an assessment of the quality of an argument. Each heading links to the relevant section of the text.

Clarity

Lack of clarity

• What exactly does X mean by _____________?  
• He seems to imply that _____________, but leaves ambiguous whether or not that means_____________.
• They fail to clarify what exactly _____________ refers to.
• He does not define what he means by _____________.
• She explores _____________, but fails to articulate a clear message.
• X leaves open the question of _____________.
• The argument never specifies whether _____________ or _____________.
• Readers will wonder if they mean_____________ or _____________.
• Readers may be confused by the shifting meaning of the term “_____________.”
• Many will interpret _____________ to mean _____________, but some might also take it to mean _____________. 

Praise for clarity

• This piece clearly articulates the case that _____________.
• The argument lays bare the assumptions on which the whole case for _____________ is based. 
• X has clarified the reasoning that underpins the common opinion that _____________.

Exceptions

• The argument is based on the idea that _____________, but this is not entirely true because _____________.
• The reason given is that _____________, but the author has not considered the possibility that, in fact, _____________.
• The author does not acknowledge that  _____________ might be the case.
• The argument presents only two possibilities,_____________ and _____________, when in fact it could be the case that _____________
• The question _____________ assumes that _____________, when, in fact, it could be that_____________.

Evidence

Praise

• She convincingly supports this claim by _____________.
• They give many examples of _____________ to support the idea that _____________.
• His evidence of _____________ ranges from anecdotes to large-scale academic studies to expert testimonials.
• X refers to credible academic studies of _____________ to bolster their argument that _____________.
• X refers to a number of credible experts to establish that, in general, _____________.

Critique 

• X asserts that _____________ but does not offer any evidence.
• The argument builds on the premise that _____________, but fails to support that premise.
• X offers scant evidence for the claim that _____________.
• The argument gives an example to support the claim that _____________, but gives no evidence that this example is typical.
• _____________ is not enough to show that _____________.
• The essay offers only _____________ as evidence when it should also point to _____________ and _____________.
• The argument presents _____________ as a reason to believe _____________, but this supposed reason is just a rewording of the claim.
• The writer provides no real justification for the idea that _____________; to convince us they just repeat that idea with different phrasing.

Assumptions

Critique

• The argument claims that _____________ will inevitably lead to _____________, but this is far from certain.  
• They assume that _____________ will set off a chain reaction leading to _____________; however this is unlikely because _____________.
• _____________relies on the idea that _____________; however, _____________.
• The argument assumes that _____________ without providing evidence.
• _____________takes for granted that _____________, but we may wonder whether this is a justified assumption because_____________.
• _____________depends on the assumption that_____________. Is this always the case? Some might say that _____________.
• _____________ depends on a belief in _____________, which may not be shared by all readers because _____________.
• The underlying idea here is that _____________; however we must ask ourselves whether _____________.
• The implicit assumption is that _____________ but some may question whether, in fact, _____________.

Praise

• X is correct in their assumption that _____________ because _____________.
• X rightly assumes that _____________. 

Counterarguments

Praise 

• The author effectively counters the common view that  _____________ by arguing that, in fact, _____________.
• The writer acknowledges that  _____________ but explains that this is because  _____________. 
• The argument responds to the  _____________ critique of their position by noting that  _____________.

Critique 

• The argument fails to mention the opposing view that  _____________.
• The author attempts to respond to critics by claiming that  _____________, but this response is not convincing because  _____________.

Strengths

Praise a subsection 

• Although the argument does not succeed in proving that _____________, it does help us understand _____________.
• Though the evidence X presents does not prove _____________, it does provide rich material for further discussion.
• X’s conclusion that _____________ doesn’t seem fully justified, but the evidence does show that _____________.
• X makes an important point when they note that _____________.
• X’s insight into _____________ sheds new light on _____________.
• X clearly outlines the problem of _____________, even though their solution leaves much to be desired.
• This piece does clarify the nature of _____________ even though it does not _____________.

Praise for bringing attention

• X brings much-needed attention to the issue of _____________, which is helpful because_____________.
• The essay drives home the need for more focus on _____________.
• This piece highlights the urgent situation of _____________.

Praise the framing 

• X’s discussion of _____________ provides a new way to think about _____________.
• The argument’s biggest contribution lies in its framing of _____________ as _____________.

Praise for raising a question

• X’s focus on _____________ helps clarify an important question for further exploration: _____________?
• The argument points toward the need for further study of _____________ to determine _____________.
• X’s analysis reveals the gaps in our understanding of _____________.