Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

4.10: Common Assessment Phrases

  • Page ID
    110027
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)

    Media Alternative

    Listen to an audio version of this page (6 min, 27 sec):

    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 _____________.

     


    This page titled 4.10: Common Assessment Phrases is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anna Mills (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .