MODR1760A & H Y20-21 Lesson 20 Passage Analysis Steps

PASSAGE ANALYSIS STEPS

Adapted from Saindon & Krek, Critical Thinking, p. 213, Table 8.2

Step 1: Read, annotate, and clarify the passage.

Step 2: Portray the basic conceptual structure in the passage.
Step 3: Assess the concepts.
Step 4: Portray the basic argument structure in the passage.
Step 5: Assess the arguments.

STEP 1: TAUGHT IN LESSON 14.

READ, ANNOTATE AND CLARIFY THE PASSAGE
 Skim for meaning, purpose, and conclusion.
 Read the passage over once from beginning to end without marking it up.
 Draw a line separating each paragraph of the article.
 Number each paragraph.
 Underline, bold or circle, significant, non-trivial, signal words and logical (premise
and conclusion) indicator words.
 Underline or highlight the main point or topic sentence of each paragraph. Do
not over highlight. Indicate only the topic sentences.
 Indicate the main or central concepts by circling, underlining, highlighting.
 Clarify the meaning of key concepts, phrases, and claims.
o Highlight, circle or underline any words that you do not know the
meaning of. Look these words up in the dictionary. Write the definition
in the margin of the article or insert definition in body of the text.
o Write out any missing referent words in square brackets.
 As you read, make at least 3 notes to yourself about your response to the article,
for example, your thoughts, emotional reaction, questions, confusions,
interesting points, and so on.
 Determine the main conclusion or main point of the passage.

Create a Summary of the Passage

 Create a summary of the passage by copy and pasting, or typing out, each of the
topic sentences in the passage.

STEP 2: TAUGHT IN LESSON 16.

PORTRAY THE BASIC CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE IN THE PASSAGE
1. State the two most main concepts around which the passage turns.
2. Formulate the most main conceptual question with which the passage is
concerned.
3. Explain what the author means by the two main concepts, that is, provide a
detailed understanding of how the author defines the concepts in chart or list
form, following the model taught in lecture.

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MODR1760A & H Y20-21 Lesson 20 Passage Analysis Steps

STEP 3: TAUGHT IN LESSON 18.

ASSESS THE AUTHOR’S USE OF THE MAIN CONCEPTS
 Evaluate the speaker or author’s use of concepts by answering the following four
questions:
o Are they clearly defined?
o Are they used in a sense that it too narrow or too wide?
o Are they used consistently, or do they shift in meaning throughout the
article?
o Can their weaknesses be strengthened (i.e., positively criticized)?

STEP 4: TAUGHT IN LESSON 18.

PORTRAY THE BASIC ARGUMENT STRUCTURE
Put the argument in the passage in Standard Argument Form; diagram the
argument.
 State the main conclusion.
 State the most main premises.
 State any stated reasons the author has given for believing these most main
premises.
 Formulate and state hidden premises or unstated assumptions, as necessary.

STEP 5: TAUGHT IN LESSON 19.

ASSESS THE AUTHOR’S ARGUMENTS
 Evaluate the argument by answering the following three questions:
o Does the argument violate any of the criteria for a good argument?
o Can some of the arguments be made stronger (i.e., positively criticized)?

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