Argument Analysis | Student Worksheet

What Will You Learn?

Every day, you encounter arguments - in advertisements, news, social media, and conversations. This skill helps you become a critical thinker who can evaluate whether arguments are actually convincing. You'll learn to identify claims, evaluate evidence quality, recognize weak reasoning, and suggest how arguments could be improved.

The Anatomy of an Argument

An argument isn't a fight - it's a structured attempt to convince someone of something. Every argument has parts:

CLAIM

The main point - what the author wants you to believe or do. A strong claim is specific and debatable (not everyone would automatically agree).

REASONS

Explanations for WHY you should accept the claim. Reasons answer the question "Why should I believe this?"

EVIDENCE

The PROOF - facts, statistics, examples, expert opinions, or research that supports the reasons.

COUNTERARGUMENT

The opposing view. Strong arguments acknowledge what the "other side" might say and respond to it.

The Formula: CLAIM + REASONS + EVIDENCE + (ideally) addressing COUNTERARGUMENTS

Argument Example: Analyzing the Parts

"Schools should switch to a four-day week. Students and teachers report less stress and burnout when they have an extra day to rest and catch up. In districts that have tried this, like those in Colorado and Missouri, attendance improved by 12% and teacher turnover decreased by 20%. Some worry that students will fall behind academically, but studies show test scores remain stable when instructional time is used more efficiently."

CLAIM: Schools should switch to a four-day week.

REASON 1: Less stress and burnout for students and teachers.

REASON 2: Better attendance and less teacher turnover.

EVIDENCE: Statistics from Colorado and Missouri districts (12% attendance increase, 20% decrease in turnover).

COUNTERARGUMENT: Students might fall behind academically.

REBUTTAL: Studies show test scores stay stable with efficient instruction.

Evaluating Evidence Quality

Not all evidence is created equal. Ask these questions:

Question to Ask	What It Checks	Red Flags
Is it RELEVANT?	Does it actually connect to the claim?	Evidence about something different than the claim
Is it SUFFICIENT?	Is there enough evidence to be convincing?	Only one example or small sample size
Is it CREDIBLE?	Does it come from a reliable source?	Unknown source, biased source, outdated info
Is it ACCURATE?	Are the facts correct?	Can't be verified, contradicts known facts

Types of Evidence - Strongest to Weakest

STRONGER: Peer-reviewed research, statistics from reliable sources, expert testimony in their field

MODERATE: Real-world examples, historical precedent, logical reasoning

WEAKER: Personal anecdotes, emotional appeals, celebrity endorsements, "common sense" claims

Note: Context matters! A personal story might be powerful in some arguments. But an argument based ONLY on weak evidence needs improvement.

Common Logical Fallacies

Fallacies are errors in reasoning that make arguments weaker. Learn to spot them:

Ad Hominem (Attack the Person)

Attacking the person making the argument instead of their actual argument.

"You can't trust her opinion on climate - she's not even a scientist."

Strawman

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.

"He wants to cut the military budget, so he clearly hates our troops."

False Dilemma

Presenting only two options when more exist.

"You're either with us or against us."

Bandwagon (Appeal to Popularity)

Arguing something is true/good because many people believe or do it.

"Everyone's buying this phone, so it must be the best."

Hasty Generalization

Drawing broad conclusions from too little evidence.

"I know two vegetarians who are always sick. Vegetarian diets must be unhealthy."

Red Herring

Introducing irrelevant information to distract from the real issue.

"Why worry about the school budget when there are so many homeless people?"

Remember: Finding a fallacy doesn't prove the claim is WRONG - just that THIS reasoning doesn't support it well.

How to Suggest Improvements

After identifying weaknesses, think about how the argument could be STRONGER:

Weak evidence? → Suggest more credible sources or more data
Missing counterargument? → Suggest acknowledging the opposing view
Fallacy present? → Suggest replacing with logical reasoning
Not enough evidence? → Suggest additional examples or research
Vague claim? → Suggest making it more specific and focused

Your Turn!

1. Read this argument and identify the CLAIM:

"Social media companies should be required to verify users' ages. Currently, millions of children under 13 use platforms designed for older users, exposing them to inappropriate content. A recent study found that 42% of children under 13 have their own social media accounts."

2. What type of EVIDENCE is used in the argument above, and how strong is it?

3. Identify the FALLACY in this argument: "Mayor Johnson says we should improve public transit. But Johnson has never even taken the bus - he drives a luxury car. Why should we listen to him?"

4. This argument has weak evidence: "Energy drinks are dangerous. My cousin drank one and his heart was racing." How could the author make this evidence STRONGER?

5. Why is it important to analyze arguments critically rather than just accepting or rejecting them based on whether you agree with the claim?

Tips for Analyzing Arguments on the FAST

Identify the claim first: What is the author trying to convince you of?
Trace the reasoning: How does the author try to prove the claim?
Evaluate the evidence: Is it relevant? Sufficient? Credible?
Look for fallacies: Are there errors in the reasoning?
Consider what's missing: Does the argument address counterarguments?

Remember: Your job isn't to say whether you AGREE with the argument - it's to analyze whether the argument is WELL-CONSTRUCTED with strong reasoning and evidence!