MEPX
Chapter 6 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Three levels of reading
  2. 2Structure
  3. 3Main idea and detail
  4. 4Inference
  5. 5Tone and stance
  6. 6Evidence and argument
  7. 7Words in context
  8. 8Reading efficiently
  9. 9Difficult texts
  10. 10Reading outside tests

Chapter 6 of 10

Evidence and argument

Judging support.

What kind of support

Data, expert testimony, anecdote, analogy or appeal to principle. Each has different weight, and a text usually mixes them without labelling which is which.

  • An anecdote illustrates and does not demonstrate.
  • An analogy is only as strong as the similarity it relies on.

Checking the fit

Ask whether the evidence actually supports the specific claim made. Support for a weaker claim is often presented as support for a stronger one.