GED Reasoning Through Language ArtsExtended Response (Essay)Easy
A student is analyzing two source texts for an argumentative essay on the topic of mandatory community service for high school students. Source A presents statistics on increased civic engagement among students in districts with mandatory service. Source B discusses the potential for mandatory service to displace paid workers in certain sectors. Which of the following approaches best demonstrates effective analysis of these sources for an argumentative essay?
- AIdentifying the common theme of community involvement and comparing how each source's evidence supports or refutes the idea of mandatory service.
- BDismissing Source B entirely because it introduces a counter-argument that would weaken the essay's primary thesis.
- CFocusing solely on the statistics in Source A because quantitative data is inherently more persuasive than anecdotal evidence.
- DSummarizing Source A to argue for mandatory service and summarizing Source B to argue against it, then presenting both summaries sequentially.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Identifying the common theme of community involvement and comparing how each source's evidence supports or refutes the idea of mandatory service.
Effective analysis involves more than just summarizing; it requires comparing and contrasting the sources' arguments and evidence in relation to the essay's thesis. Identifying common themes and evaluating how each source contributes to the overall argument is crucial.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Dismissing a counter-argument weakens an essay by ignoring complexity and failing to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
- C. This is a biased approach that ignores one source and makes an unsubstantiated claim about the inherent persuasiveness of quantitative data, which is not always true.
- D. This approach merely summarizes and presents both sides without deeper analysis or synthesis, which is insufficient for an argumentative essay.
Synthesizing Sources
Synthesizing sources involves combining information from multiple texts to form a new, comprehensive understanding or argument, rather than just summarizing them individually.
- Identifies connections and relationships between sources.
- Goes beyond mere summarization.
- Supports a central argument or thesis.
- Integrates different perspectives and evidence.
Memory trick: Connect, Compare, Critique, Construct, not just Copy.