Question

Students write a 3‑sentence
summary of the argument’s
effectiveness.

Answer 1

Give students a clear structure and examples so they can write a tight, three-sentence summary.

Suggested structure:
- Sentence 1: State overall judgement of the argument’s effectiveness (strong, somewhat effective, weak).
- Sentence 2: Mention one or two key techniques or pieces of evidence the author uses and whether they work.
- Sentence 3: Note one limitation or a final thought on how the argument could be strengthened.

Sentence starters:
- “The argument is [effective/partly effective/ineffective] because…”
- “The author relies on [evidence/appeals/logic] such as… which [succeeds/falls short] because…”
- “However, the argument would be stronger if it included/avoided…”

Examples
- Effective: “The argument is effective in convincing readers that school start times should be later. The author uses credible studies and emotional appeals to students’ well-being that together make a compelling case. However, it would be stronger with more discussion of potential costs and implementation challenges.”
- Partly effective: “The argument is somewhat effective in arguing for a city bike-share program. The writer provides useful statistics about ridership but relies too heavily on anecdotes and overlooks concerns about funding and safety. Adding comparative data from similar cities would improve the case.”
- Ineffective: “The argument is ineffective at proving that the product is superior. It offers vague claims and few verifiable facts, so readers have little reason to trust the conclusion. Including independent test results and addressing counterarguments would help.”

You can paste this template and examples into an assignment sheet or give students one to use as a model.