CHAPTER 13 Essaying and Argument – Good Reasoning Matters A Constructive Approach to Critical Thinking test bank

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CHAPTER 13
Essaying and Argument

Multiple Choice Questions

1. A(n) ________ is an argumentative response that incorporates both the features of our evaluation and our own insights.
a) argument diagram
b) evaluative critique
c) argumentative essay
d) macro- and micro-structure diagrams
e) none of the above

2. The ________ captures this activity (the construction of our own argument, the second arm of critical thinking) in its most extensive form.
a) argument diagram
b) evaluative critique
c) argumentative essay
d) macro- and micro-structure diagrams
e) none of the above

3. Good critical thinkers are proficient at analyzing an argument and responding to it, and at ________.
a) pointing out mistakes in other peoples’ arguments
b) writing their own argumenta¬tive essays
c) recognizing arguments on TV.
d) being popular at parties
e) none of the above

4. Choose the best option to complete the list of the components of evaluative critiques.
1. Overview of the main claim and sub-claims
2. Macro-structure and micro-structure
3. Language
4. Reasoning
5. ________
6. Decision
7. The body of the critique

a) Arguments
b) Weighing strengths and weaknesses
c) Deliberation
d) Pondering
e) None of the above

5. In writing an evaluative critique, which of the following does this quotation describe?

“In a brief paragraph, set down the main claim that is being put forward and the sub-arguments that are offered in support of it. Also note any specific types of reasoning that have been employed.”

a) Overview of the main claim and sub-claims
b) Language
c) Reasoning
d) Decision
e) All of the above

6. In writing an evaluative critique, the bulk of your analysis will be in which of the following components?
a) Overview of the main claim and sub-claims
b) Language
c) Reasoning
d) Decision
e) All of the above

7. A complete analysis of the extended argument will include a review of its language, even if no problems may be evident. For which of the following should you be looking in this step?
a) Vagueness
b) Ambiguity
c) Heavily loaded language
d) Poor definitions or the failure to provide the definition of a term that is import¬ant to the outcome of the argument
e) All of the above

8. The ________ will help you assess the importance of terms according to where they occur in the flow of the argument.
a) argument diagram
b) evaluative critique
c) argumentative essay
d) macro- and micro-structure diagrams
e) none of the above

9. There are five aspects of good argumentative essay writing that you should consider in constructing an extended argument of your own. Choose the best option to complete the list.
1. _________
2. Clarity
3. Structure
4. Argumentation
5. Objectivity

a) Rhetoric
b) Entertainment value
c) Scope
d) Appeal
e) None of the above

10. To answer the following questions, you need to have a clear idea of your _________ and your _________.

Given the evidence that you have amassed for your sub-conclusions, what is the main claim you might reasonably be able to defend? And how can you express that claim without promising too much or so little that the argument becomes trivial?

a) intentions; audience
b) goals; authorities
c) conclusions; audience
d) intentions; authorities
e) none of the above

11. The most important feature of the context of your argument is _________.
a) the surrounding politics
b) the audience
c) the way it will be presented (print, oral, etc.)
d) all of the above
e) none of the above

12. When writing your own arguments, the best place to state your conclusion, in order to be clear, is _________.
a) in an opening paragraph of your argument
b) near the middle of your argument
c) in a closing paragraph of your argument
d) you should leave it unstated
e) none of the above

13. In order to start your argument in such a way to make a good impression and get your audience’s attention, you should start it with _________.
a) a joke
b) a rhetorically interesting (but not necessarily logically important) introduction
c) your weakest point in favour of your conclusion, so you can build from there
d) your strongest point in favour of your conclusion
e) any of the above

14. Identify which of the following listed below is NOT one of the basic principles that apply to the writing of the argumentative essay?
a) Make sure that your premises are statements that are distinct and separate from your conclusion.
b) Ensure that each premise offered in support of a claim, together with the other reasons, increases the acceptability of that claim.
c) Ensure that issues are correctly recognized and directly addressed and that any version of an opposing argument has been fairly represented.
d) Ensure that all of your claims could be understood by a grade four student.
e) Back your claims with as many relevant reasons as necessary to persuade your audience.
f) Ensure that all your statements, including premises and conclusions, are consistent with each other.
g) Do not rely on hidden components: make your assumptions explicit and defend them where necessary.

15. Even once you are satisfied with what you have argued, you will still see places where objections might be raised. What is your best approach to these potential objections?
a) Note them in your essay: “Someone might respond to this point by arguing that . . .”
b) Counter the objection with a reasonable response.
c) Ignore the objection completely.
d) Allude to the fact that there might be objections, and let your audience figure out what they might be.
e) Both A and B

True or False Questions

1. When we note hidden premises and assumptions, we should make sure to include everything that the author might possibly have intended or implied.

