Author’s Viewpoint and Strength of an Argument Reading Intervention Mrs. Orso

Authors usually slant their writing by their own beliefs Authors usually slant their writing by their own beliefs. The reader may tell how the author feels about a subject by not only what the author says but also how he or she says it. Often a reader can determine the author’s opinions about a subject by what the author writes.

The author’s feelings and beliefs about a particular subject are generally referred to as his or her point of view or viewpoint on that subject. Because of the author’s viewpoint on the subject, we know how he or she feels about what is discussed. The manner in which the author discussed a subject allows us to know if he or she is for or against the subject.

Example 1 Most experts agree that January is a long, cold month that often makes people miserable if they have to spend a lot of time inside and physically ill if they spend too much time outside. What is the author’s viewpoint about the month of January? This author dislikes January because of his use of words such as miserable and physically ill.

Look on page 73 and let’s read The Sixth Sense and determine the author’s viewpoint.

Strength of Argument Let’s look at how an author can strengthen his or her viewpoint. An argument is a reason given to persuade or support a viewpoint. When you think of arguing what other words do you associate it with? Heated debate Loud discussion

Strength of Argument Arguing is not always a negative term, and it is often a necessary part of daily life. We use argument to determine what is best for us in certain situations. Debates Research papers Speech assignments As adults we use argument to: Make valid points in meetings Discussions

Two types of Reasoning Deductive Reasoning- applies a general truth to draw a conclusion about something specific. Always logically valid because it relies on established truths and laws Look at Example 1 on page 74

Two types of Reasoning Inductive Reasoning- uses specific observations to draw a more general conclusion May be true but not always valid because it always relies on one or more assumptions Use this type of reasoning to piece together what we know to draw a conclusion about something else The strength of an argument based on inductive reasoning depends on how strong the evidence is. Look on page 74 for examples Complete the PRACTICE on page 76-78