Question

Read Gunther's evaluation of an argument.

In his editorial "Better Safe Than Sorry?: Revisiting the Debate over Capital Punishment," Nemo Jones effectively lays out his argument that the death penalty should be abolished. In his thorough examination of the evidence, he presents authoritative case studies of people whose innocence was proven too late and of criminals who were undeterred by thoughts of capital punishment. He examines comprehensive statistics regarding these groups and summarizes years of interviews with officials in government, law enforcement, and the penal system. His final paragraphs contain the most emotionally persuasive evidence, as he relates the lasting effects on the children of those who have been put to death.

Which element is missing from this evaluation?

the thesis statement
a summary of the claim
an evaluation of the evidence
a concluding statement

Answer 1

a concluding statement

The paragraph gives the claim and summarizes and assesses the evidence (calling it "thorough," "authoritative," "comprehensive," and "emotionally persuasive") but ends without a closing sentence that wraps up the evaluator's overall judgment.