Title: Author's Arguments - Understanding Persuasive Texts
Course: Reading Summer School

Persuasive texts want you to act or think a certain way. Authors use arguments, statements of reasons for or against something, to make their point. Good arguments will be made with solid evidence. Poor arguments will be made with assumptions, fallacies, and generalizations. Your job as a reader of persuasive texts is to decide if information is credible. Credible authors use evidence to make their point.

Evidence is clear, factual, proven information. Courtroom dramas show fingerprint evidence. It can be verified, or checked out. It can be proven. Many people would conclude that the information was true, if they reviewed it. These are traits of clear evidence.

Writers sometimes feel so passionately about their topic that they use only persuasive techniques rather than facts to sway their reader's thoughts and beliefs. Persuasive techniques include: generalizations, fallacies, and assumptions. Sometimes authors even use false evidence in the information. If authors use these methods in their writing, the argument is not valid. Just because something is written in a book or newspaper does not make the evidence correct or valid.

Generalizations are broad statements that are unclear or unprovable. You hear these statements in campaign ads for political candidates quite often. "Vote for me. I can make a change." The candidate gives no information about how he or she will make a change. There is no factual information only a message in this statement. Listen to people in politics, many times what they say is full of generalizations.

Fallacies are statements which can be proven untrue. Many times fallacies have partial truths but if you thought through the statement, you would determine that not enough information is provided to make sure the statement is true. "TV viewing is bad, but video games are worse." That is an opinion without support. It is not a fact or evidence. It may be true but not enough information is given to make sure it is true.

Assumptions are broad beliefs that are accepted as true without facts to back them up. When a politician says "Vote for me. I can make a change" there is an assumption in that statement that something is wrong with the present system. Perhaps we do not want a change. Perhaps the change will be worse than the way it is right now. You have to think beyond the words to what is not told to you to identify an assumption.

The credibility, or trustworthiness of the author's message, is determined not only by the evidence he or she provides but also by the source of the evidence. A doctor is generally more credible than an advertiser when it comes to information about health. A race car driver is more credible than a housewife when it comes to cars and safety.

How to Think Through Persuasive Texts

1. Decide what the actual message is. You can tell what the author wants you to think or do usually by reading the first or last paragraph. Find out before reading the evidence.
2. Read the reasons the author supports his or her point.
3. Think beyond the reasons to any assumptions the author may not be stating.
4. Pick out statements that may need more information or verification (checking out).
5. Decide if the information provided has enough logic, evidence, and reasons to be a valid argument.