2. The two arms of critical thinking are the interpretation and evaluation of other authors’ arguments, and the construction of our own arguments.

3. Like the eval¬uative critique, the argumentative essay should be based on a prior evaluation or response to another’s reasoning.

4. The reasoning step is the bulk of your analysis in an evaluative critique.

5. When evaluating an argument, you will want to base your decision about the argument on a balanced appreciation of its strengths and weaknesses.

6. The weighing of an argument should be done objectively. With the most difficult and balanced of arguments, you may want to note that while you may decide one way, a colleague or fellow student evaluating the same argument might decide another way.

7. If you don’t like the conclusion, you can reject an argument, no matter how strong the argument appears to be.

8. There can often be quite good arguments advanced in support of positions that you do not support.

9. When preparing a criticism of an argument, you should always focus solely on the argument’s faults and weaknesses.

10. Your critique is where you develop your own extensive argument, and so this is the stage at which the evaluative critique can benefit from many of the considerations that contribute to a good argumentative essay.

11. When preparing to write an argumentative essay, you only need a vague idea of the direction that you wish to take in the essay. The rest of the argument will come to you as you write.

12. Always write your arguments with a sympathetic audience in mind. They are most likely to agree with you and will be easiest to convince.

13. The introductory paragraph of your argument should principally provide historical context of your argument. The main content of your argument should be slowly unveiled to your audience over the next few paragraphs.

14. Never provide any definitions in your argument. It will make your text cumbersome, and your audience should understand all of the words that you use, anyway.

15. Our purpose in writing an argumentative essay is to convince an audience of our con¬clusion, or to reinforce the conviction they already hold. If we are to succeed in this, our argument must be strong.

16. Good reasoning is not limited to our thinking about difficult issues. It permeates all corners of our lives, clarifying our ideas and enriching our experi¬ences.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the argumentative essay?

2. There are seven steps to consider when preparing for and producing a good evaluative critique. What are they (in order)?

3. What’s the difference between the micro-structure and the macro-structure of an argument?

4. When you assess reasoning, what is your goal?

5. What is defining the scope of an argument? Why is it important?

6. Why is it a good idea for you to diagram at least the macro-structure of your own argument before you write your argumentative essay?

 

Short Answer Questions

1. An argumentative essay is the form our writing takes when we are setting down the arguments that support a position we hold, engaging in original research on a controversial issue, or conducting an inquiry to arrive at a position we will then hold, perhaps by testing a few hypotheses. In its clearest form, the argumentative essay is the first of these, although the other two will often have gone into its earlier drafts. (p. 340)

2. The seven steps to consider when preparing for and producing a good evaluative critique are:
1. writing an overview of the main claim and sub-claims
2. diagramming the macro-structure and micro-structure of the argument
3. assessing the language of the argument
4. assessing the reasoning of the argument
5. weighing its strengths and weaknesses
6. deciding on your response to the argument
7. preparing the body of your critique. (p. 341)

3. A diagram of the macro-structure is a diagram showing how the sub-arguments relate to the main claim. It might help you to assign a number or letter to each paragraph of the text with which you are work¬ing and to refer to these numbers in your diagram. A micro-structure diagram will be more detailed and will show the supporting premises for each sub-claim. (p. 341)

4. When you assess the reasoning, remember that your goal is to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, not simply to detect errors. In many cases you will find that it is just as important to note that the arguer has employed arguments appropri¬ately as it is to note that they have employed arguments fallaciously. For example, the irrelevance to the main claim of an entire sub-argument is far more detrimental to the overall argument than the irrelevance of just one of many premises to a sub-claim. (pp. 342–3)

5. Defining the scope of an argument is a matter of establishing manageable boundaries for your reasoning. Given the evidence that you have amassed for your sub-conclusions, what is the main claim you might reasonably be able to defend? And how can you express that claim without promising too much or so little that the argument becomes trivial? (p. 348)

6. While no one would expect you to include a diagram even of the macro-structure, it is a good idea to plot this out for yourself and keep it by your side for reference while you are writing. This will allow you to take advantage of all the benefits of the diagram¬ming technique. You will see how well your argument fits together, how easy (or hard) it is to detect the logical structure, and where support is lacking or overly dependent on one idea. If you have difficulty diagramming your own argument, you can expect someone else to have trouble seeing the connections. (p. 351)