STRUCTURE of the ESSAY

1. Flaws (identify 3-5)

a. Alternative Causes If the author asserts that X causes Y, what else could be the cause
of Y?
i. Correlation <> Causation
ii. After <> because
iii. Future <> Past
b. Unforeseen consequences – What could go wrong in the author’s plan
i. How could the plan fail to achieve the stated goal?
ii. Does it go too far or not far enough?
iii. What implementation challenges has the author overlooked?
iv. What bad side effects of the plan could happen?
These side effects might be bad on their own, or they might directly prevent
the plan from achieving its goal. Economic examples of the latter include
customer attrition (if you raise prices to increase revenue, customers may
flee) and price wars (if you cut your price to gain market share, your
competition could cut prices in response).
v. Think about who has been ignored by the author (such as customers and
competitors) and what their negative responses to the plan might be.
vi. Skill & Will: If people are involved in implementing the plan (and they always
are), you need the people to have both the skill to succeed and the will to
succeed. Do they?
vii. Who benefits from the plan, and are they the same people who need to
carry it out?
c. Faulty use of evidence
i. Limited sample
ii. Troubled analogy
iii. What it really means
d. Faulty use of language – Extreme words / vague terms / math fallacy
2. Line of reasoning and use of evidence
a. Line of reasoning
i. Does the conclusion follow completely logically from the premises? (No!)
Why not?
ii. What and where are the gaps? Under what circumstances does the logic
fail?
iii. What would help the author prove the conclusion?
b. Use of evidence
i. Does the evidence truly prove what the author wants it to? (No!) Why not?
ii. What does the given evidence actually prove? Under what circumstances?
3. Questionable assumptions and alternative explanations/ counterexamples
a. Questionable assumptions
i. At each stage of the logic, what has the author assumed that is not
necessarily justified?
b. Alternative explanations or counterexamples
 i. What else might explain the facts?
ii. What situations, cases, or circumstances has the author overlooked?
4. What sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument,
5. What changes in the argument would make it more logically sound
6. What, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

STEPS to FOllOW

1. Read (1-2 min)

a. Identify the main conclusion/ premises and smaller conclusion made to support the
main conclusion by the author is making
b. There would be gaps between P & C. My job is to identify those gaps
2. Brainstorm (2 mins)
a. Type thought pointers on the computer
3. Draw the outline (1-2 min)
4. Write the essay (20 min) – Aim for around 350 words
a. Write longer sentences (approx. 20 words/ sentence)
5. Polish (3-5 mins)

SAMPLE SENTENCES

1. The argument that the author makes omits concerns that must be addressed to substantiate
the argument.
2. Although the argument has merits, it omits concerns.
3. The argument omits concerns; moreover, it downplays criticisms.
4. The argument makes an unwarranted assumption