A) The writer’s main point.

The writer’s main point is oil prices have far outperformed levels that are
warranted by the underlying principles of supply and demand.

B) Essay

The writer’s purpose is to inform the reader about the current

pitfalls occurring with the oil sector and its economic state. One
language technique the author uses throughout this article is
statistics. For example when the writer states “December gasoline
futures fell by 3.0 cents to $2.405 a gallon on the Nymex, and
December heating oil futures fell2.2 cents to $2.5858 a gallon.
December natural gas futures fell 25.6 cents to $7.607 per 1,000 cubic
feet on expectations that inventories rose last week and on forecasts
for wailner weather in the Midwest and Northeast” by making use of
this technique the writer is able to add to the readers knowledge
about the current affairs in the oil economy by providing information
that is credible and easy to comprehend as it’s quantitative.

Another technique used by the writer was point of view. For

example when the writer quotes the comments of two different
analysts which is as follows, “We got kind of a mixed reaction,” said
Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago”. “At some
point, the market does actually discount the bullish possibilities," said
Tim Evans, an analyst at Citigroup Inc., in New York. "That risk of
exhaustion is very present here.”. By citing these comments made by
the two different analyst the writer also accomplishes the goal of
giving not only one analysts views but two rather which coincide with
each other simultaneously thus validates the information being given
even further.

Examples are another technique used by the writer. This is shown

when the writer states that “A larger than expected drop would have
likely propelled oil prices past $100 a barrel for the first time”, this
shows a possible outcome of initial purpose this article. When the
author places this example in the in the article it strengthens the
points being made throughout this article thus increasing the
likeliness of a properly informed article for the reader.
 Throughout this article language techniques/strategies such as the
use of statistics, point of view and examples have overall successfully
made the article one of good quality for the reader. The statistics
portraying the numbers as evidence, the point of view giving an incite
by the professionals and the examples t strengthen the points being
made.